BYU freshman Kihei Akina continued to shine at the Big 12 Men’s Golf Championship on Tuesday, a day after the Lone Peak High product hit one of the worst rounds ever in the 72-hole event.
Kihei shot a 3-under 67 on Tuesday and is in second place at 9-under 201 after 54 holes at Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson, Kansas. Oklahoma State University’s Preston Stout is the No. 3 ranked college golfer in the nation and leads the tournament with an 11-under 199.
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In the team competition, Oklahoma State takes the lead at 19 under par, followed by Arizona State at 10 under. BYU, ranked 23rd nationally, is tied for sixth with Baylor at 8-over, while Utah is in ninth place at 14-over after finishing Tuesday’s team round at 3-under.
The Cougars were in fifth place at 2-over midway through the tournament, but fell to a disappointing 6-over on Tuesday. The final 18 holes will be played on Wednesday.
Akina, who is No. 7 in the country in the individual rankings, started the tournament with a 7-under 63 on Monday morning and followed that up with a 1-over 71 on Monday afternoon.
The round of 63 tied for the lowest single-round score in conference tournament history and was the lowest score ever recorded in the opening round. Akina was one stroke shy of the course record set by PGA Tour star and Texas Tech graduate Ludwig Aberg.
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“Kihei’s 63 was one of the best rounds of golf I’ve ever seen,” BYU golf coach Todd Miller said. “He made the other competitors feel like they were playing on a different course.”
Akina said it was an honor to be named alongside Aberg, who is from Sweden.
“I think for the most part I controlled the ball well in the wind,” Akina said after Monday’s round. “We need to continue to play smart and continue to make shots.”
That Tuesday, he did just that in strong winds on a difficult course in central Kansas.
Also on Monday, Drapers Corner Canyon High School freshman Jackson Mouse made a hole-in-one on the 15th hole, becoming the Cougars’ first ace of the season. Mouse shot a 69 in the second round on Monday.
“Jackson’s ace was impressive, especially since he hit it with a 4-iron on one of the most difficult holes on the course,” Miller said.
BYU’s Jackson Maus explodes out of the bunker. Maus made a hole-in-one on the 15th hole during Monday play at the Big 12 Championship in Hutchinson, Kansas. |Aaron Cornier, BYU Photo
