NISSAN OPEN INSIDE LOOK: UNUSUALLY CROOKED APPROACH FOR BIRCH ENGLISHMAN SAVES BOGEY ON 18TH HOLE, BECOMES LAST GOLFER TO ADVANCE.

Byline: Dave Shelburne Staff Writer

The tumultuous week of Gary Birch Jr. will include another two days at Riviera Country Club, thanks to a closing beer-tent bogey that proved just enough to make the cut in the 75th Nissan Open.

Birch survived an approach shot into the 18th green beer tent Friday, then needed two rules interpretations before advancing by making a slippery three-foot putt playing partner Chris Tidland had just missed from the same distance.

``It's me again,'' Birch jovially introduced himself to the rules official who had advised on relief from under the cash register, then was called back when Birch chipped his following shot next to a spectator rope.

But Friday's finish, leaving Birch 71-71-142 for the final score needed to advance, was nothing compared to the one that got him into the Nissan.

That included a 3-iron shot that sailed approximately 217 yards in gathering darkness Monday in a qualifier at Los Serranos South. The ball stopped two feet from the flagstick to secure Birch a two-hole playoff win and his first PGA Tour berth.

``Just about 198 meters,'' said the 22-year-old Englishman, who lives in Germany and might be the most unusual story of this 75th annual event.

Birch, who has won the Swiss Amateur and Polish Amateur and plans to compete in the British Amateur this summer, has crossed the pond to improve his amateur play by facing top professionals.

The trip, financed by his father - who played on the European PGA Tour - has Birch attempting to qualify in five American tour events. He'll be in Miami bidding for a berth in the PGA Tour's Doral Open on Monday and will try in Buy.Com Tour qualifiers the following three weeks.

``I came over two weeks ago,'' he said. ``I want to stay amateur. This is just to get noticed, and so far it looks like it's working: I've talked to eight reporters and done two television interviews.''

Why here?

``There isn't a Monday qualifying opportunity in Europe,'' said Birch, who has played in European amateur tournaments for five years and felt he had improved his game as much as he could at that level.

``Unless you're fully exempt in Europe or you win the British Amateur or European Amateur, you're not getting invited,'' he said. ``You're not exempt and you're basically not known. But over here, with the Monday qualifying, although it is difficult, you get a chance.''

This is the second year Birch has taken the U.S. qualifying path.

``I tried four last year and came close. But if you just come here from Europe . . . I mean, Mondays, it's kind of a ludicrous thing.''

If his chances of getting in a tour event are slim, Birch is getting plenty of competitive testing in the qualifiers and he's discovered qualifying is not always a matter of shooting really low scores.

``Everyone says you've got to shoot 9 under,'' said Birch, who got in his playoff Monday with a 5-under 67. ``It's not necessarily the case all the time, but you have to know what you have to do.''

Birch knew late Friday all he had to do was shoot par on his final four holes to secure a 67 and anxiety-free wait to see what the cut score would be. Instead, he bogeyed all four holes, finishing with the splash in the suds tent.

``I hit it in worse places yesterday,'' he said.

Thanks to the salvaging final putt, Birch will get a chance to hit more shots at Riviera, then hit the road to continue a qualifying campaign he expects will continue only with the kindness of strangers.

``Unless anyone wants to give me an invitation,'' Birch said. ``I'm open to that.''