Columnist Adam Candee: Rebels’ depth perception is looking up

Adam Candee

Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2004 | 10:08 a.m.

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

Ryan Moore's victory last week at the William H. Tucker Intercollegiate in New Mexico was not the biggest win for the UNLV men's golf team.

Look down to eighth place and find junior Andres Gonzales at 2-under. Then scroll down to 33rd place, where true freshman Jarred Texter finished 5-over. These are the performances that could determine the national team titles hopes of Moore, even more than Moore's own play.

Rebels coach Dwaine Knight preached the value of depth throughout last spring, through the summer and into this fall. He probably mumbles it to himself as he falls asleep, and with good reason after watching his team squander its 2003-04 season with a lethargic spring behind Moore's dominance.

Moore returned to UNLV for his senior season because he wants to win a national team championship to go with his individual crown, and solid showings like that of Gonzales and Texter are what the Rebels must see to have a chance to fulfill Moore's goal.

Knight plans to rotate through a number of the 13 players on the Rebels' roster throughout the fall season to find a winning combination, with Moore's No. 1 slot being the only certainty. Knight already sees progress from the Rebels' finish last season.

"I'm pleased that we're getting into position to be in contention as a team," Knight said Tuesday.

The Rebels finished third in New Mexico behind Arizona and the hosts, carding a team total of 1-under 863 during three days of play. Travis Whisman -- possibly the player most crucial to UNLV's hopes -- finished 46th at 7-over after not playing in the Preview in Baltimore.

Whisman, a senior from Reno, is arguably the second-most talented player on the squad and Knight is expecting a strong final season from him after a disappointing junior campaign. Knight also pegged senior J.C. Deacon as a player from whom he wants to see improvement and consistency in support of Moore.

And speaking of that Moore guy ...

"I'm obviously still very excited about Ryan," Knight said. "He had two great starts. He really controlled the ball and controlled the golf course to the n-th degree."

Moore won in New Mexico with a sterling third round of 8-under that included six consecutive birdies on the front nine. The victory comes on the heels of Moore's tie for third at the Preview, where the 2005 NCAA championship will be held in June.

Oh, though, committed a little bit of identity theft when she bolted for the pros -- and her five-event payday of $546 on the Futures Tour this summer -- after her sophomore season. Without an established No. 1 player, Missy Ringler's squad is still in the process of feeling out who plays what part.

The Rebels began play today in Washington at 49-over in ninth place at the Edean Ihlanfeldt Invitational. Junior Elena Kurokawa leads the team in 18th place at 9-over, three weeks after tying for 44th in New Mexico against a tough field. Senior Young Pak finished 22nd in New Mexico to lead UNLV, but enters play today tied for 52nd at 19-over.

With that 10th-place finish in New Mexico and needing some help to move up the board today, the Rebels have not yet matched last season's lofty standards when they did not finish in the bottom half of a tournament field all spring and qualified for their first trip to nationals.

The fab four returners for the Rebels are Pak, Kurokawa, sophomore Seema Sadekar and senior Hwanhee Lee. Australian freshman Allison Chell rounds out the playing five this week, and Ringler certainly would not discriminate any player who wants to help lead the Rebels back to the point where they stood late last year.

Whenever it happens won't be a moment too soon for a team that with six seniors on an 11-woman roster.

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