Las Vegas, Nevada (March 20, 2010)–After winning its fourth team title of the year at the Southern Highlands Collegiate Masters recently in Las Vegas (tied with UCLA for the co-championship), the UNLV men's golf team has climbed the national rankings to No. 8 in Golfstat and No. 11 in Golfweek. The Rebels home facility is Las Vegas golf course Southern Highlands, but the team plays and practices at many Las Vegas golf courses.–UNLV and Staff report.
The top 10 teams in Golfstat in order: Oklahoma State, Stanford, Oregon, Washington, UCLA, Texas A&M, Texas, UNLV, Arizona State and Florida State. In Golfweek: Oklahoma State, Stanford, Augusta State, Texas A&M, Texas, Washington, UCLA, Florida, Oregon, Florida State and UNLV. It marks the first time in more than a year that UNLV is in the top 10 in a national collegiate golf poll and the four wins in a season marks the most for the program since the 1996-97 season when the team also won four tournaments. The last time the Rebels won five tournaments in a season was during the 1998-99 season.
UNLV has four more regular season tournaments to play, and two more are possible with NCAA Regionals and the NCAA Championships. The Rebels will be back in action Sunday-Tuesday, March 21-23 at the Callaway Golf Collegiate Match Play Championship in Tucson, Ariz. The Rebels are led by Hall of Fame golf coach Dwaine Knight, who led the team to the NCAA title in 1998. Knight is a member of the College Golf Coaches Hall of Fame and the Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame.
The Rebels are also well represented on the PGA Tour where former stars have earned several PGA Tour wins. Chad Campbell has played on three Ryder Cup teams while Chris Riley has played on one. Campbell nearly won the 2009 Masters, but also has multiple PGA Tour wins. Riley earned the 2002 Reno-Tahoe Open. Ryan Moore, who won the 2004 NCAA Individual Championship in 2004, is recognized as one of the best young players on the PGA Tour and won the Wyndham Championship in 2009. This year, the Rebels are led by 3-time Mountain West Conference Player of the Month Derek Ernst and Eddie Olsen.