Last week might have been best stretch ever for UNLV golf

It began in earnest on Wednesday. Tin cups started making noise when little dimpled balls, tightly wound Titleists and Maxflies and whatever brand today’s young golf phenoms prefer, started curling in and dropping with a familiar tinkle.

The 17th-ranked UNLV women’s golf team shot even-par 288 during the final round to win the Mountain West Championships at the Dinah Shore Tournament Course at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California. It was the fifth time the Rebels’ women won the conference title.

UNLV’s Alexandra Kaui, a junior transfer from Oklahoma by way of Green Valley High, shot 3-under-par 69 over the final 18 holes to finish 4-under for the tournament and take the individual championship.

The noise in the tin cups spawned by UNLV gofers continued Sunday in two places.

In Arizona, the 25-ranked UNLV men’s golf team rallied from two shots back to win their third MWC title — their first since 2002 — by three strokes at Omni Tucson National Resort.

In Texas, Charley Hoffman, the former Rebel who made news a couple of years ago by getting a haircut, made better news by sinking a 9-foot birdie putt on the final hole to win the Valero Texas Open. It was the fourth PGA Tour victory for the now aerodynamic 39-year-old late bloomer who had played on the Rebels’ 1998 national championship team.

“I think you could make the point this was as good a week for UNLV golf as anybody can remember,” said Jack Sheehan, a longtime observer of the Las Vegas golf scene. “In ‘98 they won the (men’s) national championship, but I don’t think they even had a women’s program then. And then Hoffman shakes off the demons …”

Three tournaments, two individual titles, two team titles, myriad final-round demons shaken off. One group jump in a lake.

After UNLV won the MWC women’s title, the Rebels took a team bath in the pond flanking the 18th hole, Amy Alcott-style. This is what winners do on the famous Dinah Shore Tournament Course.

“I remember the feelings last year watching San Diego State jump in,” UNLV’s Mackenzie Raim said on the official MWC highlights video. “I was trying everything to make sure it happened to our team this year because, honestly, we’re a really talented team. I was hoping we were going to come through this week, and we did, and it’s awesome.”

Now somebody get the young lady a towel.

Down in the Tucson desert, UNLV men’s coach Dwaine Knight managed to stay dry though his Rebels finally returned to the top of the MWC leaderboard. There’s water on the 18th hole down there, but it mostly guards the fairway on both sides.

“Long drought,” said Knight, whose team was without senior leader AJ McInerney, who suffered a season-ending injury last week. “Means a lot … we’re just really happy to be able to win a ring for AJ. Obviously with him being our team captain and not being able to participate, it was a real focal point for the guys to get him that before he graduates.”

In San Antonio, Hoffman punctuated the clutch birdie putt on 18 with a Texas-sized fist pump and leg kick. He and his caddy hugged vigorously; he accepted two doses of hearty congratulations from a golfer wearing Al Czervik-style green-checked pants as he floated from the 18th green to sign his scorecard.

“This was my hardest one,” Hoffman said of his four tour wins. “Grabbing that lead and holding onto it — it’s tough to keep the pedal down and give yourself birdie opportunities and win golf tournaments.”

Hoffman usually plays well in the early rounds, but by the later rounds, demons invariably will fly from his bag. Then one of the young Shooter McGavins on tour winds up stealing the oversized check.

But there he was, standing over the birdie putt on 18. No demons looking over his shoulder this time.

“This for the win …” the announcer had said in that barely audible golf announcer voice before Hoffman stroked the winning putt.

Tinkle in the tin cup. Roar from the gallery.

The other announcer talked about Hoffman finally breaking through in Texas, how once he had won a college event in Austin and whatnot. But this other announcer did not mention Hoffman’s college team by name.

It was UNLV, which for one glorious week, was the best college golf program in the land.

Had it gone before the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents for a vote, I’m certain the final tally would have been 13-0, and that even chairman Rick Trachok would have voted “aye.” After the tumult and turmoil of the interminable search to name a new basketball coach, this was finally something of which the Rebels could be proud.

When UNLV at long last put its best foot forward, it had golf spikes on it.

Las Vegas Review-Journal sports columnist Ron Kantowski can be reached at rkantowski@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0352. Follow him on Twitter: @ronkantowski