Columnist Adam Candee: Moore’s win just another hit for Knight

Adam Candee

Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2004 | 9:18 a.m.

Adam Candee covers golf for the Sun. Reach him at (702) 259-4085 or by e-mail at candee@lasvegassun.com.

Ever the proud surrogate papa, UNLV golf coach Dwaine Knight's smile is stretching its limits this week.

His best player, Ryan Moore, won medal play at the U.S. Amateur at Winged Foot in New York and appears poised for a stirring senior season as the undisputed No. 1 college player in the country. Two of his best alumni, Chad Campbell and Chris Riley, both made their first Ryder Cup team and will represent the United States next month at Oakland Hills.

Just for icing, Knight even has three other Rebels -- junior Ryan Keeney, junior Andres Gonzales and incoming freshman Jarred Texter -- in the U.S. Amateur field.

"It's been pretty awesome," Knight said Tuesday.

It promises to get much better for Knight, who will welcome Moore and his fellow Rebels back to campus in a couple of weeks to begin a season of redemption. UNLV failed to qualify as a team for the NCAA championship last season, sending only Moore as an individual. He won, beginning a summer of love with victories in the U.S. Amateur Public Links and Western Amateur.

The U.S. Amateur now enters match play, which happens to be Moore's comfort zone. He loves the mental grappling.

Moore is justifying Knight's praise of him as the best ever Rebel at this point in his career. That title could easily have belonged to Campbell or Riley in their days at UNLV. The former roommates will both play in their first Ryder Cup, with Riley having just qualified with his fourth-place finish at last week's PGA Championship.

"He's still over the moon about going," Knight said.

Riley told Knight that he really did not begin to think about the Ryder Cup until he reached the 18th green Sunday. It is easy to forgive Riley if he is preoccupied these days, as he and his wife, Michelle, are expecting their first child soon.

And wouldn't you know it -- the little girl is due Sept. 17, the first day of Ryder Cup.

Gonzales, who is Moore's roommate at UNLV, is part of an 18-way playoff this morning for five spots in the match play field. The last of those five qualifiers gets the daunting task of facing Moore in the afternoon. Gonzales and Moore grew up near each other in Washington, and Moore convinced Gonzales to transfer from Oregon State after his freshman season.

Keeney got his place in the field by finishing tied for 30th.

Texter, a Rebels recruit from Pennsylvania, finished one shot out at 11-over. Southern Nevada qualifiers Drew Scott (12-over) and Jonathan Taruc (15-over) also missed the cut.