Plenty of Vegas flair at The Players Championship
Nine golfers, and one hole, with ties to Las Vegas are scheduled to be on display during The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass, golf’s unofficial fifth major. Adam Scott, a former UNLV golfer and the current leader of the FedEx Cup standings, leads the way followed by resident Kevin Na, who is eighth in the standings.
Other former Rebels in the field are Charley Hoffman, Ryan Moore, Chad Campbell and Andres Gonzales. Also playing are residents Scott Piercy and Alex Cejka. Rickie Fowler, the defending champion, works on his swing with Las Vegas resident Butch Harmon and once lived in Las Vegas.
Fowler authored a remarkable finish last year, playing the final four holes of regulation on Sunday, including the treacherous par 3, 17th island green, in 5-under. Fowler then defeated Kevin Kisner in a four-hole playoff when he birdied the 17th hole twice.
The 17th hole is one of the most famous in golf and shares similar traits with the par 3, 15th on the Wolf course at the Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort. Both the TPC Sawgrass and Wolf courses were designed by legendary architect Pete Dye.
Prep golf puts I in team
This week marks the start of the Nevada state high school golf championships with several players and teams looking to win a title. The boys play in the spring while the girls play in the fall.
Golf is mostly an individual sport, but the team dimension is unique to high school and college golf, and there are hundreds of young men and women enjoying the camaraderie of team play in Southern Nevada.
Girls champions last fall were Coronado and Annick Hackziewicz from Palo Verde in Division I, and Faith Lutheran and Sydney Smith from Faith Lutheran in Division I-A.
As this was written, the boys Division I regionals were in full swing at Badlands and Primm Valley while the state finals are scheduled for this Tuesday and Wednesday at Reflection Bay Golf Club. Something often overlooked is the generosity shown to teams by local golf course management and ownership. Many area courses open up and allow a high school team to practice and host tournaments throughout the year.
Here’s a golf clap to all of those courses.
Former Palo Verde star wins Big West
Brandon Bauman, who played at Palo Verde from 2011-14, put together a huge sophomore season atUC Santa Barbara. He won three times including at the Big West Conference tournament and qualified for the NCAA regional in Arizona scheduled for May 16-18.
While at Palo Verde, Bauman won the 2013 Sunset Region championship and was also named to the Nevada all-state first team three times.
PGA of America pro has new home
Joe Kelly, a member of the Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame and a longtime PGA of America professional, is now the director of sales and marketing at the historic Las Vegas National Golf Club. The National is also the home to the official hall of fame exhibit.
Deal of the week
Sign up now for the Summerlin Golf Tour, which starts June 1. Play courses like Siena, Highland Falls, TPC Las Vegas and Bear’s Best, and others in the area, starting at only $35 throughout the summer. Call the Siena pro shop to sign up.
UNLV lady golfers on, off course
Unfortunately, the season ended for UNLV women’s golf last week in the NCAA regionals, but the team put together a solid year on and off the course. The team was ranked in the top 20 and also finished with a perfect APR score.
The APR is an academic measurement used by the NCAA to ensure that teams remain in good standing.
Recently retired UNLV professor Mary Hausch was always impressed with how the lady Rebel players dedicated themselves in the classroom.
Stars on, off course
* Susan Spencer, a former general manager of the Philadelphia Eagles, held the 4th annual A Level Playing Field tournament at Bear’s Best Las Vegas on Saturday. The event raised funds for the Rancho High School football program.
The team, made up of at-risk youth, was on a 28-game losing streak but Spencer and former Heisman Trophy winners Johnny Rodgers and Mike Rozier, and NFL Hall of Fame member and local Jonathan Ogden helped make a positive difference. Last season the team won three games and the future is brighter.
The golf notebook appears each Thursday. Freelance writer Brian Hurlburt is a two-time author who has covered golf in Las Vegas for more than two decades. He can be reached at bhurlburt5@gmail.com or @LVGolfInsider
