No. 24 men’s golf ties for fifth at Big 12 Match Play

The Cougars swept Kansas State 5-0 to finish tied for fifth at Big 12 Match Play.

Author Zach Halliday
Drake Harvey hits his tee shot at Big 12 Match Play.Drake Harvey hits his tee shot at Big 12 Match Play.
Evan Sosnowski/Big 12

SALT LAKE CITY — No. 24 men’s golf swept Kansas State 5-0 in the consolation bracket to finish tied for fifth at Big 12 Match Play on Wednesday at The Country Club.

All five Cougars never trailed in their individual matches to secure the victory. Four of BYU’s six golfers finished the tournament without a loss.

“It was a great performance from our team today,” head coach Todd Miller said. “Every golf program in the Big 12 is solid, and to sweep a team like Kansas State, you have to do a lot of things right.”

David Liechty defeated Octavio Laurent 5 and 4, carding six birdies through 14 holes to secure his victory.

Lincoln Markham made his tournament debut with a 2-and-1 victory over Fionn Dobbin, while Drake Harvey played a bogey-free round to defeat Erik Holmberg 4 and 3.

Cooper Jones earned his first victory of the tournament with a 1-up win over Ville Virkkala.

Kihei Akina defeated Oliver Toyer 5 and 4 to finish the tournament 4-0-0. The sophomore carded an eagle and three birdies without a bogey in the victory.

No. 2 Oklahoma State and No. 3 Arizona State tied for first, with No. 5 Texas Tech and West Virginia shared third. BYU tied with Kansas for fifth.

“The way our team performed this week makes me even more excited about this season,” Miller said. “We are going to celebrate the win today and prepare for our final tournament of the fall.”

The Cougars will conclude their fall season at The Preserve Golf Club Collegiate on Oct. 26-27 in Carmel, California.