Oct. 8, 2009
LAS VEGAS - UNLV men's golf head coach Dwaine Knight will be inducted into the Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame along with three others on Thursday, Oct. 15, at 7 p.m. in the clubhouse of TPC Summerlin. The other inductees are Jimmie Bullard, a longtime Las Vegas PGA of America professional, Ed Fryatt, a Las Vegas junior, high school, UNLV and international professional champion, and Jack Sheehan, a nationally-renowned golf author and personality.
A two-time National Coach of the Year and 2002 Golf Coaches Association of America Hall of Fame inductee, Knight has been the driving force behind the tremendous success of Rebel Golf since his arrival in Las Vegas in the fall of 1987. In his 23rd season at the helm of the UNLV men's golf program, he has nurtured Rebel golf from near-anonymity to one of the premier programs in the nation. In 1998, he guided the Rebels to their first-ever national championship title in Albuquerque, N.M.
"This is a wonderful honor and it's very rewarding for me to be in the same class as a former player, the very deserving Edward Fryatt," said Knight. "It's also great because of the rich and deep history of golf in Las Vegas, and it's amazing to now be a part of that and to be remembered."
A true teacher of the sport, Knight has tutored 37 All-Americans at UNLV, a National Player of the Year, a National Freshman of the Year, a U.S. Amateur Champion, three U.S. Public Links Champions, three Walker Cup participants and five Palmer Cup representatives. Additionally, two former Rebel golfers have gone on to play for the U.S. in the Ryder Cup and eight of his former student-athletes have played on the PGA Tour, totaling 13 victories.
Knight has captured three national titles (one team championship and two individuals) as a coach, has won six conference championships and has developed 60 all-conference players.
Knight has also been inducted into the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame, and into the UNLV Athletics Hall of Fame as a part of the 1998 National Championship team. He was named the PGA Professional of the Year by the Southern Nevada Chapter in January.
Each inductee is scheduled to attend the ceremony that will coincide with events of Las Vegas' PGA Tour event, the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. Golf instructor Butch Harmon is scheduled to be the emcee of the ceremony.
The mission of the Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame is to celebrate and bring awareness to players, administrators, benefactors, groups, instructors, teams, and other worthy golfers who have served the game of golf in Las Vegas in a positive and meaningful way, whether through performance on the course, volunteerism, financial support, promotion, or other dedicated service. A 10-person committee made up of Las Vegas golf professionals, media, amateur association leaders, and Hall of Fame members, oversees the voting process. For more information, visit www.LasVegasGolfHOF.com or click here. Very limited tickets are available for the public and can be purchased by calling 702-270-9630.
