Associated Press
Wednesday, July 12

MILWAUKEE -- Whenever anyone asks Steve Stricker why he plays the Greater Milwaukee Open every year, he tells them about the galleries.

Stricker is a successful touring pro, but by no means a superstar. Practically the only time he gets special treatment is at the GMO. Last year, hundreds of vocal fans followed him and Skip Kendall around Brown Deer Park as they played their final round.

It helps that Stricker and Kendall are Wisconsin natives, but Stricker says every pro who skips an extra week of preparation for next week's British Open can expect a similarly warm response at a tournament that emphasizes the personal touch.

"The crowd was phenomenal," Stricker said. "I get chills just thinking about walking up 18. That's the way this tournament is. People really care about you."

The tournament, which begins Thursday at Brown Deer Park, features an eclectic field of working-class pros. The closest thing to a headliner is Carlos Franco, the 1999 rookie of the year who is back to defend his title.

He is featured in a humorous tournament commercial describing his journey from Paraguay to Milwaukee as a long par-4 hole, with the flight from Asuncion to Miami described as "a long carry over water."

Franco, who last month successfully defended his Compaq Classic title in New Orleans, has a chance to become just the 10th player in tour history to defend two titles in the same year. At 15th on the tour money list, he's also the highest-earning player in the field.

With his self-taught swing and eccentric practice habits, Franco is not the typical tour player -- something that makes him a good fit for an atypical tournament that is played on a generous public course.

"I don't like this course. I love this course," Franco said.

The tournament was held around the Labor Day weekend until last year, when it was moved to the week before the British. In years when players are trying to accumulate Ryder Cup points, the move improves the field. Last year, Tom Lehman was a last-minute entry, and he got both the Ryder Cup points and a check for second place.

This year, there's no such incentive, but the field still boasts a number of quality veterans like Mark Calcavecchia, Scott Hoch and Loren Roberts. Most say they feel loyalty to the tournament and its organizers.

"Selling the city and the event isn't difficult," tournament director Dan Croak said. "It's the timing that's the problem."

Madison native Jerry Kelly is back in the field after his final-day collapse last year allowed Franco to run away with a final-round 66. Franco, who beat Lehman by two strokes, had the lowest tournament score since the GMO moved to Brown Deer Park in 1994.

Casey Martin will play, as will Wisconsin natives Stricker, J.P. Hayes and Kendall, who would dearly love to post his first tour victory in Milwaukee.

"It's a little extra emotional," Kendall said. "You always think about how much you'd like to win here. It would be almost too incredible."

The purse has been increased to $2.5 million this year, with the winner pocketing $450,000.

The course was waterlogged earlier this month, but it's back in good shape after 13 inches of rain fell on it in June.

"It drains very well, and we have good people working on it," Croak said. "We're going to be more than ready."