HUTCHINSON, Kan. — No. 23 BYU men’s golf (280-282–562) capped off day one of the Big 12 Men’s Golf Championship at Prairie Dunes Country Club in fifth at 2-over par on Monday.
“Prairie Dunes is an impressive track,” director of golf Todd Miller said. “The firm, undulated greens and high winds are a challenge, and there is a lot to learn to play the course well. Our guys did a great job of bouncing back when they made a bogey or double which will happen no matter how well you hit the ball.”
Kihei Akina (63-71–134) finished his first 36 holes in second at 6-under par. Along the way, Akina’s 7-under 63 in round one tied for the lowest single-round score in conference tournament history and became the lowest score recorded in the opening round. In addition, the freshman became the third golfer to hit that mark in the event, and the second to do so at Prairie Dunes CC joining PGA Tour professional and Texas Tech alum Ludvig Aberg, who did so in 2023. Akina was one stroke shy of matching the course record.
“It’s awesome to be mentioned alongside Ludvig, especially at a course like Prairie Dunes,” Akina said. “I thought I controlled my ball well in the wind for the most part. I need to continue to play smart and execute my shots.”
“Kihei’s 63 was one of the best rounds of golf I’ve witnessed,” Miller said. “He made the other competitors feel like he was playing a different course.”
Halfway through the 72-hole championship, the Cougars ended up with three players inside the top-25 to bolster its position in fifth.
12-time conference champion Oklahoma State (279-267–546) graced Big 12 record books on their way to a tournament-leading 14-under par. The Cowboys’ second round marked the lowest single-round team score in tournament history, beating out their 2019 squad. Arizona’s (281-272–553) 7-under-par day put it in second, with Texas Tech (282-277–559) six strokes behind the Wildcats in third. TCU (281-280–561) ended at 1-over par for the day and one ahead of fifth-place BYU to round out the current top-5.
Jackson Mauss (73-69–142) and Tyson Shelley (72-70–142) found themselves in the top-25 through two rounds, both with a share of 25th at 2-over par. Mauss had a hole-in-one on hole 15, the first one of the season from any Cougar.
“The ace that Jackson made was impressive, especially since he did it with a 4-iron on one of the toughest holes on the course,” Miller said.
Simon Kwon (72-72–144) concluded his 36-hole day tied for 38th at 4-over par.
Peter Kim (75-72–147) carded a 7-over-par Monday to sit in a tie for 55th. Kim had a highlight of his own with an eagle on hole 17 in round one.
BYU will be back for round three at the par-70 course on Tuesday at 9 a.m. MDT. Follow live scoring on Scoreboard, with more updates on Instagram and X.