BYU Golf Team Faces Uncertainty After Second Round at NCAA Championships

In the 2026 NCAA Men’s Golf Championships held at La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California, BYU's Kihei Akina is keeping his hopes alive after a strong performance on Saturday. The freshman golfer recorded an eagle on the par-4 13th hole, finishing the second round with a score of 2-under 70, which places him tied for ninth on the individual leaderboard. After previously shooting a 1-under 71 in the first round, Akina currently holds a total score of -6 for the tournament, a position that could see him finish in the top ten if other scores remain stable.

However, the Cougars, seeded 18th, are facing a precarious situation as they battle to make the cut in the stroke-play qualifying segment of the tournament. With a team score of 2-over 290 on Saturday, BYU is tied for 20th and must wait until Sunday to see if it can secure a spot in the final rounds. The team’s cumulative score, including Thursday’s 1-under 287, stands at +9, with the top 15 teams advancing to the final round on Monday.

Last year, BYU managed to make the cut but fell short of the top eight teams needed to enter the match play, ultimately finishing in a tie for 13th place. In individual performances on Saturday, senior Tyson Shelley contributed with a 1-under 71, while junior Peter Kim shot a 1-over 73. Freshman Parker Bunn recorded a 4-over 76, and senior Simon Kwon had a 6-over 78 that did not count toward the team score.

Throughout the tournament, Akina has demonstrated skill with three birdies and three bogeys to accompany his two eagles. Notably, BYU is playing without competing on Sundays due to religious commitments, resulting in unique scheduling accommodations by the NCAA. Meanwhile, two Utah players, Boston Bracken and Jackson Mauss, representing Arizona State, also competed on Saturday, with Bracken shooting a 73 and Mauss finishing with a 77.