Columnist Victoria Sun: Rebels’ March tournament has a home at D.I., but no sponsor

Victoria Sun

Wednesday, Nov. 24, 1999 | 10:06 a.m.

Victoria Sun is a Las Vegas Sun sports writer. Her golf column appears Wednesday. Reach her at victoria@vegas.com or 259-4078

For now, the name doesn't matter.

Nor does the fact that the tournament doesn't have a sponsor.

What does matter to the UNLV golf program is that the 15-team tournament to be held at the Desert Inn Golf Club March 10-12 does have a home.

The tournament used to be called the Rebel Classic until UNLV head coach Dwaine Knight convinced Golf Digest a few years ago to take over.

In a surprise move, Golf Digest yanked its sponsorship of the top-tier golf tournament roughly a month ago, leaving the Rebels in a bind.

UNLV assistant coach Andy Bischel said that Golf Digest wanted to limit its sponsorship of tournaments to one a year.

"It doesn't help," Bischel said. "We expected them to be there for this year.

"But we're gonna be OK. Right now we're talking to a couple of different people about sponsorship."

Last Friday, Knight met with D.I. Director of Golf Dave Johnson in hopes of keeping the tournament in Las Vegas, and the two were able to reach an agreement.

"The D.I. has always been really committed and supportive of us," Bischel said. "They've been great."

Arizona State, Clemson, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Texas and Oklahoma State are a few of the golf powerhouses entered in the event that doesn't yet have a name.

Bischel said there are several reasons why it's important for the Rebels to have the tournament.

"It's our only opportunity for us to play at home in front of the people that support us," Bischel said. "Unlike basketball or football, we don't have five or six home games.

"It's also a good recruiting tool, having a big tournament in our back yard and hopefully having a home course advantage. It worked for us last year and we won the tournament."

* MAY MAKES THE CUT: Las Vegas resident Bob May's six-day total 26-under-par 406 at the PGA Tour's Qualifying Tournament earned him one of the coveted tour cards reserved for the top 35 finishers. The event was played last Wednesday through Monday at the Doral Resort and Spa in Miami, Fla.

May played on the PGA Tour in 1994 but has competed on the European PGA Tour for the last four seasons. He earned his first victory as a professional at the Victor Chandler British Masters earlier this year.

Another local resident, Vic Wilk, virtually had his tour card in hand until the 18th hole. He was at 9-under, but triple-bogeyed the final hole to lose his card.

* PAYNE AT HEART: At this weekend's Skins Game at the Landmark Golf Club in Indio, Calif., defending champion Mark O'Meara, Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia will be joined by Fred Couples.

Couples was named a Skins Game replacement for three-time Skins Game winner Payne Stewart, who died in an airplane crash last month.

"I'd like to say I'm thrilled to be the one chosen to play for Payne," Couples said. "I've played in a lot of Skins Games and remember when Payne beat us all.

"... It's really a privilege for me to be a part of this. I think anyone who was picked would say the same thing."

Each player will be competing for each hole or "skin" that is worth a designated amount of money. If no player wins a hole outright, the money rolls over to the next hole.

* TURKEY TV: Football won't be the only sport broadcast on Thanksgiving Day. There will be plenty of golf on the tube as well.

The Sun Microsystems Par 3 Challenge played at the Four Seasons Resort Aviara in Carlsbad, Calif., will be aired Thursday from 1 to 3 p.m. on Fox. The field was comprised of defending champion Jesper Parnevik, Hal Sutton and Fred Couples of the PGA Tour, Senior PGA Tour players Lee Trevino, Chi Chi Rodriguez and Johnny Miller and LPGA Tour members Nancy Lopez, Annika Sorenstam and Kelli Kuehne. Actor Bill Murray, actress Cheryl Ladd and Fox NFL commentator Terry Bradshaw also participated in the 18-hole, par-3 tournament.

You can see a potential future golf star during the Golf Channel's 1999 Drive, Chip & Putt Junior Golf Skills Competition National Finals on Thanksgiving Day at 10 a.m. The event featured 30 of the nation's top junior golfers competing at Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando, Fla..

The kids were divided into three age groups. Las Vegas resident Aaron Slonim competed for the top spot in the 11/12-year-old division. The golfer with the best combined score from driving, chipping and putting won first place in each age group.