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Four fighting for first win

Leaders have more than 700 tournament appearances but zero victories.

By BOB HARIG

© St. Petersburg Times, published October 21, 2000

PALM HARBOR -- A formidable foursome it is not, at least as far as the ultimate in PGA Tour success. They have some 700 tournaments under their belts, but not a victory notch among them.

[Times photo: Michael Rondou] Carl Paulson kicked up some turf but could not kick up his heels after this shot on No. 7. He missed the birdie putt.

Of course, they've been preparing themselves for years, through countless driving-range balls, putting greens and numerous stops in cities across the country.

And the Tampa Bay Classic is where they will find out if they are ready to finally hoist the hardware.

Carl Paulson, Len Mattiace, Scott Gump and Frank Lickliter went to sleep Friday night feeling good about their position through 36 holes of the $2.4-million tournament.

How they sleep tonight will depend on their experience through another 18 holes on the Copperhead course today at the Westin Innisbrook Resort.

"I don't think you know until you are playing a few holes with a legitimate chance of winning," said Paulson, who shot his second straight 5-under-par 66 for a 10-under-par total. "I'm playing awfully well right now. It would be very nice to have a chance on Sunday afternoon."

Paulson has made two trips around the Copperhead without bogey, an impressive feat on the 7,295-yard layout.

Nonetheless, he led Mattiace and Gump by just two shots and Lickliter by three. It is probably no coincidence that all four players hail from Florida.

"I grew up on this grass. I'm very comfortable playing on this type of turf," said Paulson, 29, who lives in Orlando. "And the greens are absolutely perfect."

After parring all nine holes on the back nine to start his round, Paulson birdied five holes on the front for 31.

Mattiace, 33, of Jacksonville added 66 to his opening 68 to finish at 8 under par. Gump, from Orlando, shot 68 after an opening 66 to tie Mattiace. Lickliter, who lives in Ponte Vedra Beach, was another stroke back after 68.

"I think the process is more important than the outcome," Mattiace said of trying to secure his first victory after playing nearly 200 tournaments in six years. Although he twice has finished second, a closer brush with victory came at the 1998 Players Championship, where he led going to the 71st hole, but hit two balls in the water at the famous island hole.

"I think about it a lot when I'm off the golf course," Mattiace said of trying to capture his first win. "I probably shouldn't think about it at all during the tournament. The key for me is that I keep improving."

Gump and Lickliter find themselves in different situations. Gump, 35, struggled this season and is in danger of losing his PGA Tour card. He is 169th on the money list. Lickliter is following up on two excellent seasons among the top-50 money winners. He is ranked 56th with $735,266 and is coming off a third-place finish in his last event two weeks ago.

Paulson and Mattiace tied Jeff Sluman and Stephen Ames for the best rounds on an ideal day that saw 44 players break par.

But nobody was able to make a run at Paulson's lead after he posted it early in the day.

Orlando's Chris DiMarco tried, birdieing the first five holes on the back nine to get within two shots of the top before double bogey at 16 and bogey at 18 dropped him to 137, 5 under par. He was tied with another Floridian, Pensacola's Joe Durant (69) and Kenny Perry (70). Two-time U.S. Open champion Lee Janzen was in a group at 138, and Safety Harbor's John Huston (73), Clearwater's Greg Kraft (69) and Fred Couples (72) were at 139. First-round leader Mike Hulbert fell from 64 to 75. He also was at 139, seven behind Paulson.

The field was cut to the top 70 players and ties, meaning any player at 143, 1 over par, or better plays this weekend. Among those who missed the cut were Scott Hoch, Homosassa's Glen Hnatiuk, Peter Jacobsen and Corey Pavin at 144, Billy Andrade and former Innisbrook pro Jay Overton at 145, Casey Martin at 148 and Fuzzy Zoeller and Gary Nicklaus at 150.

Paulson wouldn't be around if it weren't for the fact that he has a few goals left to achieve this year. He easily has secured his PGA Tour card for next year, but had hoped to have five top-5 finishes (he has three) and earn more than $500,000 (he's at $467,315).

"I'm just playing carefree right now, swinging pretty well and making some key putts," he said. "If I continue to do that, I'll be in good shape."

Paulson certainly has put himself under the gun before. He set a Buy.com Tour record the past three years, playing in more than 80 consecutive events. Last year, he won the money title on the developmental tour to earn a spot on the PGA Tour.

"The talent pool goes awfully deep now," Paulson said. "It's different out here (on the PGA Tour). The reason is everybody is a proven winner.

"On the Buy.com Tour, you might have a third of the field that really hasn't won or hasn't proven themselves. ... If you win here, you've beaten everybody. Obviously, I'd love to do that."

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