Las Vegas, Nevada (May 29, 2013)–The UNLV Men's Golf team is playing in the NCAA Finals for the first time since 2010, but didn't get off to the start it had expected. The Rebels stood 14th after round one. The top eight teams after round three move on to the match play portion of the tournament. In Lady Rebel golf news, sophomore Dana Finkelstein was one of 13 players to be honored as All-West Region players. Finkelstein previously was honored as the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year.–By Brian Hurlburt
The UNLV men’s golf team shot an opening-round 6-over-par 286 on Tuesday and is in a five-way tie for 14th place at the 2013 NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship, which is being played at the Capital City Club Crabapple Course (par 70, 7,319 yards) just outside of Atlanta.
The Rebels were 16 shots back of team-leading Arizona State after the Sun Devils fired a 10-under 270 for a four-shot lead over second-place Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets shot 6-under 274 and are a stroke in front of third-place Alabama. Illinois is fourth at 4-under, California is fifth at 3-under, Oklahoma is sixth at 2-under and Texas and Oklahoma State are in a tie for seventh at 1-under. Washington and North Florida are both tied for ninth at 1-over.
UNLV senior Kevin Penner turned in the Rebels’ best individual score of the day at 1-under 69 and is in a tie for 20th place. He had three birdies and two bogeys on the day. Rebel sophomore Kurt Kitayama is tied 49th at 1-over, sophomore Carl Jonson and freshman AJ McInerney are both tied for 95th at 3-over and junior Nicholas Maruri is tied for 138th at 6-over. Penner was also named to the All-West Region team for the second-straight year.
Finkelstein finished tied for 10th at 3-over-par 216 (75-71-70) at the NCAA West Regional which was held at the Stanford Golf Course recently. The Mountain West Golfer of the Year had a stellar year, as she recorded five top-10 finishes. Her best finish, a tie for second, came at the Cal Invitational as she posted an even-par 144 (74-70).