Matteson builds on Frys.com win

Troy Matteson, Wes Short, Andre Stolz and Phil Tataurangi probably were known only to hard-core golf fans and relatives before posting their first PGA Tour victories here.

But only Matteson, last year’s Frys.com Open winner, has managed to use the win as a springboard to boost his career.

The others have been one-hit wonders. Short (2005), Stolz (2004) and Tataurangi (2002) have not tasted success since and have returned to relative obscurity on the pro golf scene. Short is No. 229 on the money list with just $42,119 in earnings. Tataurangi is No. 251 with a paltry $9,102. Stolz, hampered by back problems, isn’t even competing.

Matteson, the defending champion, comes to Las Vegas ranked 66th on the PGA Tour’s money list with $1,282,421. He has avoided the ignominious fate that has befallen others by having faith in his game and being able to execute consistently enough to earn good checks. He’s hoping to build on his 2007 campaign this weekend, beginning today when he tees off at noon at TPC Summerlin.

"It completely changed my confidence," Matteson said of last year’s victory, worth $720,000. "Last year, I was fighting to keep my (tour) card. Now, it’s ‘Let’s see how far I can go.’ "

Matteson hasn’t won since last year, but his 2007 season has been solid. He has two third-place finishes — at the AT&T Classic and John Deere Classic — and took ninth in the Deutsche Bank Championship, a FedEx Cup event.

"It’s been a good year," said Matteson, who played collegiately at Georgia Tech. "The FedEx Cup was a good experience. The best players were there, and it was exciting for me to play well in Boston (at the Deutsche Bank) and move up."

Matteson has a theory as to why someone can sneak up on the field and win in Las Vegas the way he did last year.

"It’s a unique setting," he said. "It’s a desert course. The greens are perfect. So are the fairways. You can shoot low there on both courses (TPC Summerlin and TPC at The Canyons). Guys can get on a run, and it gives them confidence."

Tour veteran Mark Calcavecchia is making his 18th appearance in Las Vegas. The closest he came to winning was in 1998, finishing second to Jim Furyk. He said the time of year the Frys.com Open is played might have something to do with unknowns winning.

"It’s down towards the end of the year, and maybe just the necessity to have to play great is good for some guys," he said. "There’s a sense of urgency as guys are trying to keep their card.

"I know I’d like to win this once. I want to play well this week and not treat it as much like a vacation as I had done before. I’m more businesslike this week."

And if a name player such as Calcavecchia can’t get it done, perhaps one of the former UNLV players in the field can. Chad Campbell turned his season around two weeks ago when he won the Viking Classic in Mississippi, and he comes back to town with loads of confidence.

"It was nice to be able to put four good rounds together," said Campbell, No. 43 on the money list with $1,693,602. "You like to come into any tournament playing well. But the key to winning here is getting off to a good start and taking advantage of the par 5s. If you can birdie the par 5s, maybe sneak in an eagle and pick up a couple of other birdies, you’ve had a good round and you give yourself a chance to win."

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or (702) 387-2913.