Freshman BYU golfer Kihei Akina finished tied for 16th place at the Puerto Rico Open on Mar. 8, posting a score of 10-under par at Grand Reserve Golf Club. Akina’s performance marked his best finish in five professional starts and his first top-25 result in a professional event.
The tournament was significant for Akina as he made his first cut in three PGA Tour starts and followed up with two consecutive rounds of 2-under-par over the weekend. He also ranked fourth in the field for scrambling, converting 19 out of 22 opportunities, and recorded the second most pars during the week with a total of 54.
Director of golf Todd Miller, who served as Akina’s caddie during the event, said, “This was a solid week for Kihei. The great thing for him is that it wasn’t his best golf. He has a lot more in the tank which shows he can compete on tour. Everyone we played with came up to me and said, ‘you have a heck of a player.’”
Akina reflected on his experience by saying, “It was a lot of fun to compete for four days in an awesome place. My game feels good, and I’m looking to continue the good going into the rest of the season while still improving. I’m excited to tee it up tomorrow and play with my boys.” Miller added about their time together: “As we walked down the 14th fairway, I told him how grateful I am to spend the week with him helping him chase his dreams. I really enjoyed getting to coach and caddie this week in Puerto Rico.”
BYU alum Zac Blair also competed in the third and fourth rounds, finishing one stroke ahead of Akina with a tie for eighth place. This result marked Blair’s thirteenth top-10 finish in his PGA career.
Looking ahead, Akina will travel to San Diego to participate in the R.E. Lamkin Invitational starting Monday morning.
