Las Vegas, Nev. (February 2, 2015)–There’s usually one common denominator when it comes to the success of any program. When that program is the UNLV men’s golf team, that one common denominator is immediately obvious: Hall of Fame Head Coach Dwaine Knight. Check out the Mountain West video and you’ll see that this one man has helped mold golf careers of players as well as put UNLV on the map when it comes to recruiting. —by Bill Bowman
The Rebels have had no fewer than 11 players make it through the UNLV ranks and then take their shots onto the PGA Tour, where they have combined to win 25 times, a number that continues to grow. Leading the way is Adam Scott, one of the world’s top 10 players. Scott has won all around the world with his crowning achievement coming with a victory in the 2013 Masters.
But there’s more–plenty more. Add in Ryan Moore, Charley Hoffman and Chad Campbell, all three who are multiple winners on the PGA Tour, and you’ve got a program that is recognized as being in the upper echelon. Throw in a few more pros with a win on Tour, such as Bill Lunde, Chris Riley and Derek Ernst, and you’re starting to see a pattern of success that starts with coach Knight’s mentoring. As of this writing, UNLV Golf is second in the Rivals Cup rankings which track alumni from college programs and money earned on the PGA TOUR. The Rebels have won the competition several times.
Knight was impressed with the Mountain West video and the kind words his formers players had to say. “It was very flattering for those guys (Scott, Hoffman, Moore) to take the time to do that,” Knight said. “I’ve gotten so many good comments about the piece from around the world. It’s really meant a lot to our program.”
Check out the video to see the Rebel players’ views on the program, and more importantly, the coach. It may be a golf program, but as the players tell you, it’s so much more.