Anderson looks forward to the challenge at UNLV

Tuesday, Sept. 3, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

As a freshman on the UNLV golf team, Jeremy Anderson is expected to cater to the wishes of the team's upperclassmen. Prior to a recent golf outing at Sunrise Country Club, for example, Anderson was busy filling ice chests at the request of two of his older teammates.

On the golf course, however, Anderson defers to no one. Despite being one of four freshman on this year's Rebel golf team, Anderson said he fully expects to make an immediate contribution in hopes of lessening the loss of graduated senior Chris Riley and Chad Campbell.

"I feel like I'm playing really well and I think if I just keep my head on straight and work hard, I think I can play well enough that I can come in here and make an impact right away -- and that's what I want to do," Anderson said.

Although he has no college experience to date, Anderson brings an impressive r'esum'e to the Rebel golf team. A three-time Rolex All-American in the junior ranks, Anderson was the medalist at the 1995 U.S. Junior Championships and is a two-time Florida state junior champion.

Rebels head coach Dwaine Knight said he believes Anderson has the game to help UNLV this season.

"I think he's an impact player -- we recruited him with that in mind," Knight said of the 18-year-old. "The thing that Jeremy will face here is that there are a lot of good players on this team.

"We played nine guys last year and had nine lettermen ... and the depth of this team is really good (and) that's what pushed us to another level last year as a team. But Jeremy is not afraid of that challenge. I think he's looking forward to it."

Anderson said he expects the competition for the spots on the five-man team that travels to each tournament will bring out the best in his game.

"I like the fact that everyone on the team is really good, so I think it's going to really push me to play my hardest and it's going to make me a lot better player," he said. "You're competing against these guys just to try to qualify for the tournament. There are probably nine or ten guys on this team that should go to every tournament, but only five can go so I know I've got to come in here and play hard."

That competition is something Anderson said was lacking at Seminole High School in Lake Mary, Fla.

"It was hard for me to really get psyched up for high-school tournaments because they're little nine-hole tournaments that really don't mean anything," Anderson said. "This is totally different and it's something I'm really going to enjoy and it's something I'm looking forward to."

In addition to his physical presence, the signing of Anderson brings something else to the UNLV golf program, according to Knight.

"He opens up a whole different area of the country for us," Knight said of Anderson, who chose UNLV over golf powers Oklahoma State, Florida and Georgia Tech. "We had never been able to really recruit a young man who was such an outstanding player in the Southeast before; it just seemed like the distance to here and with all the good traditional programs back in that area, it was very hard.

"That was very difficult for us to go in there and recruit against those traditional powers and (sign) a young man like Jeremy right out of Florida's back yard. And then to land one with the type of prestige that he has was pretty remarkable. It was another level that we reached in terms of the program."

Anderson said the decision to come to UNLV was a relatively easy one after he made his recruiting trips to Georgia Tech, Oklahoma State and Florida.

"Every school I (visited), there were some drawbacks at each," he said. "I couldn't think of any drawbacks here -- everything was great. I wanted to be at a place where I knew I could be completely happy with everything.

"They've got the greatest facilities I've ever seen. Every course we went to was great. I fell in love with everything -- the school, the atmosphere, the facilities, the coaches."

A well-rounded person who excels in the classroom as well as on the golf course, Anderson said his goals are clear for the 1996-97 season, which begins next week in Albuquerque, N.M.

"Obviously, I want to help this team win the national championship (because) I really think that's what's most important, the team," Anderson said. "Personally, I would love to be an All-American and I would also like to be an academic All-American -- I think that's important also. I would like to be the (golf team's) first-ever academic All-American at UNLV."

Chip shots ...

* AROUND THE GREEN: The Badlands Golf Club at Peccole Ranch has opened its new 15,000-square-foot clubhouse, which features an expanded pro shop, bar, dining area and outdoors patio. The Badlands is adding an additional nine holes, also to be designed by Johnny Miller, to its existing 18 holes. Construction is expected to begin this fall for a late 1997 opening. ... Officials from Golf Centers of America, including actor Tom Selleck, held groundbreaking ceremonies last week for the $5.2 million Las Vegas Golf Center. Located on 44 acres at the northwest corner of Tropicana Avenue and Paradise Road, the Las Vegas Golf Center will feature 130 practice tees, including 45 grass tees, sand and grass chipping areas, practice greens, pro shop and a clubhouse with VIP lounge. The complex also will serve as the official practice facility of the UNLV golf team. ... Las Vegans Harlan Braaten, Gus Hoppel, Greg McKinley and Liam Moran will represent Canyon Gate Country Club at this week's E-Z-GO/Textron Associate Club Team Championship at the Pinehurst Resort and Country Club in North Carolina. The foursome won a qualifying tournament at Canyon Gate for the right to represent the club at Pinehurst.

* UPCOMING EVENTS: The PGA Tour heads north of the border this week for the Bell Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ontario. Mark O'Meara is the defending champion of the $1.3 million event, which will be televised by ESPN. ... The Senior PGA Tour has this week off. ... The LPGA Tour is in Portland, Ore. for the $500,000 Ping-AT&T Wireless Services LPGA Golf Championship at Columbia Edgewater Country Club. Alison Nicholas is the defending champ. ... The Nike Tour is in Santa Rosa, Calif. for the Sonoma County Open at Windsor Golf Club. Stuart Appleby won last year's tournament. ... The RE/MAX North American Long-Drive Championship returns to the Las Vegas Hilton Country Club next Monday and Tuesday. Preliminary rounds will be held Monday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Tuesday from 8 a.m. to noon. The finals in both the open and senior division will be held Tuesday from 6-10 p.m. Sean Fister of Little Rock, Ark. won last year's long-drive championship with a 362-yard blast. Tickets for the event, which will be televised by ESPN on a tape-delayed basis, are $25 and are good for admission both days. Five dollars from every ticket sold will be donated to the Southern Nevada Inner-City Youth Golf Association.