CONTENT ON FRINGE.

Byline: GREG WILCOX Golf

After 36 years of professional golf, the competitive fire does not burn as it once did for Raymond Floyd.

He walked away from the game for two months this summer, the first such hiatus in his career, and now time on his hands rather than on a course does not seem to be such a bad deal.

With 60 tournament wins worldwide and $16 million in earnings, Floyd is financially secure enough to think of other things, like charitable work, family events and a golf-course-design business instead of leaderboards and three-putts.

And while Floyd, who has been playing for official money since 1961 and unofficial money a while longer, can contemplate life without a caddy or tour bag, he will never turn his back on the game that has brought him so much.

``I can see Ray Floyd one day without competitive golf but not without golf,'' he said during an interview earlier this week at the La Quinta Resort and Spa's Citrus Course, the site of next month's Lexus Challenge, which he hosts.

A member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, Floyd is now content with his place in the game's history.

``My career is not going to change if I win 10 more tournaments or don't win again,'' he said.

Floyd was on his way to Los Angeles for this week's Pacific Bell Senior Classic at Wilshire Country Club, where he will discover whether he can find his way back into the winner's circle, a place he has not visited since the Ford Senior Players Championship in 1996.

Floyd ranks 19th on this year's money list with $637,143 in earnings with his best finish a second place tie at the LG Championship.

The long vacation was a much needed break. Floyd played a few social rounds but mainly just relaxed for most of the summer.

``I'm very excited about playing again and I'm looking forward to coming back next year with a little more enthusiasm,'' he said.

Floyd's main purpose for stopping in the desert was to announce the field for the Lexus Challenge, a charity event which pairs a senior pro with a celebrity in a 36-hole best-ball tournament. Ten percent of the tournament's purse will be donated to Childhelp USA and the Entertainment Industry Foundation to help in their efforts to curb child abuse.

The Lexus Challenge falls in what is known as the silly season, the period roughly between Thanksgiving and New Year's that is packed with made-for-television events.

Floyd said the event is more about benefiting the charities and socializing than birdies and pars.

``This is not a golf tournament. This is a special event. It's strictly for charity. We are trying to contribute to a marvelous cause,'' he said.

One of Floyd's favorite tournaments was the old Bing Crosby National Pro Am, now known as the AT&T National Pro Am, and he tries to give his tournament the same kind of flavor by picking participants who like to have a good time. The list of senior pros pretty much stays the same and the celebrities make repeat appearances if their schedules permit.

This year the pros will be Jim Colbert, Hubert Green, Hale Irwin, Johnny Miller, Larry Nelson, Gary Player, Chi Chi Rodriguez, Jay Sigel, Dave Stockton and Lee Trevino.

The celebrities include Roger Clemens, Kevin Costner, William Devane, Glenn Frey, Ken Griffey Jr., Matt Lauer, Matthew McConaughey, Joe Pesci, Alan Thicke and Alberto Tomba. Two more celebrities will be added later, Floyd said.

New sponsor: This is Pacific Bell's first time as the sponsor of the senior tournament at Wilshire, which benefits the City of Hope.

``This is a world-class event that benefits an important charity,'' Carmen Nava, a Pacific Bell executive, said. ``Los Angeles is our largest market and we wanted to add this to the list of other sponsorships we have here in Los Angeles.''

Nava declined to say what kind of financial commitment the company is making to the tournament during the course of its three-year involvement.

Field set: The field for the 1998 EMC Golf Skills Challenge has been set. It includes Nick Price, Ben Crenshaw, John Daly, Constantino Rocca, Peter Jacobsen, Craig Stadler, Casey Martin and Billy Andrade.

It will be played on Nov. 9 at the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa.

THIS WEEK'S TOURNAMENTS

SENIOR PGA TOUR

Pacific Bell Senior Classic

Site: Friday-Sunday at Los Angeles.

Course: Wilshire Country Club (6,575 yards, par 71)

Purse (Winner's Share): $1.1 million ($165,000).

Television: None.

Last year: Gil Morgan successfully defended his title, closing with a 6-under 65 for a one-stroke victory over George Archer. Morgan, a six-time winner this year, had a 15-under 198 total.

Last week: Jay Sigel won the Kaanapali Classic in Hawaii, opening with a course-record 10-under 61 en route to a 12-under 203 total. Hugh Baiocchi and Larry Laoretti tied for second, two strokes back.

Notes: Arnold Palmer is making his first start since undergoing seven weeks of radiation treatment related to his recovery from prostate cancer. . . . The tournament is the final full-field event, with the top 31 on the money list advancing to the Tour Championship next week in Myrtle Beach, S.C.. . . . Morgan became the tour's youngest champion in the 1996 event, winning at 50 years, 11 days. . . . Hale Irwin, skipping the tournament, leads the money list with a record $2,514,945. He has six victories this year.

PGA TOUR

Tour Championship

Site: Today-Sunday at Atlanta.

Course: East Lake Golf Club (7,108 yards, par 72).

Purse (Winner's Share): $4 million ($720,000).

Television: ESPN (Thursday-Friday, 11 a.m.) and ABC (Saturday, 10:30 a.m.; Sunday Noon).

Last year: David Duval became the first since Nick Price in 1993 to win three consecutive starts, finishing with a 3-under 68 for an 11-under 273 total. Jim Furyk finished second, one stroke back.

Last week: John Huston won the National Car Rental Classic in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., closing with a 6-under 66 for a one-stroke victory over Davis Love III. Houston, also the 1992 winner, had a 16-under 272 total.

Notes: Duval, a four-time winner this year, leads the money list with a tour-record $2,470,498. Furyk is second at $1,820,334, followed by Vijay Singh ($1,806,998), Tiger Woods ($1,764,317) and Phil Mickelson ($1,755,646). The top 30 qualified for the season-ending tournament. . . . The tournament ends the race for the 10 automatic spots on the U.S. Presidents Cup team. Captain Jack Nicklaus will add two players Monday for the Dec. 11-13 matches in Australia. The 10 automatic International team berths, determined by the World Ranking, also will be set Sunday. . . . Woods has one victory - the BellSouth Classic in May - in his last 27 PGA Tour starts. He had six victories in his first 21 tour starts as a professional. . . . East Lake, Bobby Jones' home club, reopened in 1995 after a nearly $25 million renovation. . . . Duval was a four-time All-America selection at Georgia Tech. . . . The tour's Web site is www.pgatour.com.

PGA EUROPEAN TOUR 

Volvo Masters

Site: Today-Sunday at Jerez, Spain.

Course: Montecastillo Golf Resort and Club (7,058 yards, par 72).

Purse (Winner's Share): $1.68 million ($278,880).

Television: The Golf Channel (Thursday, 5 a.m., 9 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 9 p.m. and 5 a.m., 9 p.m.).

Last year: England's Lee Westwood won the rain-shortened tournament, shooting 65-67-68 for a 16-under 200 total. Ireland's Padraig Harrington finished second, three strokes back.

Last event: Mark O'Meara won the World Match Play Championship on Oct. 18 in Virginia Water, England, beating Tiger Woods 1-up in the 36-hole final.

LPGA TOUR

Nichirei International

Site: Friday-Sunday at Tsukuba, Japan.

Course: Tsukuba Country Club (6,294 yards, par 72).

Punrse (Winner's Share): $702,000 ($25,000 each).

Television: The Golf Channel (Friday-Sunday, 6 p.m.).

Format: Friday and Saturday, nine best-ball stroke-play matches; Sunday, 18 singles stroke-play matches.

Last year: The U.S. LPGA beat the Japan LPGA 23-13 for its 13th straight victory in the team tournament. Cindy Figg-Currier was selected the most valuable player. She beat Kaori Harada 70-75 in singles and teamed with Jane Geddes to win two best-ball matches.

Last week: Juli Inkster won the World Championship of Women's Golf in The Villages, Fla., closing with consecutive 6-under 66s for a three-stroke victory over Sweden's Annika Sorenstam. Inkster, also the 1997 winner in South Korea, had a 13-under 275 total.

CAPTION(S):

Box

BOX: THIS WEEK`S TOURNAMENTS (see text)