LRTO: Barcelo heading home with confidence

RENO - It took 10 years for Rich Barcelo to win on the Nationwide Tour, and his win nine days ago at the Cox Classic has given him new-found confidence heading into this week's 11th annual Legends Reno-Tahoe Open at Montreux Golf & Country Club.

"I'm as confident as I've ever been," said Barlow, a former golf star at the University of Nevada. " After 10 years, the questions start to creep in. 'Can he do it?' I've always believed I can. But not being able to do it previously has been disappointing.

"To shoot 6-under in a big event on the Nationwide Tour, beating the No. 1 player on the Tour, who was leading the event after three rounds, was a huge boost to my confidence. Now I'm looking to build on that. I feel like I'm playing the best golf of my life. The win two weeks ago kind of proved that I'm still progressing as a player."

Barcelo won the event in Omaha, Neb., where he trailed by just two strokes going into the final day. He finished with 20 under, just edging out the Nationwide Tour Players Cup winner, Tom Gillis at 18 under.

He admitted that his life has changed a bit since the win. He's been answering e-mails and texts non-stop, all congratulating him on his first victory.

"It's been a pleasant distraction, something I've been waiting for a long time," he said. "It's my first victory on the Nationwide Tour in 10 years. It's been just an overwhelming amount of support.

"I appreciate all my supporters and my family and friends, and my sponsor, Mr. (Harvey) Whittemore. It's just been an awesome week and a half since the victory."

Barcelo, who finished fourth here in 2007 and is here on a sponsor's exemption this year, would like nothing better than to prove to peers and family and friends that he deserves a full-time spot. He's played exclusively on the Nationwide Tour this season and currently sits in eighth place on the money list with around $190,000.

"I can no longer consider myself learning the ropes," Barcelo said. "I feel like after 10 years, I've been doing it long enough that I feel comfortable out here. I look forward to building on the success I had here in 2007. I'm extremely thankful to the people at Legends and the tournament, the RTO, that I got an exemption this week."

Is there more or less pressure playing in your hometown?

"It's a little bit of both, I guess," he said. "Expectations are obviously high because I feel like I'm familiar with the golf course. I played here in college. It's my fifth RTO.

"That being said, the amount of pressure you put on yourself is basically self-induced but I'm comfortable and confident enough that I'm gonna have a good week."

Barcelo admitted that playing here could cost him some spots in the Nationwide Tour money earnings, but it's a risk he needed to take.

"A mild concern, yes," Barcelo said. "I feel comfortable enough with the position I'm in right now for the next week or two. But I'm also confident enough to know that there are enough tournaments left to be able to improve on the position that I'll be in.

"I couldn't pass up the opportunity, so I'm extremely happy to be here, and a win would mean everything. It would totally change everything. It would change the rest of the year, it would change next year. And right now, I'm preparing for next year. I'm in a position where I should be on the PGA Tour for next year."

If Barcelo finishes in the top-25 on the Nationwide Tour, he gets exempt status for next season, though that doesn't mean he would get to play in every PGA Tour event.

Barcelo played in the pro-am Monday, and he said the course is in good shape.

"The conditions are phenomenal," he said. "I had heard the past couple of months, with the heat and everything and the infiltration of poa annua to the greens, they had some concerns, but they can push those concerns aside. The superintendent and the staff here at Montreux have done a wonderful job. It's tournament ready."

And so is Barcelo.