Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2005 | 10:09 a.m.
Adam Candee covers golf for the Sun. Reach him at (702) 259-4085 or by e-mail at [email protected].
Apparently, Warren Schutte's snowstorm of 16 years ago finally melted.
As the most fortunate snow Dwaine Knight will ever see melts off and washes into the valley, it's about to open the floodgates to the UNLV Athletic Hall of Fame for the Rebels golf program.
Schutte will become the first UNLV golfer to receive the honor, having waited the required 10 years after completing his standout Rebels career to be selected. Looking down the line, Schutte will likely be the first of a handful of UNLV golfers to be honored, and it's more than appropriate that he leads the way.
"It's a good start for us," Knight said. "The 1990s were a pretty special time for Rebel golf."
Schutte put UNLV golf on the national map by winning the NCAA individual championship in 1991, just two years after becoming Knight's first high-profile recruit in Las Vegas. Knight owes a huge debt of gratitude to Schutte's decision to attend UNLV because the credibility it sowed is still being reaped today.
The Rebels coach should also thank Mother Nature for contrasting the sunny climate of Las Vegas with the snowy winters of Utah so starkly as to push a South African kid right into the warmth. A prominent junior golfer, Schutte first drew Knight's attention while the coach was at New Mexico, which had a reputation as a top-flight program.
When Knight came to UNLV, though, convincing Schutte to follow became much tougher.
"He didn't know much about UNLV golf," Knight said.
Schutte did know that BYU had a good program and Cougars coach Karl Tucker arranged an interesting recruiting trip for him. Tucker called Knight to ask if he wanted Schutte to visit UNLV, and then offered to split the cost of the trip.
Now, it doesn't exactly snow much in South Africa, so when Schutte arrived amid a trademark Utah snow dump, the cold didn't look enticing. And the weather in Las Vegas at the time?
"It was, like, 70 degrees down here," Knight said.
Advantage, UNLV.
Schutte recorded the original super year at UNLV more than a decade before Ryan Moore -- a first-ticket lock for this honor in 2016 -- rewrote the records. Schutte won four consecutive tournaments, culminating with the NCAA title, to close the 1991 season.
How he won both the regionals and nationals deserves even more accolade because Schutte denied Arizona State's Phil Mickelson his fourth NCAA title in as many years. He also beat great players like Georgia Tech's David Duval and Texas' Justin Leonard along the way, displaying a great power game along with what Knight -- an authority on the subject -- calls a "deft putting touch."
College success has not yet translated into pro stardom for Schutte, now a Phoenix-area resident who continues to bounce around on the Nationwide and other smaller tours as he has for some time now. He failed to qualify for the PGA tour at Q-school this year, finishing in a distant tie for 143rd place, but Schutte continues to plug away.
"I would have thought he'd have a lot of success at the pro level, but it just hasn't panned out for him," Knight said.
And really, that's no matter at the moment. This is an honor to celebrate the genesis of Rebel golf. Moore will follow Schutte into the hall of fame down the line, and Chris Riley is a pretty safe bet in shorter time. And to think -- a few (million) flakes of snow started it all.
Let it snow.
Sawaia fired a 5-under 67 to come from a stroke down to finish at 9-under, four strokes ahead of Exber, last year's SNGA Player of the Year. Exber closed with an even-par 72 after holding the first-day lead. Richard McIntosh tied for second with Exber at 5-under.
Vincent Capko won the net division at 15-under, holding off Blaine Midkiff by three strokes.
The next SNGA event is the Black Mountain Amateur on Feb. 19-20 at Black Mountain Country Club.
archive
