The NCAA News - News and Features

June 8, 1998

UNLV sets tournament record en route to first golf title

UNLV captured its first national golf title at the Division I Men's Golf Championships May 30 at New Mexico.

The Rebels were led by Chris Berry, who shot a five-under-par 67 in the final round to carry his team to a three-shot victory over Clemson.

UNLV set a tournament record with a team total of 1,118, 34 under par. That shattered the previous 72-hole low of 1,129 set by Arizona over the same course and tied by Stanford in 1994 at Stonebridge Country Club in McKinney, Texas.

Clemson was second at 1,121, followed by Georgia Tech at 1,122, and Oklahoma State at 1,127.

Berry was the only Rebel to break par in the final round as UNLV struggled to avoid losing the 10-shot lead it held after the third round.

Clemson closed the gap on the back nine as Joey Maxon shot a 68 and Charles Warren, the 1997 individual champion, shot a 70. But UNLV pushed the lead to three heading into the final hole.

"I knew it was so tight we had to save every shot we could," Berry said. "The last five holes were probably the most grueling of my life."

Berry tied for second in the individual competition at 16-under-par 272 along with Warren, Joel Kribel of Stanford and J. J. Henry of Texas Christian.

Minnesota freshman James McLean, an Australian who has been in the United States just five months, won the individual title with a final-round 69 and a 17-under total of 271. That tied the tournament record set by John Inman of North Carolina in 1984, and matched by Phil Mickelson of Arizona State in 1992 and Justin Leonard of Texas in 1994.

"I was extremely nervous on the first tee, but I got a birdie at No. 2 and that helped," said McLean.