This may be it for the RTO

When the annual Reno-Tahoe Open gets under way in mid-August, there will be some bittersweet feelings among PGA officials, PGA players and golf fans in the Sierra Nevada region.

Barring a last-second save by a big corporate sponsor, this will be the last year of the RTO. The tournament has failed to land a title sponsor, thus the tournament will be moved elsewhere.

It's a sad state because I know the players have said they like to come to this region and they enjoy the test that Montreaux Country Club provides. The players also like the night life that the region provides.

The failure is due in part to lack of attendance and the fact that the RTO has to compete annually with the NEC Invitational, an event that attracts the biggest names in golf.

Local fans have never had the chance to see Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh and Ernie Els compete. Could you imagine the people that would come out to see Tiger? You could count on galleries four and five deep at least.

My hope is that a big corporate name will step up and bail out the RTO. I know the casinos have that kind of cash, but I'm not sure the PGA wants to be associated with gaming ownership.

Another failure is the Triple-A baseball team that was supposed to come to Sparks by next year. Already, that project has been moved back to 2007, and that is still iffy. There are reports that some of the money behind the project has been pulled away. I'm not sure the weather in Northern Nevada is conducive to baseball because of the wind, which seems to blow alot no matter what month it is. Also, I'm not sure the region would have or is, big enough to draw enough fans to keep the team afloat.

FAZEKAS WILL BE TESTED

Nevada's Nick Fazekas, the WAC Player of the Year, will get perhaps the toughest test in his career at the upcoming tryouts for the Team USA Men's 21 and under squad later this month.

Fazekas is one of 21 players selected for the squad, and the only one from the WAC. Adam Morrison from Gonzaga and Oregon's duo of Aaron Brooks and Malik Hairston are the only other West Coast invitees.

The 6-11 Fazekas is the tallest player on the squad and one of 10 forward candidates. The Nevada star is coming off a nice trip to Italy where he averaged around 20 points a game in leading Nevada to a 4-1 record.

He appears completely recovered from the broken nose he suffered against Fresno State, which hampered his play during the NCAA Tournament.

Fazekas will be competing against the likes of UConn's Josh Boone, LSU's Glen Davis, Syracuse's Terrence Roberts, Oklahoma's Taj Gray and Kansas' C.J. Giles for a roster spot.

The team is being coached by St. Joe's Phil Martelli. He will be assisted by Georgia's Dennis Felton and Bruiser Flint from Drexel.

BITTERSWEET STARTS

Nevada's Ben Mummy is off to a nice start with Billings in the Pioneer League.

Mummy, who signed with the Reds after playing three years for Gary Powers at Nevada, is currently hitting .300 after nine game. Of his nine hits, two have been doubles and one was a triple. He's driven in four runs.

Things haven't gone quite as smooth for ex-Carson and Wooster star Jake Rasner, who received a a reported $250,000 bonus from the Texas Rangers. Rasner is off to an 0-1 start with a 22.09 ERA. He has allowed 11 hits and nine earned runs in 3 2/3 innings.

Nevada's Brett Hayes, who fractured his thumb late in the season, has yet to play a game for Jamestown in the New York-Penn League.

Darrell Moody can be reached at dmoody@nevadaappeal.com, or by calling (775) 881-1281