Chris Riley

Riley arrived from San Diego and became the first male UNLV athlete named an All-American in each of four college seasons. In 1996 he captained a Rebels team that finished second at the NCAA championship and graduated with a communications degree.

He turned professional that year, won the 2002 Reno-Tahoe Open and represented the United States in the 2004 Ryder Cup. His local connection is UNLV’s player-development program. It adds golf to the university’s sporting history and explains how the college game in Las Vegas helped prepare athletes for international professional competition.