BYU golfer Kihei Akina is tied for 12th place at 6-under par after two rounds at the Puerto Rico Open, held at Grand Reserve Golf Club. Akina shot rounds of 68 and 70 to reach this position on Friday.
Director of golf Todd Miller commented on Akina’s performance: “I feel like Kihei is composed in any situation. His talent helps, but he works hard to be prepared. This course is a lot like what he grew up playing on the north shore of Oahu. He is used to playing on paspalum grass and having 15-20 mph winds. Kihei knows how to control his emotions and is great at staying in the moment which allows him to handle his nerves in elevated events like this. In some ways I feel like we are just playing another collegiate tournament. We are both relaxed out there and enjoying being in Puerto Rico and walking a beautiful course. I’m really grateful that he is getting opportunities like this to learn from and compete against PGA tour professionals.”
Miller also said, “I was really hoping as I came to caddy for him that he could make his first cut in a PGA TOUR event. Now that he has done that I just want BYU fans and golf fans in general to see how great this kid is.”
This marks the first time Akina has made the cut in his three PGA Tour starts, after missing the cut in his previous two appearances. He also became the first amateur to post consecutive rounds under par in a PGA event in 2026.
Akina reflected on reaching the weekend: “It feels great to make my first cut on the PGA Tour. We’re in a position now that we can make a run on the weekend, so our focus is on tomorrow right now. Growing up in Hawaii, I played very similar golf to what we’re playing this week. I’m comfortable in all the conditions. Coach Miller’s done a great job of caddying. We’re going to continue to stay in our bubble and in our process, and see if we can give ourselves a chance.”
The Utah Open winner aims for his best finish since tying for 49th place at Korn Ferry’s Utah Championship in 2024.
Other competitors include Zac Blair, who stands tied for 19th at 5-under par (71-68–139) through two rounds, marking his 128th made cut on the PGA Tour. Patrick Fishburn finished at 6-over par (77-73–150) and did not advance past the cut.
Golf Channel will provide live coverage of the tournament Saturday and Sunday from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., with additional updates available through the PGA Tour website.
