European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 3, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 22 the stars and Stripe saturday August 3, 1991big West accepts Reno Santa Ana Calif a the big West conference on thursday voted unanimously to accept Nevada Reno into the nine member league commissioner Jim Haney said. Currently a member of the big sky conference Nevada Reno fills the spot left vacant when Fresno state announced earlier this year it was leaving the big West to join the Western athletic conference. Fresno state was the big West a strongest football school and its departure left the conference in need of a member Able to compete on a division 1-a level. The Wolf pack has advanced to the Mcaa division Laa football playoffs six times and played in the championship in 1990.air Jordan shoots 85, misses Cut Benton Harbor Mich. A at the Western Amateur Phil Mickelson continued on thursday to show Why he is considered the Best player in Amateur Golf. Chicago bulls Star Michael Jordan showed Why he is not. Mickelson the three time All american from Arizona state expanded his Lead to eight strokes with his second straight 67 at the Point of Woods Golf amp country club. Jordan competing in his first major Amateur event missed the Cut after an 85 gave him a 166. Mickelson a total of 134 is two strokes off the tournament s two Day record shared by Willie Wood in 1982 and Scott Verplank in 1984. Mickelson who won the Northern telecoms open to become one of just three amateurs to win a pea tournament has an eight stroke Lead Over Mark Small and Tim Herron. Small Fichot another 71 on thursday while Herron tied Mickelson for the Low round with a 67. Small said he was t surprised by Mickelson s advantage. A the is head and shoulders above anyone else Here and he has shown it a said Small a 27-year-old from Flossmoor 111. A the is even head and shoulders above most Guys on the pro tour so 1 done to feel so  defending Champion Craig Kanada of Lake Oswego ore., struggled with a 77 thursday but still made the tournaments first Cut. The tournament was to have 36 More holes of stroke play Friday before the Field was Cut to the Low 16s for match play saturday and sunday there were to be two rounds of matches per Day with the championship match on sunday. A the Opportunity to move to a division la football conference along with the Opportunity to provide conference identity for three of our sports to t Are presently Independent. Were All factors in r acceptance of the big West a invitation a said Chris Ault Nevada Reno a athletic director and football coach. Nevada a admission effective july 1, 1992, gives the big West eight football playing members and 19 basketball schools. I i 1. A the expansion committee of the conference was very impressed with the institutions commitment to academics and athletics a Haney said. A for those reasons coupled with the Community support and the Quality athletic facilities the Council believes the uni Michael Jordan had no Luck on the links thursday firing 14-Over-Par 85. Varsity a a athletic program will be an excellent addition to the  the 24-year-old conferences other members Are Nevada Las vegas Cal state Fullerton Long Beach state san Jose state new Mexico state us Irvine us Santa Barbara Pacific and Utah state. Nevada Reno president or. Joe Crowley said the move to the big West made sense for the 11,800-student University. A it is a Good move for the University in terms of its athletic program As Well As for reasons of geographic identification and alumni relations a he said. We have a history that looks to the West and thousands of alumni living in Southern California and Southern  v fires 63 to Lead by 3 shots grand Blanc Mich. A Scott Hoch shot a 9-under-Par 63 in the first round to tie the Buick open record and take a 3-stroke Lead Over Brad Faxon and Marco Dawson on thursday. Hoch was 10-under and in position to break the Mark of 63, shared by five others before a bogey on the 18th Hole. The course record at the 7,014-Yard Warwick Hills Golf and country club is 62 by Jim Colbert in a 1979 pro am event. Hoch opened with pars on the first four holes before going on a remarkable run playing the Middle 10 holes in 9-under. He birdied nos. 5, 6, 7 and 8 to turn at 4-under.ihe then birdied the 11th and 12th, Eagle no. 13 and birdied the 14th to go 9-under. Another Birdie at the Par-3 17th put him 10-under. He left his second shot Short of the Green at the 435-Yard 18th. His Chip shot stopped about 12 feet from the pin and his putt grazed the Edge of the Hole but stayed out. Several golfers were bunched a stroke behind Faxon at 67. They included defending Buick open Champion Chip Beck australian Greg Norman Greg Twiggs Tommy Moore and Fulton allem. Hoch Best remembered for the 2-foot putt he missed during the playoff at the 1989 masters championship is tied for 27th on the pea tour Money list with $337,488. He could add $180,000 to that by winning the $1 million Buick open. Hoch has been wingless since his Victory in the 1989 Las vegas invitational three weeks before his masters misfortune gave Nick Faldo the first of his two titles. Hochy a Best finish this year was a tie for second at the southwestern Bell colonial in May. Last week he finished tied for 29th at the greater Hartford  fastest in Marlboro run Brooklyn Mich a Emerson Fittipaldi Rick Mears and Mario Andretti were All unofficially faster than the track qualifying record of 223.401 Miles per hour in the opening practice session thursday for sundays Marlboro 500 at Michigan International Speedway. Fittipaldi whose first indy car Victory came Here in 1985, was fastest at 224.134, with teammate Mears a who set the record Here in 1986 a next at 223.678. Andretti was at 223.652. A today was just working on Basic setups a Fittipaldi said with a smile. A we were just trying to balance the car All the Way around the track. A but it was pretty Windy and this is a very difficult track to race on because its hard to find a Compromise Between the two ends. A at Indianapolis the Corners Are All the same. Here they Are All different. But its very interesting very challenging Quot Mears will try to out Duel his teammate Friday in qualifying after having won the poles at each of this seasons previous events on ova tracks a Phoenix Indianapolis and Milwaukee. He also took a Road course pole at the new Jersey Meadow Laius. Quot we be made some Good Progress with our new Ponske Chevrolet cars Quot Mears explained. Quot since the record was set her Ewe be had some pretty Quick laps in practice. Quot but conditions have seemed to changed a lot on qualifying Days with the temperatures going up and the winds coming up. The speeds would always seem to come Down in qualifying. A but it was pretty warm and Windy thursday and everybody was running pretty Good Quot Mears added. A a in a say there a probably a real Good Chance of a new record Friday. Hopefully Emerson and i can keep that Battle Between the two of us Quot there were plenty of fast Drivers on the two mile High banked Oval though with 20 of the 21 Drivers who took practice laps running above 208, and seven of them Over 220. Michael Andretti who has been the hottest Driver on the circuit with four victories in the last six races including a win two weeks ago at Toronto was fourth at 222.542, Bobby Rahal who leads Michae by 23 Points in the season standings a close behind at 222.311. Also Over the 220 Mark were John Andretti Michael a Cousin at 222.288, ant Scott Brayton at 221.144. The 10 fastest Drivers thursday were in cars powered by the dominating Chevrolet indy v8 engine. Among them was Rookie Paul Tracy the 1990 american racing series Cham Pion who signed earlier this season As test Driver for Penske racing. He a eighth fastest at 219.190. Tracy is being rewarded this Weeke by team owner Roger Penske with i first indy car Oval ride driving a year of Penske racer with an experimental Vei Sion of the Chevy engine