Columnist Peter Benton: Exber collects top honors again

Peter Benton

Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2004 | 9:44 a.m.

Peter Benton's golf column appears Wednesday.

Perennial champion Brady Exber, one of the game's most popular local competitors, was once again crowned the championship division's player of the year last week at the Southern Nevada Golf Association's annual awards banquet at Rio Secco Golf Club.

This marked the sixth time Exber has won this prestigious and well-deserved honor, making him the most prolific winner of this title. Exber's total points for the year were 370, followed by Doug Pool with 240.7 and Eddie Heinen at 192.

Net division player of the year was Ted Baker. Consistent play all season propelled Baker to his second title in this category. He also won in 1994. Baker's 228 points far outdistanced that of runner-up Russell Gard's 173.3 and third-place finisher Chris Piper's 164.7.

Jim Saub Jr. won the net division's senior player of the year honor for the fourth consecutive year. Although he played in only five events, Saub won four of them, amassing a total of 266 points in the process. Jim Moran was second with 238 and Tom Yamashita third with 225.

Introduced as one of the SNGA's Hall of Fame's new inductees was Dick Huff, the director of golf at the Paiute Resort.

Huff, who was humbled, honored and delighted with his selection, and who continues to give so much of his time to many golfing endeavors, has won every golfing award imaginable, and rightly so. One of Huff's early contributions to area golf was in starting our junior golf program back in 1974, and what a success story that has been -- he is indeed most deserving of his induction.

The "First Lady of Golf in Southern Nevada," Helen Cannon, was another new and popular inductee. This ageless 87-year-old was the first president of the Southern Nevada Women's Golf Association, an incredibly competitive player, and her services to this wonderful game of ours makes Helen most worthy of being the first woman to enter our Hall of Fame.

Another inductee was the irrepressible former UNLV Rebels golfer and now a very successful tour player, Chris Riley. His enthusiasm for the game, his undoubted talent and his roots to Las Vegas makes this modest fellow a natural choice. At 30 years of age, this four-time college All-American is the Fame's youngest member.

Seventy-six-year-old Eddie Draper, a household name in the amateur ranks many years ago -- as his many titles will attest -- was yet another very worthy honoree.

Rounding out the 2003 inductees was the Las Vegas Founders Club. This entity, represented by Charlie Baron, Bobby Cole and Gary Fry, have, since the old Sahara Invitational some 21 years ago, sponsored and supported our various professional tournaments, and along the way donated more than $10 million to local worthwhile Las Vegas charities.

The Southern Nevada Golf Association Hall of Fame originated in 1991 with its charter being to induct worthy individuals every four years (since changed to every two years).

The original four inductees were Jerry Belt, Clyde Cobb, Stuart Reid and Charlie Teel, while in 1997 James Cashman Jr., Ernest Haupt and Pat Walker were added to the honoree list.

In 2001, those honored were the 1998 Rebels golf team -- Jeremy Anderson, Bill Lunde, Chris Berry, Charlie Hoffman and Scott Lander -- who were so ably led by coach Dwaine Knight; former amateur standout here in Nevada and now a successful tour pro, Robert Gamez; plus Jim Colbert, whose exploits on both the PGA and Champions Tour have been well documented.