When Amy Bush-Herzer, the head UNLV women’s golf coach, reflects upon the fall 2023 season, she first thinks about witnessing McKenzi Hall, a Vegas local, winning a tournament. The victory was just more proof about how the Southern Nevada golf community has always been an integral part of the Rebels program. –By Brian Hurlburt, LasVegasGolfInsider.com
Hall won the Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invitational hosted by New Mexico in September and was later named the Mountain West Conference Golfer of the Month. She grew up playing in the Southern Nevada Junior Golf Association and at Centennial High. Hall is one of three locals on the UNLV roster in 2023-24 along with Gracie Olokowski and Morgan Goldstein.
“Watching a local student athlete get her first collegiate win was a pretty neat moment,” Bush-Herzer said. ” I have talked for years about how important it is to have local student athletes in our program, so to see her win such a big tournament was exciting. Plus, as a team we beat some really good teams there. McKenzi is such a hardworking athlete and she has been working away and working away on her game. It has been really neat to watch her career over the last couple years and her blossom and see her growth. To see her shoot 64 in New Mexico was terrific because it shows how her hard work paid off. Last week the rankings came out and she said, ‘Coach, I’m 87th in the country, can you believe it?’ And I said, ‘Yes, I can, you’re playing really good golf.’ I’m so proud of her in many ways.”
Bush-Herzer is always quick to credit the local golf community for supporting the program, and having locals on the team is just another way to say thank you and connect with Vegas fans. The team has access to some of the top courses in Las Vegas including Spanish Trail Country Club, the team’s home course. The team feels welcome all over the city.
“First of all, I’d like the local community to hear a great big ‘Thank You,’ because we couldn’t have the success we have without the local support,” Bush-Herzer said. ” I hope everyone feels like a part of us. The local professionals are so accommodating and that means so much.”
Bush-Herzer and her team also feel a special bond with the Women’s Southern Nevada Golf Association.
“The women’s support for us is really neat because when we visit different clubs we play with some of these different women’s associations and our athletes are able to create partnerships with women golf members who are community members, golfers, and business people. Hopefully that turns into relationships for them in the future,” Bush-Herzer said. “My assistant, Tracy (Sanford), and I, have the opportunity every year to participate in Women’s Golf Day in June and we get to meet even more people in the community. It is such a neat day to be a part of when we help teach at that event.”
The team has concluded the fall season and Bush-Herzer, in her 13th year at UNLV, has won four Mountain West Conference titles over that time and other honors. Another way the community can help support the Rebels is with the recent creation of the Name, Image and Likeness opportunity for student athletes. The NIL deals can be a game-changer for a program. Anyone interested in creating partnerships can reach out to Bush-Herzer.
“I’m happy to talk about NIL and anybody that is interested can always ask me about it and I can point them in the right direction,” Bush-Herzer said. “I think any of that support is necessary and a terrific opportunity for our student athletes.”
With the fall season in the books, Bush-Herzer looks forward to a big spring 2024.
“I know that our team has greatness in them and we’re just kind of getting dialed in this fall season and off season, and figuring out a couple things. We will be ready to come out in the spring and do big things,” Bush-Herzer said.
Check our more about UNLV Women’s Golf at UNLVRebels.com
