Las Vegas, Nevada (November 25, 2012)–There have been a lot of highlights over the years for the UNLV men's golf program. A team and two individual NCAA titles, many conference championships, and dozens of team and individual victories. And this past week or so brought some more highlights including a win at 2012 Sun Bowl Western Refining College All-America Golf Classic by senior Kevin Penner plus the addition of two more big-time recruits. One of those recruits is Las Vegas resident Taylor Montgomery, son of former Rebel golfing great Monte Montgomery. –By Brian Hurlburt, with UNLV press release
Penner shot a final-round 3-under-par 68 to win at El Paso Country Club by one shot over Arkansas’ Sebastian Cappelan on Tuesday. Penner finished the individual tournament that featured some of the best college players in the country with a 54-hole total of 14-under 199. Cappelan shot a final-round 8-under 63, while Alabama’s Cory Whitsett, who was tied with Penner for the lead after Monday’s 36 holes, shot a final-round 1-under 70 to finish in third at 12-under 201. Penner’s victory marked the first wire-to-wire win at the event since 2006. Penner also double-dipped at the event as he also won the putting contest prior to the start of the official tournament.
On the recruiting side of things, the Rebels added Montgomery, who plays out of Foothill High School in Henderson, Nev., and Chris Tuulik Tuulik, a 2012 graduate of La Jolla High School in San Diego, Calif.. Tuulik is a multiple All-Western League first team selection as well as All-CIF San Diego Section Division III award recipient. He has also qualified for numerous Junior Worlds.
Montgomery is a favorite to win the 2013 Nevada State Championship while his father was one of the first high-powered golfers to tee it up for UNLV Head Golf Coach Dwaine Knight. Monte played from UNLV from 1989-92 and was an All-American during that time. He now serves as director of golf at Shadow Creek and is still known as one of Las Vegas' best players. Taylor was the 2012 Class 4A Sunrise Region Golfer of the Year, was named All-Southern Nevada and also was selected All-Southeast League. He won the state’s 4A boys individual championship in 2011 and also won the American Junior Golf Association’s Las Vegas Junior Open. He also starts for FHS in basketball.
“We are very happy to have Taylor join our program,” Knight said. “A past state high school and AJGA champion, he has had some strong showings at the Junior Worlds. It is great to be able to bring the son of a former Rebel in and he joins a growing list of great players from Las Vegas to stay here for their collegiate experience.”
Current UNLV freshmen AJ McInerney (Coronado HS), Kenden Slattery (Coronado HS) and Zane Thomas (Arbor View HS) are the other local Rebels.
“We have watched Chris for the last couple of years and are excited he will become a Rebel,” Knight said. “He is an up-and-coming player with a great upside and a big future. He was going to go to another school last year, but decided to sit out a year to be able to come to UNLV.”