Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: UNLV grads making noise on pro tours

Wednesday, Feb. 17, 1999 | 3:36 a.m.

Brian Hilderbrand's golf notebook appears Wednesday. His motor sports notebook appears Friday. Reach him at bh@lasvegassun.com or 259-4089.

Last weekend proved to be a good one for a trio of graduates of the UNLV golf program.

Chris Riley, a former four-time All-American at UNLV, earned his fourth PGA Tour paycheck in as many tournaments this weekend at the Buick Invitational in Riley's hometown of San Diego.

After an opening-round 72, Riley rallied for rounds of 65, 68 and 70 and finished tied for seventh place and earned $81,337.50. It was the second top-10 showing of the season for Riley, who is 25th on the PGA Tour money list with $185,058.

Riley ranks among the top 10 on the PGA Tour in putting average (fifth); putts per round (fourth); birdie conversion percentage (second); and top 10 finishes (fourth). He is 23rd in the tour's all-around rankings.

Edward Fryatt, another All-American while at UNLV, shot a 6-under-par 282 and tied for fifth place at the Dubai Desert Classic in the United Arab Emirates.

Fryatt, who is playing the Nike Tour full-time this year, is 20th in earnings on that tour with $11,199 and ranks fourth in total driving and second in all- around.

Skip Kendall, who graduated from UNLV in 1987 (and did not play for current UNLV head coach Dwaine Knight), tied for 30th place at the Buick Invitational and earned $16,767. Like Riley, Kendall shot an opening-round 72 but got back into the tournament with a second-round 65 at Torrey Pines Golf Club.

Kendall has cashed in four of the five tournaments in which he has played this year, including four straight, and is 29th on the PGA Tour money list with $177,491.

* GAMEZ TOURNAMENT: The seventh annual Robert Gamez Charity Classic will tee off Sunday at 9 a.m. at the Tournament Players Club at The Canyons and will conclude Monday at 9:30 a.m. at the TPC at Summerlin. Admission to both rounds is free.

Among the professional golfers scheduled to participate include Gamez, Fuzzy Zoeller, Ted Tryba, Craig Barlow, Edward Fryatt, Jay Don Blake, Donnie Hammond, Dan Pohl, Dicky Pride and Billy Ray Brown.

Gamez, however, may be one of four pros who might miss Sunday's opening round. The Las Vegas native received a sponsor's exemption to play in the PGA Tour's Nissan Open this week and Tryba, Blake and Brown also are scheduled to play in Los Angeles this week.

* VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT: The Las Vegas Senior Classic is looking for volunteers to help with the 14th annual event, which will be held May 13-16 at the TPC at Summerlin and the TPC at The Canyons.

Anyone interested in volunteering for the tournament should call Michelle in the tournament office at 242-3008.

* UPCOMING EVENTS: The PGA Tour remains in Southern California this week for the Nissan Open at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles. Billy Mayfair won last year's tournament by beating Tiger Woods on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff. Woods, who won last week's Buick Invitational in San Diego, made his first PGA Tour appearance in the Nissan Open, as an amateur, at the age of 16. USA will televise Thursday and Friday while CBS will provide the weekend coverage. ...

The Senior PGA Tour is in Lutz, Fla., this week for the GTE Classic at the TPC of Tampa Bay. Jim Albus is the defending champion; ESPN will televise Friday through Sunday. ...

The LPGA Tour is in Honolulu this week for the Hawaiian Ladies Open at Kapolei Country Club. Wendy Ward is the defending champion; there will be no live television coverage of the tournament.