Oct. 11, 2002
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STORYLINE: Fall play for the UNLV men's golf team continues this week at the Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate in Birmingham, Ala. The two-day, 54-hole tourney begins on Monday, Oct. 14, with 36 holes at the Old Overton Club (Par 71--6,958 Yards), and the final 18 holes slated for Tuesday.
ABOUT UNLV: UNLV enters the week ranked No. 4 in the Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index and No. 6 by Golf World. The Rebels return four starters and seven letterwinners from last season's MWC Championship team, led by sophomore All-American Ryan Moore. Moore was one of the top amateurs in the country last summer, winning the U.S. Public Amateur Links and qualifying for both the U.S. Open and The Masters. The individual runner-up at the Tucker Intercollegiate, Moore is currently ranked 14th by Golfweek, the highest of four Rebels in the top 100.
THE JERRY PATE: UNLV added the Jerry Pate to the schedule in 1992 and makes its 11th straight trip to the event this year. The Rebels, however, have never won the prestigious event and boast just one individual medalist -- Jeremy Anderson, in 1999. UNLV struggled last season, finishing 11th in the 12-team field. Ryan Moore tied for 13th.
THE FIELD: Four of the 12 teams in this year's field sit in Golfweek's top 10, including the fourth-ranked Rebels. Alabama plays host to: Arizona, Auburn, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Oklahoma State, Southern California, Texas, TCU, UAB, UNLV and Wake Forest.
THE LINEUP: The Rebels will use the same lineup for the Jerry Pate, consisting of senior Brien Davis, sophomores J.C. Deacon, Ryan Moore and Travis Whisman, and freshman Mitch Carlson. Only Deacon and Moore played the course last year, finishing 53rd and 13th, respectively.
HEAD COACH DWAINE KNIGHT: UNLV men's golf head coach Dwaine Knight begins his 16th year at the helm of the Rebel program. During his tenure, UNLV has been a perennial power with six league championships, 13 NCAA finals appearances and the 1998 national title. Last year's MWC Coach of the Year was the only mentor to twice claim GCAA National Coach of the Year honors in the 1990s (1991 and 1998). He has produced an amazing 30 All-Americans and guided five different players to the PGA Tour.
