Oct. 1, 2009

LAS VEGAS - UNLV sophomore men's golfer Derek Ernst has been selected as the Mountain West Conference Men's Co-Golfer of the Month for September, the league announced Thursday. Ernst shares the honor with Air Force senior Tom Whitney.

Ernst, a Clovis, Calif., native, opened the season with the best finish of his career by tying for first at the William H. Tucker Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M. There was not a playoff and therefore, he was credited with an individual tournament win with fellow Rebel teammate Colby Smith. Ernst finished with a 54-hole total of 8-under 208 (67-68-73) and helped UNLV capture the tournament title by a convincing margin - 16 strokes.

Ernst followed up the performance at the Tucker Invitational with another top-10 finish at the Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational in Colorado Springs, Colo. He tied for seventh and was UNLV's top finisher with a 54-hole total of 3-under 213 (69-72-72). In his final tournament of the month, Ernst tied for 12th at the prestigious PING/Golfweek Preview in Bremerton, Wash., after carding a 6-over 222 (76-74-72).

Ernst currently has a scoring average of 71.44 over nine rounds and has shot three rounds at even par and three more under par.

This marks Ernst's first MWC Golfer of the Month award.

Whitney, who is originally from La Quinta, Calif., earned his second career MWC Golfer of the Month award by recording a pair of top-three finishes in his first two events of the season. He tied for third at both the Tucker and Falcon Invitationals and currently has a stroke average of 70.2.

The No. 13 Rebels will be back in action Oct. 12-13 at the Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate in Birmingham, Ala.