Koelbaek out to end Rebels career in style

Four years ago, Therese Koelbaek showed up on UNLV's campus a kid from Denmark with a sunny personality who could hit a golf ball a long way.

Today, that kid is all grown up. And she still hits it a long way.

The 23-year-old is about to play her final home golf tournament as the Rebels host their 54-hole Spring Invitational at Boulder Creek Golf Club beginning today. Koelbaek, the team's best player from the day she arrived, wonders where the time went.

"It seems like yesterday that I just got to Las Vegas and I didn't know anybody," she said. "Now, it's almost time to leave."

Before she leaves, Koelbaek has unfinished business to attend to. She would like to win this week's tournament for the team -- which would be a third straight for UNLV -- and retain her individual title. She would also like to help the Rebels, who gained a regional berth last year, make it to the NCAA championships.

"You always want to play well and win," she said. "But this is my last time playing in Las Vegas, so I want to enjoy the moment."

Koelbaek, who has won three individual titles in her career, is ranked 13th among Division I women collegiate golfers by Golfstat. She has maintained a high level of play thanks to her constant work on her game. This winter, she concentrated on gaining more strength in her legs to try to generate more power and add distance off the tee.

"I spent a lot of time in the gym," she said. "I also kept my hands a little more forward at impact, and it seems to be helping. I'm hitting it longer than before."

UNLV coach Amy Bush said Koelbaek's dedication to golf is why she's so good.

"Obviously, Therese is very gifted," Bush said. "But she's such a hard worker. She's never satisfied, and she's been that way since the first day she got here. She's such a great role model for our players."

Koelbaek, who will graduate in May with a degree in business management and plans to turn pro this summer, said she has no regrets about coming to UNLV.

"There's no question I did the right thing," Koelbaek said. "I met a lot of great people. I got a great education. And the weather was a big part of my growth, because if I had stayed in Denmark, I couldn't play as often. Here, I can play every day. I also got to play against great competition, and that forced me to work harder to compete with the best players."

Koelbaek leads a UNLV lineup that includes fellow senior Alejandra Guacaneme, freshman Katerina Prorokova, sophomore Ellis Keenan and junior Bethany Glassford. To win their Spring Invitational, the Rebels, ranked 42nd nationally by Golfstat, must play better than they did last week in California, where they finished 13th in the 15-team Bruin/Wave Invitational.

"We were playing a very difficult course, and we wore down," Bush said. "Now, we're at home, where we're comfortable, and I look for us to bounce back."

No. 24 Oklahoma and No. 25 Pepperdine figure to pose the biggest challenges in the 15-team field.

Play begins at 8 a.m. daily and runs through Wednesday. Admission is free.

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