Back on course

Thursday, March 6, 2003 | 9:50 a.m.

UNLV sophomore Travis Whisman has gotten his groove back on the golf course.

Idle all of last season after back surgery, Whisman nearly won a tournament in Hawaii two weeks ago and was hardly nonchalant against his teammates in three days of qualifying action last week.

Keeping his bazooka tee shots dry and out of the trees has keyed Whisman's superlative play. So has a steel spine, which this 21-year-old Reno native also uses to speak his mind.

That all-around confidence should help the second-ranked Rebels push top-rated Clemson, and five other top-10 programs, this weekend at the Callaway Golf Las Vegas Collegiate at Southern Highlands Golf Club.

"We know we're just as good as Clemson," Whisman said. "We know we can play with them."

He said a victory against such a stellar field should make UNLV the favorite to win an NCAA championship.

Anyone who thinks otherwise will receive a glare similar to the one Whisman casts when someone questions how he could pick UNLV over Stanford.

"I get a lot of weird looks when someone hears that," he said. "In my opinion, you can't compare Stanford and UNLV. UNLV is, by far, one of the three premier golf programs in the nation. Anyone in the country knows UNLV is one of the best.

"I don't know. Maybe I shouldn't say this. Stanford gets a lot of notoriety for Tiger going there, but I don't think you can compare them. At least, these days, you can't say Stanford is one of the top programs in the country, because it's not."

Rebels coach Dwaine Knight enjoys coaching a player who is so sure of himself. Jack Nicklaus, Whisman and James Vargas of Florida are the only players to qualify for the U.S. Junior Amateur five times.

"When he makes a decision, he's convinced it's the right one," Knight said. "I think it was a great decision for him to come here. He's a household name up north. With success at UNLV he'll be a household name in the south. The whole state will be behind him."

Fifty-three weeks ago today, Dr. Robert Watkins, the co-director and founder of the Los Angeles Spine Surgery Institute at St. Vincent Medical Center, shaved off the herniation and cleaned out the inside of Whisman's flattened disc in a 90-minute procedure.

A herniated disc usually settles to one side of the spine, but Whisman's was para-central, nudging right up against his spine. Because it was compressed, the disc was void of vital fluids.

Nerves were pinched when he twisted his back, causing numbness in his legs. He had been limited to about 30 percent of his normal lower-body strength. Spasms forced him to withdraw from two tournaments as a freshman.

It was the same injury, and procedure, that Rocco Mediate of the PGA Tour endured. Through mutual friend Jay Brunza, a sports psychologist on Callaway's staff, Knight coordinated a pre-surgery teleconference during which Whisman spoke with Mediate.

Keith Kleven, a physical therapist who has trained Woods, heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson and Atlanta Braves pitcher Greg Maddux, also took part in the 45-minute call, as did Brunza and Knight.

Mediate did most of the talking.

"It was good to hear from someone who recovered from it and is doing well, to hear his thoughts and what he did," Whisman said. "He was kind of happy to talk to someone about his injury, because no one ever asked him about it when his surgery was over.

"But he was really open to what he did and how he recovered."

Sleep was excruciatingly painful for three or four days after surgery. After two weeks, Whisman could move around and walk, but in baby steps. After two months, he could perform menial tasks without worrying much about their ramifications.

Mediate soothed Whisman before surgery. However, Scott McCarron, who won more than $1 million in each of his past two pro seasons, has played the most important role in shaping Whisman's game.

McCarron lives near Reno. He and Whisman formed a friendship when the latter won state titles at Galena High in 1998 and '99. Like McCarron, Whisman often belts the ball more than 300 yards off the tee, and McCarron taught him how to harness that power.

Whisman said the drives he has smacked over the past two weeks have been the best of his life.

In Wahaiwa, Hawaii, all three of his rounds were under par and he finished a stroke behind tournament medalist Lars Johansson. In three qualifying rounds at Southern Highlands last week, he posted a 6-under 210, the best team score other than Ryan Moore's 202.

"I've been scoring well, even though I haven't been putting well," he said. "When you keep the ball in play, you can do things. I'm pretty good for a ball or two out of bounds, and that forces you to make two extra birdies you didn't have to make if you kept it in play.

"Playing rounds with Scott has opened my eyes. Seeing a player like that gives you insight about what you need to do to improve yourself. You see the numbers they post, but you're not sure how good they are until they're playing right next to you."

This weekend's tournament will have the look and feel of the NCAA championships, which will be in Stillwater, Okla., in late May.

"It's definitely a big deal," Whisman said. "This is one of the only times we'll see Clemson, so it's a big week for us. For us to end up being No. 1 in the country, we have to beat Clemson and win. I'm looking forward to us having a good tournament."