May 22, 2002
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STORYLINE: The UNLV men's golf team, playing its best golf at the right time of the year, will compete for the 2002 NCAA Men's Golf Championship. Hosted by Ohio State University, the 72-hole tournament will be played at the Scarlet Course (Par 71--7,222 Yards) in Columbus, Ohio, from Wednesday, May 29 to Saturday, June 1. The Rebels make their 13th appearance at the national finals in the last 14 years and carry the 1998 national crown to their credit.
THE FORMAT: The tournament is scheduled for 72 holes, with 18 to be played on each of four days. Tee times will begin at 7:00 a.m. EDT daily. UNLV will be paired with North Carolina and Tulsa for the first two rounds. Two practice rounds, which are completely open to the media, will be played on Monday and Tuesday.
THE FIELD: An always talented field of 30 teams and six individuals will vie for this year's national crown. UNLV enters the tournament as the No. 3 seed from the West Region and the No. 8 seed overall. Of the 30 teams competing, 20 are ranked among the top 25 in the latest Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings. Only New Mexico and UNLV represent the Mountain West Conference.
THE LINEUP: UNLV's lineup for the NCAA Championship will be the same as it has been for the past five tournaments: senior Clark Corbett, junior Brien Davis, sophomore Brandon Askew and freshmen J.C. Deacon and Ryan Moore.
RESULTS: Daily results will be faxed to all of the Rebels' primary media outlets. Accredited media can add their number to the fax list by submitting a request to UNLV golf SID Kevin Force at (702) 895-3134. Results and live tournament scoring can also be found online at www.golfstat.com and www.unlvrebels.com.
FOR THE MEDIA: The media workroom is located at the Scarlet Course. Phones, a fax machine and a copier will be provided. NCAA policy dictates that no media will be allowed their own cart. Photographers and media with equipment may request assistance moving their equipment to a location on the course where competition can be viewed.
INTERVIEW POLICY: NCAA policy dictates that no interviews may take place before or during tournament play. Post-round interviews may be requested through UNLV golf SID Kevin Force or through the Ohio State University media relations staff. Following a 10-minute cooling-off period after a player has turned in his scorecard, requested coaches and players will be escorted to the media interview room. In order to provide fair and equal access, no interviews will be conducted prior to the official press conference.
ABOUT UNLV: The Rebels are playing their best golf of the year. UNLV won the Kepler Intercollegiate, Ohio State's in-season tournament played on the same course as the national championship, by shooting eight-over par through the event's first two rounds before the final 18 holes were canceled due to rain. Clark Corbett tied for second individually while teammates Ryan Moore, Brandon Askew and J.C. Deacon all posted top-10 finishes. Two weeks later, UNLV held off the pack at the Mountain West Conference Championship to take its second league title in three years. Deacon tied for second place overall and Moore followed in fifth. The Rebels just missed a third straight victory after they were unable to hold on to a second-round lead at the NCAA West Regional and finished third.
HEAD COACH DWAINE KNIGHT: UNLV men's golf head coach Dwaine Knight is in his 15th season as the Rebels' skipper. During his tenure, UNLV has been a perennial power with six league championships, 12 NCAA Championship appearances, and the 1998 national title. The only coach in the country to twice claim GCAA National Coach of the Year honors in the 1990s (1991 and 1998), Knight has produced 29 All-Americans and sent four players to the PGA Tour (Jeremy Anderson, Chad Campbell, Ed Fryatt, Chris Riley).
UNLV AT THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP: The Rebels saw a streak of 12 straight NCAA Championship appearances halted last season after coming up three strokes short in the regional. However, UNLV had finished in the top six in four of the five tournaments before that, including its coveted victory at the 1998 event in Albuquerque, N.M. Warren Schutte captured the program's only individual victory, winning medalist honors in 1991. This appearance will mark the 13th in school history, all under the direction of 15th-year head coach Dwaine Knight.
LAST 54: UNLV remained in contention throughout the NCAA West Regional and held a one-stroke lead heading into final-round play before New Mexico and Washington overtook the Rebels, denying the squad its third consecutive victory. UNLV finished third overall, two strokes behind the co-champions. A complete team effort fueled the performance. Brandon Askew and J.C. Deacon both carded rounds of 69 to lead the team in the first and second rounds, respectively. Ryan Moore was the group's top finisher, tying for 16th at two-over par.
MWC REVIEW: Prior to the Regional, UNLV held off a pesky field at the Mountain West Conference Championship for a two-stroke victory. The title marked the school's sixth men's golf conference crown and second in the three-year history of the Mountain West. Freshman J.C. Deacon (72-72-71--215) was the Rebels' big surprise, carding a final-round one-under par 71 to move into a tie for second place. Ryan Moore (72-73-72--217) and Brandon Askew (73-72-73--218) both finished in the top 10 to help UNLV secure the title.
FRANKLY, SCARLET: The site of the NCAA Championship is pretty favorable for the Rebels. Playing in this year's Kepler Intercollegiate on April 12-13 to get a sneak peek at Ohio State's Scarlet Course, UNLV pulled a surprise win after the event's final round was canceled due to rain. Clark Corbett tied for second individually, firing a 69 in the second round. The Kepler was the last competitive collegiate tournament played at the Scarlet Course, and the Rebels will use the same starting five this week that played in the Kepler just six weeks ago.
UNCONQUERED GROUND: For the first time since Dwaine Knight took the 1989 Rebel squad to its first-ever finals appearance, the Rebels' lineup carries not a single round of NCAA Tournament experience. The only player on the roster remaining from the Rebels' last visit to the finals is junior Calvin Kupeyan, who did not qualify to make the trip to Columbus.
HONOR ROLL: Not only did the Rebels bring the Mountain West's team trophy back to Las Vegas, but also two of the conference's three major awards. Dwaine Knight was selected by his peers as the Coach of the Year for the third time in his career, each in a different league. Ryan Moore earned Freshman of the Year kudos and was joined on the All-Mountain West Conference team by Clark Corbett. In each of its three years in the Mountain West, the Rebels have boasted either the league's top player or top freshman.
ATOP THE LEADERBOARD: When it rains, it pours. After playing nearly two years between team victories, the Rebels won back-to-back tournaments this year and missed a school-record tying third consecutive win after losing at the Regional by two strokes. UNLV won the Kepler Intercollegiate just two weeks before a two-stroke victory at the Mountain West Conference Championship. The Rebels have stood atop the leaderboard in six of their last eight rounds of play.
