Columnist Adam Candee: Despite dizzying success, Moore still focused on Rebels

Adam Candee

Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2004 | 9:28 a.m.

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

The pageantry and accolade surrounding Ryan Moore's welcome celebration Monday night at Southern Highlands felt fit for a returning hero.

After capturing the U.S. Amateur, U.S. Amateur Public Links and NCAA championship -- among other events -- this summer, Moore certainly deserved every bit of praise thrown his way by UNLV coach Dwaine Knight, athletic director Mike Hamrick and president Dr. Carol Harter.

As each took turns extolling the virtues of Moore, it became harder and harder to remember that he is not a 10-year PGA tour veteran, but a kid with one more year left before he graduates college. That is, until Moore, ever humble, took the microphone at the end of the evening and reminded everyone around the pool area of just that.

"I see why they had this outside. My head probably wouldn't fit inside," Moore joked.

As usual, Moore spoke simply but insightfully about his summer accomplishments and hopes for a team title in 2004-05 with the Rebels. Moore is an interesting breed in how he drinks in the spotlight of pressure situations, but shuns the limelight that comes with his accomplishments.

A couple of times, he paused Monday in search of words, admitting that holding a microphone in front of 100 people unnerves him more than any 4-foot putt ever will.

"It's hard to even get it out sometimes because I'm so thankful for everything this program has done for me," Moore said.

Moore fielded questions from June on about whether he would turn pro or return to UNLV, but said Monday that success never changed his desire to complete his degree and to soak up more college life.

"It wasn't as hard of a decision as everyone was making it out to be," Moore said.

Moore, who enters the season as the nation's top-ranked player, and the sixth-ranked Rebels begin their fall campaign at the Preview in Baltimore Sept. 26-27. The Preview gives some of the nation's top teams an opportunity to play the course where the national championship will be.

"We weren't quite in sync," Ringler said of Tuesday's 17-over round against some of the nation's best teams.

The Rebels, ranked 16th in the nation, return Seema Sadekar, Elena Kurokawa, Hwanhee Lee and Young Pak from last year's breakout team that was led by Sunny Oh.

Without Oh, who turned pro after her sophomore season, Ringler wants to use the early part of the season to see which girl steps forward as the team's No. 1 golfer.

"It will be interesting to see who out of that four steps up," Ringler said.

That cat escaped its bag weeks ago, as rumors flew about Mickelson coming to the city's tour stop. Mickelson joins Davis Love III, Jim Furyk, Chris DiMarco and former UNLV golfer Chris Riley as U.S. Ryder Cup team memberss who will come to Las Vegas for the Oct. 7-10 tournament.

The addition of Mickelson, the 2004 Masters champion and easily the tour's most popular player, boosts an event lacking in first-tier name power.

Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh are both expected to skip the Michelin, which again will be a victim of its October date that comes a week after a date in Ireland and a week before a string of tournaments in the Southeast.