Freshman to get start for Rebels in Preview Invitational

By Kevin Iole, Las Vegas Review-Journal

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Sept. 16, 1999

The UNLV golf team will begin its season next week with the Preview Invitational, which brings together the country's top 15 teams.

But for the first time in a long time, UNLV will have an untested player in its lineup when it begins its season Sunday at the Lakes Course at Grand National on the Robert Trent Jones Trail in Opelika, Ala. Brien Davis, a redshirt freshman, has played his way into the lineup.

Davis will be joined by regulars Michael Kirk, Jeremy Anderson, Adam Scott and Scott Lander.

"Brien's a solid, little player, and he played real well this summer in the Oregon Amateur and was the runner-up in the Oregon state match play," UNLV coach Dwaine Knight said. "When I played (the PGA Tour) in the 1970s, I played with his father, Mike. He's one of the most respected teachers out there, and Brien is really solid in all aspects. He's coming off a good summer, and he played well in our qualifying and I thought he deserved the shot."

The Rebel golf team is loaded. Its top three players -- Kirk, Anderson and Scott -- are legitimate national player of the year candidates. While there are teams that have a top two that rivals UNLV's, the difference for the Rebels this year could be the ability their top three players possess.

Kirk had an exceptional summer. He won the Northern Amateur, placed second in the U.S. Public Links and reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Amateur and Western Amateur. He is rated 11th in GolfWeek's amateur rankings.

Anderson didn't play as much in the summer, but he helped the U.S. to the championship of the Palmer Cup, and has been one of college golf's stars the past two years. Scott will only be a sophomore, but he proved he is a force in major tournaments this summer.

"Michael and Jeremy will get a lot of attention because they're seniors, but I really like Adam, and he has a lot of game," Knight said. "And having three guys like that who are all so good, what it does is pushes each other to greater heights. You have to play great golf just to be the best player on your team, and these guys have all set pretty high goals. Bottom line, that's a good situation for us."

UNLV is ranked second in MasterCard's preseason rankings and fourth by GolfWeek. GolfWeek named Kirk a first-team preseason All-American and Anderson and Scott second-teamers.