Columnist Victoria Sun: Rebels hoping to turn around ‘freak season’ at West Regional

Victoria Sun

Wednesday, May 16, 2001 | 9:58 a.m.

Victoria Sun's golf column appears Wednesday. Reach her at 259-4078 or by e-mail at victoria@lasvegassun.com.

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The veteran of the bunch "hasn't really thought about it."

One of the two rookies says, "That's just not a good thought."

The fact that the UNLV men's golf team might not advance to the NCAA championships for the first time in 13 years -- unless the team starts playing like past UNLV teams at the West Regional -- is all but lost on senior Scott Lander and freshman Travis Whisman.

If anything, Lander, who is enjoying his best season and was chosen to the prestigious Palmer Cup team (the Ryder Cup of college golf), sounded confident about the 27-team regionals that start Thursday at the Trysting Tree Golf Course in Corvallis, Ore.

"I know we have a lot of talent," Lander said. "For me, I'm not really worried. We need to play well. But it's not a panic. Coach (Dwaine Knight) has got all the guys to try hard, we just haven't put everything together.

"There is a lot of history (with the program). If you put pressure on yourself it doesn't help anything. We'll just get a game plan and play hard."

But will it be enough?

Only the top 10 teams from each regional advance to the NCAA championships May 29-June 2 at the Duke University Golf Club in Durham, N.C.

The Rebels finished second last year to Arizona in the West Regional and have never finished worse than fifth.

Entering Thursday, however, the team hasn't won one tournament while enduring one of its worst seasons.

After taking second twice in the fall, the Rebels failed to defend their Mountain West Conference championship, stumbling to a fifth-place finish instead.

"It has just been a combination of a lot of different things," Whisman said. "We can't seem to get the same group of guys playing well at the same time.

"It has been a freak season."

Sophomore Calvin Kupeyan, freshman James Oh and junior college transfer Clark Corbett will make up the rest of UNLV's lineup.

Even if the Rebels don't make it to the NCAA championships this season, Lander, the only remaining member of the 1998 NCAA championship team, will look back on his four years at UNLV fondly.

"I'm not disappointed," Lander said of the season. "I've learned a lot from this year because I've been through the very good times and the bad times.

"Obviously we want to make it to nationals. As long as we tried, I won't be disappointed."

The importance of the next three days in Corvallis isn't lost on Whisman.

"I think it's really important to a lot of us," Whisman said. "Scott Lander has played on a national championship team and for Scott not to have another chance at it would be a shame.

"I think we're playing very well. I think we have a chance to win here."

A chance is all they may need.

"This will probably be his last event on the PGA Tour," Baron said. "With him being the first champion of the event and designer of the golf course, we wanted to bring him back."