Las Vegas, Nevada (June 10, 2011)–The future could be bright for UNLV, and one big reason why is the continued terrific play of UNLV junior Derek Ernst. His play was rewarded when he was named to the PING All-West Region team for 2010-11. UNLV is led by Hall of Fame golf coach Dwaine Knight and his team won the NCAA title in 1998.–Staff report and UNLV Sports Information.
The Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) voted on the honors. Ernst, a junior from Clovis, Calif., earned the regional honor for the second straight year after also claiming the Mountain West Conference Men’s Golfer of the Year award, also for the second straight year, last month. Ernst led the Rebels this year in rounds played (41), scoring average (71.93), top-20 finishes (11), top-10 finishes (8) and top-five finishes (3). He also led the team in rounds at par or better (20) and with 14 rounds under par.
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Ernst tied for first at this year’s MWC Championship and won the title outright with a birdie on the third playoff hole to break a three-way tie. His 7-under 64 during the second round of that tournament marked the lowest round by a Rebel golfer this season. A total of 152 players were named all-region across six regions this year – Northeast, East, Southeast, Midwest, Central and West. Members of the all-region teams are automatically eligible for PING All-America honors.