No. 23 BYU finishes 79th Western Intercollegiate tied for third, Akina secures fifth

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — No. 23 men’s golf (348-348-346–1,042) took home a share of third place at 8-under par in the 79th Western Intercollegiate on Wednesday at Pasatiempo Golf Club.

“We have played in the western for quite a few years and have never been this consistent with our scores as a team,” director of golf Todd Miller said. “We had quite a few chances to have a breakout round, but even with all the tough stuff that went on, our guys stayed positive and hung in there. I feel like each tournament we play they are gaining confidence in each other.”

"Pasatiempo Golf Club is another great Alister MacKenzie golf course, the same designer who designed Augusta National," head coach Bruce Brockbank said. "Playing this course so close to the Master's always is a highlight of the year. The course was in great shape and in championship form."

The Cougars’ 4-under-par round was their best round of the tournament and tied the second best score of the day. BYU went below par in every round at Pasatiempo GC, and was the only school in the field to do so. The Cougars have had fourth-place or better finishes in every event of the spring portion of the season. 

"We played some great golf this week, but gave away too many shots the last two rounds," Brockbank said. "If we eliminated some of our mishits and mistakes, we had a great chance to win the event. Another strong finish for Kihei. Simon and Peter had really solid weeks as well. Tyson was also consistent with three 71’s. Jackson's 67 today was a fantastic round and really helped the team today."

USC (350-334-353–1037) secured the team crown at 13-under par, with one of their players being declared a co-champion. Cal (343-345-350–1038) ended up runner-up by one stroke at 12-under par despite a tournament-best 71 birdies. UNLV (344-352-346–1042) tied BYU for third at 8-under par. Arizona (347-351-346–1044) and Stanford (346-360-338–1044) shared fifth place at 6-under par to round out the top-5.

Kihei Akina’s (67-69-67–203) 7-under-par scorecard put him in fifth for his sixth top-5 finish of the season. All of Akina’s top-5 finishes have come in the last seven events. The freshman’s 3-under-par round Wednesday marked the 10th consecutive round scoring under 70.

“The course played slightly differently as we progressed through our rounds,” Akina said. “It got tough with wind in the afternoon rounds, but overall I thought I managed Pasatiempo well for my first time.”

In the presence of his BYU alum grandfather Johnny Miller, World Golf Hall of Famer and 1966 Western Intercollegiate winner, Simon Kwon (69-68-70–207) took home a solo 14th place at 3-under par. Holes 5-11 for the senior featured five birdies in that stretch. Kwon notched his fourth straight top-15 placement and eighth total this season.

“It’s always fun to have my dad out there,” Miller said. “These have been some of my best years coaching with Simon on the team and all of my family watching. My grandpa is the one that started the golfing legacy in the Miller family, and I know he is proud of the way my dad and his great-grandson represent the family.”

Peter Kim (69-69-71–209) wound up tied for 18th at 1-under par. 

Tyson Shelley (71-71-71–213) and Jackson Mauss (72-74-67–213) concluded play with a share of 40th at 3-over par. Mauss’ 3-under 67 in the third round was the lowest round he has recorded in his career.

Angus Klintworth (72-71-80–223) finished tied for 73rd at 13-over par. 

“This is a fun group of talented kids. I look forward to every tournament, knowing what they’re capable of doing,” Miller said.

“I can’t wait for the Big 12 tournament,” Akina said. “Our team is trending, and the guys are playing really solid golf. There are some great teams in our conference, so I'm excited to see how we stack up.”

Next up for the Cougars is the Big 12 Championship presented by Allstate on April 27-29 at Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson, Kansas.