Past champ Begay likely back at PGA's Reno-Tahoe Open

RENO, Nev. (AP) Notah Begay III, winner of the PGA's inaugural Reno-Tahoe Open in his rookie season in 1999, is tentatively set next week to become the first past champion to return to the golf tournament.

Tom Lehman, Shigeki Maruyama, Scott McCarron, Kirk Triplett, Ricky Barnes and J.P Hayes are among the others who have sent non-binding commitments to the $3 million tourney that starts next Thursday at Montreux Golf & Country Club.

The commitments become official on Friday, although any player has the right to withdraw if they win the PGA Championship this weekend.

``Any time you can get one of your former champions back, that's a great thing,'' tournament director Jim Kline told the Reno-Gazette Journal. ``He even asked to play in the Monday pro-am, which is nice.''

The RTO has never had a former champion return, mainly because they have used the victory in Reno as a springboard to a strong year which made them eligible the following year for the World Golf Championship-NEC Invitational, the higher-profile tournament that is also next week.

Other Reno champions have been Scott Verplank, John Cook and Chris Riley.

Kline said Begay's inclusion should help ticket sales.

``People remember the first year and want to see him back,'' he said.

Begay won twice on Tour his rookie year, also winning the Michelob Championship at Kingsmill late in the season. He then was arrested for DUI in January 2000. After serving a one-week sentence he went on to win twice in 2000.

A back injury late in 2000 has limited his playing time he took two months off from April to June and he made just four cuts in 12 events in 2001, finishing 197th on the money list ($100,538). He then missed his first 11 cuts last year while trying to play himself into shape, but finished strong, making 11 cuts in his last 15 events, including three top 10s.

Hayes is a two-time winner on Tour, most recently the John Deer Classic in 2002.

More commitments will continue to come in through Friday. There is also the possibility that a player who commits to the RTO will either qualify for or be selected to the Presidents Cup team, which would make him eligible for the WGC-NEC.

The team will be determined Sunday after the final round of the PGA Championship. U.S. team captain Jack Nicklaus has two captains picks.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)