Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Rebels' postseason crew set (for now)

It took 38 holes to determine, but UNLV head golf coach Dwaine Knight finally settled on the five players who will represent the defending national champions in the three-tournament postseason that begins next week with the Western Athletic Conference Championships.

Just don't hold him to it.

Senior Charley Hoffman won the Rebels' 36-hole qualifying tournament to capture one spot and freshman Adam Scott defeated sophomore Scott Lander on the second playoff hole to secure the other.

Knight previously had tabbed senior Chris Berry and juniors Jeremy Anderson and Michael Kirk to fill the top three spots.

"That's the team going into the WAC (tournament)," Knight said, "but I still won't make any complete decisions on how the team will go down the line -- I'm going to keep my options open."

In other words, Knight said, Lander still could figure into the Rebels' plans at either the NCAA West Regional or the NCAA Championships.

"We've had more rotation in that fifth and sixth spot this year," Knight said. "This is the first time we've really had that much depth.

"As we look at it now, if somebody did play poorly I wouldn't hesitate to still consider Scott Lander because he has done an awfully good job for us these last two years."

Anderson leads the Rebels with two wins and a 71.69 scoring average going into the postseason. Kirk (72.52) and Berry (73.42) each has won one tournament. Hoffman (73.96) and Scott (74.90) have not won this year, but both have one top-10 finish this spring.

Although UNLV has yet to win a WAC title in its previous two attempts, Knight reiterated that next week's tournament at Poppy Hills Golf Club in Pebble Beach, Calif., is not the Rebels' primary focus this time of year.

"We certainly want to compete for it," Knight said of the conference title, "but we don't tend to emphasize it a lot. We'd like to win it, but it's not our highest priority.

"The important thing for us is to be competitive and to start to feel the fire and the chance to win. It's not a sprint to the finish now, it's a marathon to the finish. You want to be peaking right at the right time, you want to be playing your best at (the national championships)."

UNLV has won five tournaments this season, including victories in each of its past two outings.

Following the WAC Championships, the Rebels will play in the West Regional in Tucson, where the top nine teams will advance to the NCAA Finals June 2-5 at Hazeltine Country Club in Chaska, Minn.

* SENIOR EXEMPTIONS: Bud Allin of Boulder City was one of four players recently extended a sponsor exemption to play in next month's Las Vegas Senior Classic.

Allin, whose lone win on the Senior circuit came in the 1997 American Express Invitational, finished 46th on the money list last year. This year, he has competed in six tour events and is ranked 60th in earnings with $46,828.

Also granted exemptions by the Las Vegas Founders' Club were John Schroeder and Ed Dougherty.

The 14th annual Las Vegas Senior Classic will be held May 13-16 at the TPC at Summerlin and the TPC at The Canyons.

* GREAT START: Chris Riley, the former four-time All-American from UNLV, continues to play solid golf in his rookie season on the PGA Tour.

Through the first four months of the season, Riley has earned $310,161 in 10 tournaments and is ranked 47th on the PGA Tour money list. The top 125 automatically retain their playing privileges for the following year.

Two other local products, Craig Barlow and Robert Gamez, aren't faring as well as Riley. Barlow, a Basic High grad, has earned $50,924 in eight events and is 162nd in earnings. Gamez, a Clark High product who lost his PGA Tour card after last season, is 172nd on the money list with $39,635.

* FRYATT UPDATE: Former Chaparral High and UNLV standout Edward Fryatt finished tied for third place and earned $14,813 at the Nike Tour event last weekend in Florence, S.C.

Fryatt has played in seven of the eight Nike Tour events this season and has earned $33,189. He stands 15th on the money list going into this weekend's Nike Upstate Classic in Greenville, S.C.

* PUTTING TOURNEY: The Northwest Extension of the YMCA is holding a family putting tournament at Angel Park Golf Club on Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m.

The entry fee is $80 per foursome, $60 per twosome or $35 per individual. The registration deadline is today; call 240-9622 for information or to register.

* UPCOMING EVENTS: The PGA Tour is in Texas this weekend for the Shell Houston Open at the TPC at The Woodlands. David Duval is the defending champion; The Golf Channel and Fox Sports Net (Thursday and Friday) and CBS (Saturday and Sunday) will televise. ...

The Senior PGA Tour is in Hoover, Ala., for the Bruno's Memorial Classic at Greystone Golf Club. Hubert Green is the defending champion; ESPN will televise Friday through Sunday. ...

The LPGA Tour will stage the City of Hope Myrtle Beach Classic this weekend at Wachesaw Plantation East Golf Club. Karrie Webb won last year's tournament.

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