CARLSBAD, Calif. — Freshman BYU golfer Kihei Akina (69-70-71-70–280) posted a 2-under-par fourth round and tied for 8th at the NCAA Championship at Omni La Costa Resort on Monday.
“Kihei was solid from the first tee shot,” director of golf Todd Miller said. “He was in control of his mind and his game almost the whole round, which isn’t easy to do when you’re contending for a national championship.”
“I played really solid and smooth besides the two bogeys on the back nine,” Akina said. “I was just a little bit out of position on those two holes, which you can’t do much at this course, but I did a great job the rest of the round.”
Akina turned in a below-par score in each round of the championship. The No. 8 NCAA golfer cruised through his first 14 holes of the day by making three birdies and going bogey-free in that stretch. The Big 12 Freshman of the Year led the 156-player field in par-4 scoring at 3.83 and eagles with two for the tournament. After coming up short with bogeys on six and seven, Akina bounced back to finish his final hole of the season with a birdie to get him to an 8-under-par total score. Akina secured his 11th top-10 finish as a result.
“I am proud of the way I played this season,” Akina said. “This season of college golf has definitely exceeded my expectations.”
“The simplicity with which he plays the game is what impresses me the most,” Miller said. “He didn’t need to do anything flashy to be the best freshman in the field and who I consider the best in the country. I’m excited to watch him build his amateur resume in preparation for the tour.”
The top-8 teams moving on to the match play portion of the event, in order, include No. 1 Auburn, No. 3 Texas, No. 11 Vanderbilt, No. 2 Florida, No. 5 Oklahoma State, No. 12 Arizona, UCLA and No. 18 Tennessee.
Big 12 standout Preston Stout out of Oklahoma State won individual medalist honors with a 14-under-par showing in the National Championship.