reviewjournal.com -- Sports: Rebels' Keeney follows Moore's winning advice

Thursday, May 26, 2005
Copyright ? Las Vegas Review-Journal

Rebels' Keeney follows Moore's winning advice

Junior improves, says UNLV's depth will lead to NCAA title

By KEVIN IOLE
REVIEW-JOURNAL

UNLV's Ryan Keeney practices his putting at Southern Highlands for next week's NCAA championships. Photo by Jane Kalinowsky

Part of Ryan Keeney's improvement for the UNLV golf team has been living teammate Ryan Moore's motto: one shot at a time.

Keeney, a junior, committed the phrase to memory, wrote it on his golf glove and probably dreams about it after hearing Moore repeat it so often.

Moore, the nation's top-ranked amateur, has won every major U.S. amateur event in the last year largely by following his own advice. He never gets too excited by a good shot or too disheartened by a bad one.

Keeney, one of UNLV's key players in the NCAA championships next week at Caves Valley Golf Club outside Baltimore, said he has made it a point to focus solely on the shot he is playing.

"I've tried to emulate Ryan's mind-set, to play passionately, to play to win, to not just settle for a solid finish and to strive to be the best I can be," said Keeney, who has finished no worse than a tie for 15th in his last four events. "My goal is to try to play his caliber. I've had several check points where I can see how my game compares to Ryan's.

"I look at the way he drives the ball in the fairway, how he works the ball into the pins, even his putting stroke. I take what I can from him. He has shown that he is one of the best players in the world, so it only makes sense to try to do things like he does."

But Keeney isn't ready to call the Rebels a one-man team.

UNLV won the Arizona State Thunderbird Invitational last month while Moore was competing in the Masters.

And, Keeney points out, the Rebels would have won the Southern Highlands Collegiate Championship in March without Moore. Although Moore finished third, UNLV could have won the tournament using either Andres Gonzales or C.J. Gatto, who competed as individuals and whose scores didn't count for the team.

That's why Keeney thinks the Rebels' hopes of a second national title in seven years don't rest solely on Moore's shoulders. Keeney said Gonzales, Jared Texter and Travis Whisman, along with himself, will each play a significant role.

"Obviously, it's better having Ryan than not having him, but I think the key to our success is two through five," Keeney said. "Our success is not based on just Ryan. He's had the same year he had last year, but look at where we are now compared to then. The other players have stepped up."

With largely the same lineup as last year, UNLV is ranked second nationally and among the favorites, along with Oklahoma State, Georgia and Georgia Tech. The Rebels won the West regional.

Last year, UNLV failed to qualify for the national championship tournament for only the second time in coach Dwaine Knight's tenure. Moore qualified as an individual and won the championship.

Keeney is excited about the Rebels' chances of winning the team title this year. He was enthusiastic about the Rebels being a solid favorite in a poll on the Golfweek Web site. UNLV had 33.9 percent of the votes cast as of Wednesday afternoon. Oklahoma State had 18.6 percent, followed by Georgia (9.9 percent), Florida (9.1 percent) and Georgia Tech (5.4 percent).

Keeney said, as Knight often does, depth is the reason for the team's improvement.

"Look at a guy like (freshman) Matt Kinsinger, who played good golf all year and never really had a slump," Keeney said. "But he had to always worry about a spot. Most years, even for us, it was a no-brainer: He'd be in the lineup. And for 99 percent of the teams in the country, he would be. But we are so deep and other guys stepped up. That's why I'm so optimistic."

? HILL MEMORIAL -- The Glenn A. Hill Memorial tournament will be June 12 at Palm Valley Golf Club with a 7:30 a.m. shotgun start.

Entry fee is $125 with proceeds benefiting the Helen J. Stewart School for Handicapped Children. For more information, call Gordie at 450-8701.

? LOCAL PROS -- Tony Silva of Las Vegas Country Club shot a 4-under-par 68 at his home course Monday to win the local club pros' pro-member event.

Mike Buss of Las Vegas National was second with a 69. Jim Delaney of Southern Highlands was third with a 71.

Kevin Iole's golf notes are published Thursday. He can be reached at 396-4428 or kiole@reviewjournal.com.

Source: http://reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2005/May-26-Thu-2005/sports/26594921.html?imw=Y

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