UNLV men’s golf team launches spring season

Given how well his team played in the fall, UNLV men’s golf coach Dwaine Knight is cautiously optimistic his young team will carry over its strong play into the spring.

The Rebels will launch the spring portion of their 2009-10 schedule today in Tucson, Ariz., with two sophomores, a freshman and a junior joining senior Brett Kanda. Knight said he hopes the experience they gained from their two wins in the fall at Albuquerque and Las Cruces, N.M., to help get them ranked at No. 15 by Golfstat will give them enough confidence to build on those successes.

“Our identity is still emerging,” Knight said. “We were very consistent in the fall, and our young guys performed very well. I’m looking for more of that consistency this spring from this group.”

Knight is counting on sophomores Derek Ernst and Colby Smith and freshman Kevin Penner to get off to a fast start as they tee off in the 54-hole Ping Arizona Intercollegiate at Arizona National Golf Club. Ernst ended the fall as college golf’s sixth-ranked individual after winning two titles in five events.

“Derek is becoming our leader,” Knight said. “He’s showing the promise we saw in him when we recruited him two years ago. Colby has thrown in some big rounds for us. He is as long off the tee as anyone in college golf. And Kevin has shown remarkable poise for a freshman. He’s a very talented player, and he’s fit right in.”

The Rebels will be playing without their most experienced golfer as fifth-year senior Eddie Olson did not make the trip. Knight said Olson is dealing with academic issues and while he is technically eligible to compete, Knight wants Olson to focus on his studies for the next few weeks. Junior Jeremiah Wooding will replace Olson in the lineup.

“Eddie is real, real close to graduating, and I don’t want him to miss out on that opportunity,” Knight said, noting Olson also will not make the upcoming trip to Hawaii for the Feb. 17-19 John Burns Intercollegiate. “If he takes care of what he’s supposed to, we hope to have him back for Southern Highlands.”

Knight is referring to the March 12-14 tournament which UNLV annually hosts. The Rebels won last year’s Southern Highlands Collegiate Championship, rallying on the final day from 12 shots down to catch and pass Oklahoma State by one stroke.

“Our depth will be tested early,” Knight said. “But we’ve got a talented group, and they never give up. They’re fighters, and I always like to say that if you can give yourself a chance on the last day, you never know what can happen.”

UNLV will play 36 holes today and 18 Tuesday to conclude the tournament. Fourteen teams are in the field, including defending champion Pepperdine.

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913.