Sept. 16, 2004

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - By winning the U.S. Amateur last month, UNLV senior golfer Ryan Moore became the first back-to-back winner of the Southern Golf Association's National Amateur of the Month Award.

Moore, from Puyallup, Washington, won the award in July with a hat trick of victories in the U.S. Publinx, Sahalee Players Championship and Western Amateur.

In July, Moore, 22, became the first unanimous selection by the award's blue ribbon selection panel since the monthly award was launched in March, 2003.

In winning the U.S. Amateur to complete something of an "Am Slam," Moore again earned the honor for August to become the first to take the award in successive months.

The award's 12-member selection panel consists of top college golf coaches, golf writers and golf officials. Earlier winners this year were Camilo Villegas of Florida; 2003 Southern Am champ Casey Wittenberg, John Holmes of Kentucky and Spencer Levin, low am at the U.S. Open.

The 102-year-old SGA puts on three of the nation's top amateur tournaments, including the Southern Am and the Southern Junior.