Hall honor thrills, baffles Barlow, 38

At 38, Craig Barlow hasn't even made the turn in his life's journey. Yet the Henderson resident is already being honored for his golf accomplishments with induction into the Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame.

Barlow will be honored Sept. 27 at the Palms with two-time national long-drive champion Art Sellinger and a third inductee to be announced next week.

"I wasn't expecting it. I think the biggest word is 'tickled,' " Barlow said Friday from College Park, Md., where he played in a Nationwide Tour event.

"Growing up in Las Vegas and playing golf, it means a lot to me to have this honor. I'm just not sure why they chose to do it now while I'm still active. I don't look at their inducting me as my career being over."

Barlow doesn't figure to leave the game soon. Since turning pro in 1995, he has made $5,117,997 on the PGA Tour and $198,311 on the Nationwide Tour. Despite having never won as a pro -- his best PGA Tour finish is third at the 2006 Nissan Open -- Barlow remains motivated to succeed.

"I still feel like I haven't reached my best," he said. "Until that comes, I'm going to keep pushing forward. My main goal is always to improve."

Barlow, a Basic High School graduate, was a standout amateur in the early 1990s and earned Southern Nevada Player of the Year honors in 1994.

"There's a rich tradition of golf in Las Vegas, and for me to be even a small part of it is very humbling," he said.

"What I'm most proud of is I didn't grow up with a country-club background. I got there with passion and drive and a will to try to succeed. My parents sacrificed a lot for my career, and they did everything to support me."

Barlow has dealt with injuries for much of his pro career. He had surgery on his right hip in 2001 and 2008 and has had back problems.

"I love playing too much (to quit)," Barlow said. "Sure, the injuries have been a big disappointment. But I couldn't see myself quitting. I don't feel like this chapter of my life is done."

Barlow has played in seven majors -- five U.S. Opens, the 2006 PGA Championship and the 2008 British Open, with a top finish of 26th in the 2006 U.S. Open. On Monday, he'll play in a qualifier for this year's U.S. Open, to be played June 16 to 19 at Congressional in Bethesda, Md.

The qualifying event comes at a bad time for Barlow, who has missed the cut in three of his last four Nationwide tournaments, including this week's Prince George's County Open at the University of Maryland.

"Right now, I'm lacking a little confidence," he said. "All the pieces aren't fitting properly. That said, I'm just trying to develop a case of golfer's amnesia and forget about the last few weeks and start fresh Monday."

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.