The 2001 Tucson Open:
What a Way to Kick-off the New Millennium

By Scott Behmer,
Senior Writer

	Omni Tucson National

TUCSON, AZ - In one of the most exciting finishes in recent Tucson Open history, PGA Tour rookie Garret Willis was lifted by his deadly short iron play and a boisterous, cheering crowd to claim the 2001 Touchstone Energy Tucson Open.

History: In the '90's Tucson became known as the birthplace of champions with first-time victories by Robert Gamez, Phil Mickelson and Lee Janzen. Jim Carter carried the tradition into this decade, earning his first PGA Tour victory at the 2000 Tucson Open. Now Garret Willis, in his first Tour start, becomes a member of this impressive list. Further, Gamez, Mickelson, and now Willis each won their inaugural Tour start at the Tucson Open.

The Final Round: The final round got off to a poor start for Willis, with his opening drive finding the rough and leaving only a punch up toward the green. Then, after a mediocre approach, he sunk a 25-footer for par, only to drive into the wash on #2. Yet Willis showed the heart of a true champion, battling back from being four down to Mark Wiebe with precision approaches and a deft putting stroke.

Finally, after sinking a ten-foot birdie putt on the par 3 #12, he vaulted to the lead at -15 and never let it go.

	Omni Tucson National

Pre-Tournament Events: Tucson's ultimate week of golf kicked-off Monday morning with the Arizona Diamondbacks/Chicago White Sox Special Olympics Pro-Am. Six special Olympians each paired up with a Tour player for a three-hole best ball match. With smiles abounding, it was impossible to tell which group was having the most fun.

• Past Tucson Open Coverage • Course Review: The Gallery Golf Club • Omni Tucson National is Quiet Beacon of PGA Golf

Finally, Wednesday was the Celebrity Pro-Am. Stars such as Oscar-nominated actor Greg Kinnear and Cleveland Indians All-Star Kenny Lofton participated. But then the temperature dropped and more rain began to fall. Play was suspended before 1pm.

If players at Tucson National thought it was cold, they were fortunate not to be at The Gallery. Snow fell in the afternoon there, creating a beautiful sight for everyone except golfers hoping to complete their second round.

Former Tucson Open winner Robert Gamez remarked about the cold, "My hands were frozen a half-hour before play was suspended." The tournament was extended to Monday in order to complete four rounds, and fortunately the golf gods smiled down. Tucson was blessed with sunny skies for the remainder of the tournament.

	The Gallery

The Gallery: From the time The Gallery accepted the PGA Tour's invitation to be a co-host for the 2001 Tucson Open everyone wondered how it would play for the best golfers in the world. In the end, it was the hit of the tourney. Players raved about the design, with Tim Herron calling it "One of the top 3 desert courses in Arizona," and "an excellent test of golf."

Fans were eager to experience the Tour on this Tom Lehman-John Fought design. With round one crowds predicted around 5,000, the true number was easily double that, with low estimates between 10 and 12 thousand spectators. In fact, cars were parked ten miles down the incoming road and two additional spectator busses had to be brought to meet the extra demand.

Most definitely the addition of The Gallery was a success. Now the question is: Will it be kept? The early word from the Conquistadors is that next year, with the tournament date moving back to February, there's no need for two courses. But with the hype that The Gallery brought to the event, one has to wonder if they might change their minds.

The Good Samaritan: During the third round, Mark Wiebe was busy doing much more than catapulting himself up the leaderboard. Following a birdie on the difficult par 4 #9, Wiebe was in a golf cart appointed to drive him to the tenth tee.

On the cart's ascent up a hill, it was forced to stop and began rolling back toward a four-year-old boy. Sure to be hit by the cart and maybe even run over, Wiebe jumped from the cart and pushed the boy to safety, leaving the youth with only minor scratches. The boy, scared, upset, and confused, began to cry, so Mark completed his good deed by presenting him with an autographed ball. Maybe the Tour should change its slogan from These Guys are Good, to These Guys are Good People.

The Conquistadors: The Tucson Conquistadors have staged the annual Tucson Open since 1962, each year putting on an excellent tournament with the purpose of promoting interest in amateur athletics among youth, particularly disadvantaged and handicapped children. The Conquistadors contributed over $700,000 last year to various youth organizations and charities.

This year's slogan was "It's for the Kids," so naturally, when play was extended another day they extended the free admission policy for all children to Monday as well. The Conquistadors comprise one of the few hometown organizations that run their own Tour event. What a great job they do, and what a great purpose they have!

Scott Behmer is the Southern Arizona Bureau Chief for GolfArizona.com. He can be reached at scott@travelgolf.com