UNLV men’s golfers open season in Florida

The location is different from years past. There are new faces on the scene. But the goal never changes.

UNLV’s men’s golf team thinks in terms of NCAA championships, even though it has been 17 years since it accomplished the feat back in 1998. And after a solid fall season which saw them win at Colorado Springs in September and finish third and sixth in two other events, the Rebels embark on the important part of the journey in an attempt to return to the NCAA championships.

Last year, UNLV fell well short of its goal, failing to get out of the regionals, where it finished ninth and didn’t qualify for the NCAA championships. It was a disappointment after 2013’s deep run which saw the Rebels make it to the final eight and battle host Georgia Tech down to the wire in match play before falling to the Yellow Jackets.

Dwaine Knight’s team opens the spring season Monday in Florida, playing in the 54-hole Sea Best Invitational at the Valley Course at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach. The Rebels will play 36 holes Monday and 18 more Tuesday as part of a 15-team field which includes Florida State, North Carolina, Florida and Texas A&M. Live scoring of the event can be found on Golfstat.com.

“The depth in college golf is extraordinary,” said Knight, who is in his 28th year coaching at UNLV. “Last year was disappointing. But we played well in the fall and we ended the fall schedule (in Florida) We’re hoping to do the same thing in the spring.”

This year’s NCAA championships will be played at The Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Fla., May 29 to June 3.

Normally, the Rebels would open the season in Hawaii at the John Burns Intercollegiate. But Knight decided to shake things up with the 2015 spring schedule.

“We want to get comfortable playing the Bermuda grass,” Knight said. “That’s the main reason we’re in Florida.”

He also has shaken up his starting lineup. Seniors Carl Jonson and Kurt Kitayama will be joined by freshmen John Oda and Shintaro Ban with sophomore Taylor Montgomery rounding out the starting five.

“John played well throughout the fall and Shintaro was very good in the qualifying,” Knight said. “We’re taking the five best players right now. But obviously, that can change from tournament to tournament. That’s why our qualifying rounds are going to be critical to our success. Our battles at home in qualifying will define who we are.”

The Rebels will host some of the best programs in the nation March 9-11 at the Southern Highlands Collegiate Masters. But this week and the upcoming trip to Hawaii Feb. 18-20 will set the tone for the spring and Knight wants to see his team get some early positive momentum generated.

“Confidence is so important, especially with young players,” Knight said. “Hopefully they’ll play well this week and we can get off to a fast start.”

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.