Aug. 11, 2003

Four returning starters to the UNLV men's golf team have qualified to play at next week's U.S. Amateur in Oakmont, Pa., Aug. 18-24.

Juniors JC Deacon, Ryan Moore and Travis Whisman and sophomore Ryan Keeney all earned a spot in the field of 312. Moore, 20, of Puyallup, Wash., received an exemption to play in the championship by virtue of his victory at the 2002 U.S. Amateur Public Links. The other three all earned their spot after surviving different national qualifiers on July 28.

Deacon, 20, of Unionville, Ontario, was one of three players to qualify out of Rochester, N.Y., carding a two-round total of 142 at Penfield Country Club.

Whisman, 21 and an all-region and all-conference selection for the Rebels last season, was the top finisher at Genoa Lakes Country Club in Genoa, Nev. The Reno native netted a two-round total of 136.

Keeney, the youngest of the Rebels' returning starters at 20, paced the field at Bear Creek Country Club in Woodinville, Wash., winning by two strokes with a two-round score of 146.

All four players competed for the seventh-ranked Rebels at the NCAA Championship last May.