April 24, 2008 (UPDATED 5 PM PST) –The UNLV Mens Golf Team tees off today in the Mountain West Conference Tournament at the Tucson National Golf Club in Arizona, with play going through Saturday. The Rebels are led by senior Matt Kinsinger (pictured), who was named MWC Player of the Month last week. "He is playing very well at the moment and I am extremely proud of his accomplishments as a Rebel," says UNLV assistant coach Andy Bischel. "He came to us from Galena HS in Reno as a great student and an average golfer. He has worked harder than anyone on the team over the past five years to become a golfer who his coaches and teammates can rely on. Look for him as we go through the post-season." The other four players teeing it up are Seung-su Han – Jr., Eddie Olson – So., Brett Kanda – So., and Ji Moon – Fr. The Rebels play and practice at many of the best Las Vegas golf courses, including Southern Highlands Golf Club, the team's home course. The Rebels lead after round one, read story here. LIVE SCORING HERE.
The Rebels, ranked 15th by Golfweek as of today, appear to be playing their best golf of the year as evidenced by not finishing out of the top four in any of the last eight tournaments. The streak included two wins and two second-place finishes. The following are the results of the last eight events.
Shootout at Angel Park – Sept. 29-30, 2007 – Win
Jerry Pate Intercollegiate – Oct. 8 – 9, 2007 – Second
Turtle Bay Intercollegiate – Nov. 5 – 7, 2007 – Fourth
Ping Arizona Intercollegiate – Jan. 28 – 29, 2008 – Second
John Burns Intercollegiate – Feb. 20 – 22, 2008 – Third
Southern Highlands Collegiate – Mar. 7 – 9, 2008 – Win
National Invitational Tournament – Mar. 23 – 25, 2008 – Third
Morris Williams Intercollegiate – Apr. 7 – 8, 2008 – Third
"It has always been a team goal to play in the lead group, on the final day, with a chance to win," says head coach Dwaine Knight. "The team accomplished this in every one of the eight events listed, although I am looking for a more consistent final round performance. When we put ourselves in a position to win it gives us the opportunity to learn from, and become comfortable with, competitive pressures. I believe we have grown from these experiences and are ready to accomplish great things in the post season."