The No. 23 Brigham Young University (BYU) men’s golf team finished in fourth place at The Goodwin tournament with a total score of 9-under par at Stanford Golf Course, according to an announcement on Mar. 28.
The result marks another strong performance for the Cougars, who have placed fourth or higher in five of their last six events this season. Their consistent results demonstrate the team’s competitive form as they approach postseason play.
Director of golf Todd Miller said, “Even though the guys made three birdies on the first hole, we didn’t come out striking the ball well. It seemed like every time we would make a birdie, we would follow it up with a bogey. The last nine holes we were in position to make a move on the leaders but as a team we made some doubles that took us out of contention.” He added, “Overall the team played solid golf. We drove the ball extremely well all week and we made a lot of great putts. I am excited about how we are playing as we get closer to our post season.”
Host Stanford captured first place at 17-under par while UCLA and New Mexico rounded out second and third respectively. Long Beach State completed the top five just behind BYU.
Kihei Akina secured runner-up honors individually with an 11-under-par finish and led all players in par-4 scoring and total birdies for the event. Akina said, “It was a great week. We saw a lot of great golf from the team this week. We are a family, so we want to play well for each other. I always want to be a good example for my teammates and try to keep good positive energy.” Miller praised Akina’s impact by saying, “Kihei has brought stability to our golf team. His quiet and confident demeanor affects everyone on this team including his coaches.”
Other notable performances included Simon Kwon tying for fifteenth place at three under par—his eleventh career top-15 finish—and Peter Kim and Angus Klintworth sharing fiftieth after both recorded eagles during their rounds.
Looking ahead, Akina said there are “a lot of positives to take from this week as a team,” but also noted areas for improvement before their next event: “Getting ready to work on some of the shots/chips and putts that will be required at Pasatiempo for the Western Intercollegiate will be important.” The Cougars now have two weeks off before competing again April 13-15.
