UNLV REBELS

Christopher J. Riley left UNLV as perhaps its greatest golfer ever. The skinny kid from California who sported a wide grin from the moment he hit campus in the fall of 1992, ending up turning in a highlight-stuffed career that included various firsts for a Rebel linkster. As the school’s golf program grew in stature this decade, so did Riley’s game. And consistency was his trademark. Consider that in 1996, he became the first UNLV athlete ever to be named All-American all four seasons in college. In his career, he placed in the top-20 in 45 of his 59 career college tournaments (76 percent) and was in the top-5 an incredible 21 times (36 percent). In fact, of 178 collegiate rounds, Riley carded 84 rounds par-or-under (47 percent). He also finished in the top-10 in six of his 12 career post-season tournaments (50 percent). In May 1996, Riley pulled the double deuce. Boasting a 72.65 career stroke average at UNLV, he captained his final team to a school-best second-place finishe at the 1996 NCAA Golf Championships in Chattanooga, Tenn. And, maybe most important, Riley capped off his astounding UNLV career by graduating in May of 1996 with a bachelor’s degree in communications. “Chris was a great team leader who did everything you can do on a golf course,” said Head Coach Dwaine Knight. “You can’t help but love his zest for life. He’ll be hard to replace, not only as an All-American player, but as an emotional spark for Rebel golf.”

• His school’s first four-year All-American in any sport  
• The only Rebel to earn top-20 finishes in three NCAA Championships  
• The first UNLV player to earn a spot on the USGA Walker Cup team  
• A two-time UNLV Sportsman of the Year
•  A four-time First-Team All-Big West Conference selection  
• A two-time UNLV Most Valuable Golfer  
• A four-time tournament individual champion  
• The 1992-93 Ping/Golfweek National Freshman of the Year

“Playing golf for UNLV was the best time of my life. I owe a lot to Coach Knight and I’ll always be a proud Rebel.”
––Chris Riley