Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: UNLV’s Ted Oh in Palmer Cup

Tuesday, June 17, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

UNLV sophomore Ted Oh will be the only Rebel player on the U.S. Palmer Cup team that will compete in the Ryder Cup-style matches to be played next month in Florida.

By winning the individual NCAA title, Charles Warren of Clemson secured the final spot on the U.S. team, which will be coached by UNLV's Dwaine Knight.

When University of Florida junior Robert Floyd was declared academically ineligible prior to the start of the collegiate postseason, Alberto Ochoa of Texas Christian was named to replace Floyd on the U.S. team.

Knight would have been able to select a player of his choice had one of the players already named to the U.S. team won the NCAA individual title.

But with Ochoa available, it is unlikely Knight would have chosen one of his own players. Ochoa is the top-ranked individual collegiate golfer in the country.

The inaugural Palmer Cup matches will be held July 10-12 at the Bay Hill Club in Orlando. A team of U.S. collegians will face a team from Great Britain/Ireland in matches patterned after the popular Ryder Cup matches.

Chip shots ...

* REBELS NO. 2: Despite its 22nd-place finish at the NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships, the UNLV golf team was ranked second in the nation behind Oklahoma State in the final Rolex Collegiate Golf rankings. The Rebels had been ranked No. 1 by Rolex every week but one since Oct. 10, 1996, and tied their best-ever final ranking. Last year's team, which finished second to Arizona State at the NCAA finals, also was ranked No. 2 in the final poll. Rounding out the top 10 were Clemson, Texas Christian, ASU, Wake Forest, Southern California, North Carolina, New Mexico and Arizona.

* 1998 U.S. OPEN TICKETS: The United States Golf Association on Monday began accepting orders for tickets for the 1998 U.S. Open, to be played at Olympic Club in San Francisco. Mail orders only are being accepted and order forms can be obtained by calling 1-800-336-4446 or by contacting the USGA's web site at httt://www.usga.org.

* LOCAL TOURNAMENTS: The Latin Chamber of Commerce is hosting its 10th annual Southwest Regional Golf Tournament on Saturday, July 26 at Highland Falls and Palm Valley golf courses in Sun City Summerlin. The 18-hole scramble will begin with a 7 a.m. shotgun start and will be followed by a luncheon and awards ceremony at the Mountain Shadow Recreational Center at Sun City. The entry fee is $125 per player and the entry deadline closes July 14. Call 385-7367 for additional information. ... The 15th annual Las Vegas Stars golf tournament has been rescheduled for July 30 at Angel Park Golf Club. Call 386-7200 for details.

* UPCOMING EVENTS: The PGA Tour remains on the East Coast this week for the $1.5 million Buick Classic at Westchester Country Club in Rye, N.Y. 1997 U.S. Open champion Ernie Els is the defending champion. The USA cable network will televise Thursday and Friday and CBS will handle Saturday's and Sunday's rounds. ... The Senior PGA Tour is in Alpharetta for the $1.3 million Nationwide Championship at the Golf Club of Georgia. Las Vegan Jim Colbert won last year's event. ESPN will televise Friday through Sunday. ... The LPGA Tour will stage the Rochester International at Locust Hill Country Club in Pittsford, N.Y. Dottie Pepper won last year's tournament. ... The U.S. Women's Public Links Championship will be held Wednesday through Sunday at Center Square Golf Club in Center Square, Pa.