UNLV golfers well represented at Shriners Open

For years, the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open field has included PGA Tour golfers who played for UNLV coach Dwaine Knight. They have had a lot of success in the tournament, including in 2012 when Ryan Moore became the first former Rebel to win the hometown trophy.

This year, a partnership between UNLV and Shriners tournament management has expanded dramatically and is much more than solely a showcase for the program’s talent.

UNLV Professional Golf Management director Chris Cain and many others at UNLV have worked with the Shriners to create several unique opportunities, highlighted by offering free admission to all students, alumni and staff. The free tickets good for any round are available when UNLV identification is shown at the front gate at TPC Summerlin.

Also, several high-ranking UNLV officials will have a presence at tournament events. On Tuesday, executive vice president and provost Diane Chase spoke at the Women’s Kick Off Your Heels luncheon in the Hill hospitality area. Also attending were Barbara Atkinson, founding dean of the UNLV medical school, and Susan Dibella, the director of the university’s office of community engagement. UNLV president Len Jessup is scheduled to attend the tournament Saturday.

“This is already a very good partnership, but what is exciting to me is what could happen next,” Chase said. “We will have a lot of Rebels out here this week, but the expectation is the partnership will really grow. We introduced our new dean of the medical school to some key people today, and we are imagining many new opportunities in the future.”

Former Rebels scheduled to play this week are Moore, Charley Hoffman, Chad Campbell, Andres Gonzales and Kurt Kitayama, who earned his spot by shooting a 63 in the Monday qualifier at Boulder Creek Golf Club.

“This is a further connection to the community for the Shriners, and UNLV is an incredible engine to use to speak to all of Las Vegas,” tournament director Patrick Lindsey said.

TITLEIST BALL

The Shriners Open spot on the fall schedule makes it the perfect tournament for tour players to test prototype products. This week, the new version of the Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls are being played by many professionals. The Las Vegas event was where the revolutionary ball was first put in play 15 years ago.

In 2000, Billy Andrade and 46 other tour players used the ball for the first time. According to Titlest, it was the biggest single shift in equipment usage at a tour event. Andrade won the tournament.

“I remember I was not having a very good year entering that event,” Andrade said in a release from Titleist. “I think I was around 160th on the money list, and there were only a few events left. I was desperate. I vividly remember the first time I put it into play during a practice round.

“The ball was 20 yards longer than the Tour Prestige that I was playing at the time. I chalked some of it up to altitude, but the distance, in addition to the overall performance of the ball, was like nothing I had ever played.”

PGA TOUR DEAL OF THE WEEK

This year marks the 20th anniversary of TPC Las Vegas, the sister course of TPC Summerlin and a previous host of the Las Vegas PGA Tour event. There are special anniversary deals and discounts available at the course.

STARS ON, OFF COURSE

• Aaron Wise, the 2016 NCAA champion and new Las Vegas resident, was given a sponsor exemption into the tournament, as were previous Las Vegas champions Stuart Appleby and Jonathan Byrd.

• Ernie Els conducted a clinic at TPC Summerlin as part of his Els for Autism Foundation fundraising finale in Las Vegas.

Contact freelance writer Brian Hurlburt at bhurlburt5@gmail.com or @LVGolfInsider.