Long and Short of It: Calcavecchia’s Good : Golf: L.A. Open’s defending champion is known for his power, but he also has impressed with his finesse.

Mark Calcavecchia is regarded as an aggressive player. At 6 feet and 200 pounds, he has the power to reach most par-five holes in two shots.

That’s his image. However, it’s his finesse around the greens that has established him as one of the game’s great players at age 29.

It was Calcavecchia’s short game that provided him with a victory in last year’s Nissan Los Angeles Open at the Riviera Country Club.

Because of rain delays, Calcavecchia played 27 holes on the final day of the 1989 tournament.

Calcavecchia shot a 68 for his final 18 holes to win by one stroke over Britain’s Sandy Lyle.

He will defend his title at Riviera starting today in the $1-million, 72-hole tournament that will reward the winner with $180,000.

Ben Crenshaw is aware of Calcavecchia’s reputation as a long hitter, but he admires his short game.

“He has great hands and knows what to do with them,” Crenshaw said. “He hit some unbelievable shots off the greens last year and he’s a terrific putter.

“And he’s aggressive and takes chances. He can afford to because he hits so long.”

Calcavecchia won two other tournaments last year: the British Open and the Phoenix Open.

He has yet to win a tournament this year, but he has had three top-10 finishes in five events including a second-place tie at Tucson.

He has earned more money, $148,507, than any other nonwinner on the PGA Tour this year.

Calcavecchia took two weeks off from the tour after tying for sixth place at Pebble Beach. He said he didn’t touch a club during that time, played with his baby daughter and has come to Riviera refreshed and ready to defend his title.

He says that Riviera is one of the best courses on the tour and that it favors his game.

“There is nothing tricky out here,” Calcavecchia said. “Everything is right in front of you. There are no island greens, or pot bunkers--just trees and grass. I like golf courses like that.”

He also said there are some easy holes and relatively hard ones, depending on the weather.

“A lot of guys don’t like that stuff (Kikuyu grass) around the greens, but I kind of like it,” Calcavecchia said. “You have to fly the ball to the green. A lot of guys don’t have confidence in that shot. They like to play bump-and-run shots.”

After seven events, there haven’t been any multiple winners on the tour this season.

Calcavecchia is philosophical about winning.

“After watching tournaments the last couple of weeks on TV, I reaffirmed my belief that when it’s your turn to win, you win,” he said.

He seems confident that he will win, if not here then down the line.

Calcavecchia said his primary goal this year is to repeat as British Open champion. The tournament will be played at the historic St. Andrews course in Scotland.

“That would give me the most satisfaction,” he said. “After that it would be the Masters, or any other major, or any other win.

Calcavecchia added that if he doesn’t win a major, he wouldn’t regard the season as a disappointment. He would, however, if he doesn’t win a tournament.

Calcavecchia won the British Open in dramatic fashion last July, beating Greg Norman and Wayne Grady on the fourth extra hole of a playoff.

He hit what he said was the best five-iron shot of his life to the green on the last hole, where he got his birdie from seven feet.

Asked if he thinks about that shot from time to time, Calcavecchia said:

“People remind me of it more than I think of it. When people congratulate me, it’s great thinking about it in that way.”

Calcavecchia, Tom Kite and Steve Jones each won three tournaments last year. No one has won more than four in a year since Tom Watson won six in 1980.

“If you win three times, it’s a great achievement,” Calcavecchia said. “I’m not saying that a guy won’t win four, or five times, but the odds are really slim against it nowadays. There are just so many good young guys out there.”

When Calcavecchia won the L.A. Open last year, he said that there were a lot of birdie holes on the course.

Unlike Crenshaw, Calcavecchia isn’t caught up in the romance of Riviera, a favorite layout for Ben Hogan, Sam Snead and other legendary players.

“Not really,” he said. “That’s before my time. I didn’t get into the history of golf courses.”

But he is attuned to winning.

Golf Notes

Unlike last year, when rain delayed play, the forecast is favorable for the four-day tournament. . . . Other L.A. Open champions in the field are Chip Beck (1988), Doug Tewell (1986), David Edwards (1984), Lanny Wadkins (1979, 1985), Gil Morgan (1978), Tom Purtzer (1977), Hale Irwin (1976), Pat Fitzsimons (1975) and Dave Stockton (1974).

Among prominent players teeing off today are Tom Kite, the PGA player of the year in 1989; Steve Jones, Scott Simpson, Craig Stadler, David Frost, Fred Couples, Larry Mize, Jumbo Ozaki, John Mahaffey, Bob Tway, Larry Nelson, Jeff Sluman, Fuzzy Zoeller and Jodie Mudd. . . . Irwin finished third last year after getting hit by a ball struck by former Ram center Rich Saul in the pro-am. He had 16 stitches in his forehead.