April 7, 2004
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STORYLINE: The No. 13 UNLV men's golf team returns to Arizona for the second time in 10 days when it heads to Tempe, Ariz., to compete in the 32nd Annual Thunderbird Invitational. Hosted by Arizona State University, the Thunderbird will be played at ASU's Karsten Golf Course (Par 72, 7,037 Yards) on Friday, April 9 and Saturday, April 10. The field of 15 will play 36 holes on Friday before Saturday's final round.
ABOUT UNLV: The Rebels are currently ranked 13th nationally, according to the latest edition of the Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index. They opened the spring with a runner-up finish at the John A. Burns Intercollegiate. Leading the squad are juniors Ryan Moore, who has earned All-America honors twice, and Travis Whisman, an All-West Region selection last year. Moore is presently ranked fourth nationally after posting a third-place finish at the Southern Highlands Collegiate Championship and a victory at the National Invitation Tournament. He was named the MWC Golfer of the Month in February.
THE FIELD: Arizona State University hosts: Arizona, BYU, California, New Mexico, Oregon, Oregon State, Pepperdine, San Diego State, Southern California, Stanford, Texas Tech, UTEP, Washington and UNLV. The hosts will field two squads to round out the 15-team tourney.
THE LINEUP: The Rebels' five-man lineup for the Thunderbird Invitational will be: JC Deacon, Andres Gonzales, Ryan Keeney, Ryan Moore and Travis Whisman.
MORE ON MOORE: Junior star Ryan Moore could possibly be the best player in college golf this year, and certainly one of the most heralded. The two-time All-American has a chance to join former Rebel and current PGA veteran Chris Riley as UNLV's only four-time All-Americans. The Puyallup, Wash., native was a finalist for the Hogan Award last season, presented annually to the top collegiate player in men's golf, and is on the Official Watch List for the award this season. At 20, Moore has already played in two PGA major championships -- the U.S. Open and The Masters. He was also selected to the U.S. Walker Cup team and the U.S. Palmer Cup squad. He collected his second collegiate victory at the National Invitation Tournament this year. The two-time UNLV Olympic Sportsman of the Year is currently ranked fourth nationally.
HEAD COACH Dwaine Knight: UNLV men's golf head coach Dwaine Knight is in his 17th year at the helm of the Rebel program. During his tenure, UNLV has been a perennial power with six league championships, 14 NCAA finals appearances and the 1998 national title. The 2002 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 31 All-Americans and guided six different players to the PGA Tour at UNLV.
