By Greg Robertson
ESPN Golf Online
Sunday, August 27

Details
When	Thursday-Sunday
Course	Montreux Golf and Country Club, Reno, Nev.
Par/Yardage	Par 72; 7,552 yards
Purse	$3 million (Winner: $540,000)
1999 champion	Notah Begay III
Tournament record	14-under 274 (Notah Begay III, 1999)
Television	Friday: 6-9 p.m. ET (PAX) Saturday-Sunday: 3-6 p.m. ET (CNBC)

The tournament

	Hole by hole
	Hole	Par	Yards
	1	4	413
	2	3	171
	3	4	429
	4	5	518
	5	4	367
	6	4	439
	7	3	220
	8	4	464
	9	5	616
	Out	36	3637
	10	4	411
	11	3	225
	12	4	496
	13	4	494
	14	5	584
	15	4	477
	16	3	163
	17	5	636
	18	4	429
	In	36	3915
	Total	72	7552
	Key holes: The finishing holes will make or break the tournament for the leaders. No. 17 is a long par-5, but it is reachable with a cooperative wind. The key is putting on the largest green on the course, one full of undulations. The 18th is a challenging par-4 with fairway bunkers, two large greenside bunkers and a green divided by a ridge, making finishing pars a test.

In just its second year on the PGA Tour schedule, the Reno-Tahoe Open is already suffering growing pains -- but they are a sign that the tournament is well on its way.

Defending champion Notah Begay III isn't back at Reno this year, but that's because he has graduated to the World Golf Championships--NEC Invitational, which is taking place simultaneously in Akron, Ohio.

Begay is one of 38 elite players in Ohio -- about two dozen who are PGA Tour members -- leaving the rest of the tour to battle at Montreux. And these are hardly lesser-rans.

Sure, there are no Woods, Mickelson, Love, Lehman or other huge names in Reno, but there are plenty of tournament winners, rising stars and popular veterans in the field.

Leading the way is Bob May, who lost a playoff last week to Tiger Woods at the PGA Championship. Winners Tom Scherrer, David Toms, Rocco Mediate and Dennis Paulson are in the field, as are rising stars Steve Flesch, Franklin Langham and Chris DiMarco. Some popular veterans include Jeff Sluman, Mark Calcavecchia and Lee Janzen.

Last year, Begay took control of the tournament on Saturday, shooting a 9-under 63 to set the course record. It set him on course for his first PGA Tour victory, which was followed by a win at Kingsmill later in the year and wins at Hartford and Memphis this season.

Toms and Chris Perry tied for second, one of 14 top-10 finishes on the season for Perry. Both men are back this year after narrowly missing out on the Presidents Cup team, which would have earned them a trip to the NEC.

Following this two-tournament week, the PGA Tour heads to Canada for the next two weeks. Mike Weir will defend his first career title next week at the Air Canada Championship, while Hal Sutton defends the following week at the Bell Candian Open.