Lone Peak’s Kihei Akina celebrates the win within the 6A Golf Championships at Davis Park Golf course in Kaysville on Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2021. Scott G Winterton, Deseret Information
As an newbie, 16-year-old Kihei Akina isn’t eligible for the $20,000 examine that can go to the low skilled within the Siegfried & Jensen Utah Open after Sunday’s remaining spherical.
However that doesn’t imply the rising sophomore at close by Lone Peak Excessive received’t be gunning for the event title within the 54-hole occasion at par-72 Riverside Nation Membership in Provo.
Akina, one in all six 16-year-olds within the subject of 156, shot his second-straight 67 on Saturday to get to 10-under in moist, considerably windy situations on the course simply northwest of BYU’s LaVell Edwards Stadium.
“Simply hold every part the identical. All the things goes effectively for me proper now.” — Golfer Kihei Akina, 16, on his technique within the remaining spherical of the Utah Open.
Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, taking part in within the occasion for the second straight yr, shot a 77 Saturday to go with the 70 he carded on Friday and didn't make the minimize, ending at 3-over. The CBS Sports activities NFL analyst completed a 4-under final yr and tied for forty second.
Utah Jazz proprietor Ryan Smith, additionally an newbie, additionally missed the minimize at +3.
Akina will probably be a sophomore at Lone Peak this fall. Final fall, he received the 6A state highschool golf event with a 6-under par rating at Davis Park Golf Course and helped the Knights win their eighth state crew title in 9 years.
That was just a few months after he tied for second on the Utah Open for low newbie honors along with his brother, BYU golfer Keanu Akina. They shot 8-under 208s final yr, 5 pictures behind low am Cole Ponich of Farmington, additionally a BYU golfer.
Having began on the No. 10 tee Saturday, Kihei Akina made a 25-footer for birdie on No. 9 to complete with one other 67. He had bogeyed holes 3 and 5 to drop down the leaderboard, however made an eagle on the par-5 seventh to get better.
His technique for Sunday?
“Simply hold every part the identical,” he mentioned. “All the things goes effectively for me proper now.”
Akina mentioned hit putter has been on hearth by means of 36 holes.
“I'd say off the tee I've been fairly strong, however undoubtedly placing” is the explanation he’s within the prime 5, he mentioned.
Present and former BYU golfers Zac Jones and Zac Blair are additionally out 10-under, each having shot 68s on Saturday. Jones received the Utah State Newbie final month and Blair has been taking part in on the Korn Ferry Tour as he rehabs from shoulder surgical procedure. He'll be a part of the PGA Tour once more subsequent month.
One other BYU golfer, former Skyline star Tyson Shelley, is at 8-under after a 69 Saturday. First-round chief and BYU golfer David Timmins ballooned to a 74 within the second spherical to fall out of competition.
To turn into the primary former or present Cougar to win the Utah Open since Peter Kuest in 2020, Jones, Blair and Shelley must take care of a former Ute, Blake Tomlinson.
The newly turned professional from Salt Lake Metropolis added a 67 to the 66 he shot within the first spherical and is at 11-under. Former BYU golfer and Masters participant Clay Ogden can also be at 11-under.
“It was good. I hit much more high quality pictures right now,” Tomlinson mentioned. “My driver was loads higher, after which I simply put myself in good spots to make birdies and relied on the putter to make lengthy ones once I didn’t hit it shut. So it was a very good day.”
Tomlinson’s day would have been even higher if not for an errant method on the par-5 sixteenth that discovered water.
“My solely bogey was on a par-5,” he mentioned. “Hit it into water, however virtually acquired up and down.”
Tomlinson, who has been taking part in on the Canadian Tour this summer time, mentioned his technique will probably be to proceed to assault the par-5s and keep aggressive.
“You must birdie not less than two or three of them, simply to have an opportunity to have a very good spherical,” he mentioned. “Particularly when the wind is up prefer it was for our final couple of holes, you simply gotta make the most of these.”
2x champ Clay Ogden has taken excessive spot on the morning wave leaderboard on the #utahopen He’s (-4) on the day and (-9) complete, 1-shot higher than newbie Kihei Akina, @PGATOURCanada Blake Tomlinson & @PGATOUR@z_blair at @riversideprovopic.twitter.com/4Ce4Om4VBP
— Randy Dodson (@RandyatFairways) August 20, 2022