Las Vegas, Nevada (November 7, 2012)–Some good golf is being played by the UNLV Womens' golf team, and a lot of it by sophomore Dana Finkelstein. And it has been announced that she has earned Mountain West Conference Golfer of the Month for October. She placed in the top 20 in each of the Rebels' three tournament appearances this month, including a top-5 finish in the Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown. –By Brian Hurlburt with UNLV press release.
“It’s an honor to get the award,” Finkelstein said in a statement. “I had a really steady month and played well. I was pleased with all of my results. Coming into the season it was one of my goals to get the award in either the fall or the spring. Now that I won it, I just need to work hard and shoot for the honor again in the spring.” It was the second time she had earned the award in her Rebel career.
Finkelstein paced the Rebels at the Edean Ihlanfeldt Invitational from Oct. 8-10. She carded an 11-over-par 227 (78-71-78) to tie for 13th place on the par 72, 6,054-yard Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Wash. Finkelstein's 71 in the second round marked a season low for the sophomore and tied for the fifth-lowest round in the field of 83 golfers. As a team, UNLV finished sixth among the field of 16 squads with a combined score of 63-over 927 (308-301-318).
“Dana played great in some big tournaments during the month of October,” UNLV Head Coach Amy Bush said in a release. “We are really proud of her and look forward to her continuing her success in the spring.”
In her second tournament of the month, Finkelstein posted her first top-5 finish of the season and third of her career at the Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown on Oct. 21-23. She registered a 54-hole total of 4-over 220 (73-75-72), including an even-par 72 in the final round, to finish fifth among the field of 96 competing on the par 72, 6,261-yard Stallion Mountain Golf Club in Las Vegas, Nev. She posted eight birdies in the tournament, including three in each of the first two rounds. The Rebels finished the tournament in third position out of 18 teams with a final score of 34-over 898 (302-305-291).
Finkelstein concluded the fall schedule tying for 19th at the Betsy Rawls Invitational, held at the par 72, 6,344-yard University of Texas Golf Course in Austin, Texas, Oct. 28-30. She opened the tournament with an even-par 72, and completed the 54-hole event matching her season low of 4-over 220 (72-73-75.) Overall, UNLV logged its fifth top-10 finish of the season, posting a combined 34-over 898 (298-298-302) to place 10th among 15 participating teams.
In 15 rounds played this fall, Finkelstein recorded six rounds of par or better, including two rounds under par. The sophomore ranked third in the Mountain West with a 74.20 stroke average. The Rebels return to action this spring on Feb. 25-26 at the Cal Invite in Pleasanton, Calif.