Back to the Good, Old Days

Most of the big names won’t be at Riviera until today’s practice rounds, but some of the golfers who will be competing in the Nissan Open this week were there Monday to play in an invitational pro-am and test the revamped course.

One of them was Bob Burns, the 1990 NCAA Division II champion from Cal State Northridge.

Burns, playing with four amateurs, shot a one-over-par 72 and afterward said he was impressed with the new-look Riviera.

“I like all the changes,” he said. “Sure, it’s longer now, but that’s the trend these days. I think overall they’ve improved the course.”

Burns said he particularly liked No. 8, which now sports a new left fairway bunker. He said the bunker gives the hole more character.

Burns played in the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines in La Jolla last week and finished in a group at two-under and earned $14,760.

K.J. Choi, who finished in a group at six-under at Torrey Pines and earned $48,600, also liked the changes, although he said Riviera is now more difficult.

Choi, a Korean whose English is limited, said, “Second shot is now very important.”

The recent winds have dried out the course, and Choi said that is going to make the course more difficult.

“The ball travels farther, but it is hard to put spin on it,” he said.

Choi didn’t expect the scores to be low this week, and that eight to 10 under could be a winning score.

Among the changes to the historic, 76-year-old Riviera layout is the restoration of holes five, seven, eight, nine, 12 and 13 to the original design, as they were before being wiped out by floods in 1939.

“I’m not old enough to remember how the course was back then,” said Burns, 33.

But he’s certainly familiar with Riviera.

Although Burns now resides in Knoxville, Tenn., he grew up in the San Fernando Valley and attended Granada Hills Kennedy High before moving on to Cal State Northridge.

While in college he worked in the bag room at Valencia Country Club, and still calls it his home course.

His loyalty lies with Valencia, but he is also fond of Riviera.

“It has always been a great course,” he said. “It’s even better now.”

No. 5 is now 444 yards, 25 yards longer than before.

The 408-yard No. 7 features a man-made barranca off the right side of the fairway. It is out of bounds.

No. 8 is 46 yards longer, No. 9 is 38 yards longer, No. 12 has gained 50 yards, and No. 13 has a slight uphill element.

Matt Kuchar, the 1997 U.S. Amateur champion--his title followed three in a row by Tiger Woods--was at Riviera, but he didn’t play in the pro-am. He was there to put in time on the driving range and practice his putting. He missed the cut at Torrey Pines.

“I’ve never been at this course before today,” he said, “but I’ve always heard everybody rave about it. It looks great and you can’t beat this weather.”

Kuchar, who visited some friends in San Diego last weekend after missing the cut at Torrey Pines, said this was only his second visit to the Los Angeles area.

“The only other time was when I came out here to be on the ‘Tonight Show With Jay Leno.’”

Kuchar played in 11 PGA Tour events last year with sponsor exemptions and made enough money, $572,669, to earn his PGA Tour card without going to qualifying school. Kuchar ranked second to Charles Howell III in PGA Tour nonmember earning. Howell, who will also be at Riviera this week, earned $1,520,632.

The Nissan Open field has grown by five. Steve Pate of Agoura Hills and UCLA was added as a sponsor exemption, and four players earned spots by qualifying at Los Serranos in Chino Hills.

Steve Shriver of Cypress and Steve Sear shot 66s on the North course to qualify. On the South course, Brad Bell of Sacramento qualified with a 65 and Eddy Lee of Corona got in with a 69.

The tournament, which has lost Woods but features 32 of the top 50 players in the world, begins Thursday.

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Nissan Open

When: Thursday through Sunday.

Where: Riviera Country Club, Pacific Palisades.

Schedule, tee times: Thursday--First round, 7 a.m. Friday--Second round, 7 a.m. Saturday--Third round, 8 a.m. Sunday--Fourth round, 8 a.m.

TV: Thursday and Friday, 4 p.m., USA. Saturday and Sunday, noon, Ch. 2.

Tickets: Ticketmaster (877) 614-6245.