Columnist Jeff Benton: No mistaking Moore’s talent

Jeff Benton

Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2004 | 9:15 a.m.

Peter Benton's golf column appears Wednesday.

Vijay Singh's dramatic playoff victory Sunday against Justin Leonard and Chris DiMarco in the final round of the PGA Championship at the diabolical-looking Whistling Straits golf course in Wisconsin earned him his third major championship.

Not only that, the tall, laconic Fijian also accomplished a feat that in the "modern era" of golf only five other players have achieved. Namely, winning five tournaments in a season.

The incomparable Jack Nicklaus did it eight times. Tiger Woods has done it on five occasions, Tom Watson three, and Johnny Miller and Nick Price each did it once.

On a different level, but matching the above feat, is soon-to-be senior on the UNLV golf team Ryan Moore, who so far this year has had the distinction of winning six prestigious titles.

This unassuming and talented young man (a two-time UNLV sportsman of the year), without doubt one of the country's finest golfers, has had a season one would dare not dream about, let alone think of accomplishing.

In the 13 college events he played in this year, Moore had three victories -- the National Invitational, the Mountain West Conference championship and the season-ending NCAA championship.

For his season it was three wins, seven top 10s and eight top 20s.

Ryan's scoring average of 69.30 was a UNLV scoring record, displacing that of three-time All-American Jeremy Anderson, whose average in 1999 was 70.85, and those of present PGA touring professionals and UNLV alumni Chris Riley, Chad Campbell, Adam Scott and Skip Kendall.

Trust me, this guy is good, and how well he will do down the road is anybody's guess, but when one considers that previous low NCAA scoring averages went to Woods of Stanford in 1996 (70.61), Matt Kucher, Georgia Tech, 1998 (70.80) Luke Donald, Northwestern, 1999 (70.45), and Charles Howell of Oklahoma State (89.57,) it certainly augers well for his future.

During this offseason, Moore, with rounds of 16-under, 68-69-68-67--272, was medalist in the Sahalee Players Championship; won the U.S. Public Links Championship, which gives him an automatic invite into next year's Masters; and won the Western Amateur, with that victory an exemption into the 2005 Western Open.

He recently returned from Ireland where he represented the United States in the Palmer Cup and is playing this week in the U.S. Amateur Championship at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y.

Ryan, born Dec. 5, 1982, in Tacoma, Wash., has had a truly extraordinary year, and the many accolades that have come his way are most certainly warranted and well deserved.

Moore and the rest of the Rebels golf team, which consists of Mitch Carlson, J.C. Deacon, Troy Denton, Matt Edwards, C.J. Gatto, Andres Gonzales, Sam Hunt, Ryan Keeney, Matt Kinsinger, Andy Leadbetter and Travis Whisman, personify what college golf is all about -- hard work, team spirit and enthusiasm. Las Vegas should be proud.