Former BYU golfer Zac Blair competes within the Korn Ferry Utah Championship on Aug. 5, 2022. Fairways Media/Randy Dodson
Golfers with BYU ties made up almost 5% of the sector on this week’s Korn Ferry Tour Utah Championship at Oakridge Nation Membership with seven golfers competing.
Due to two climate delays Friday, the reduce gained’t come till Saturday morning, however at the least 4 of the Cougar contingent will play on the weekend with one other having an opportunity.
Main the way in which are 31-year-old Zac Blair, who added a 68 to his first-round 64, and 2020 grad Peter Kuest, who fired a 64 Friday. The 2 stand in a tie for fifth place at 10-under-par 132, three photographs off the lead of Sweden’s Pontus Nyholm, who additionally shot a 64 Friday.
One other stroke again at 133 is Blair’s former Fremont Excessive teammate Patrick Fishburn, whose 68 left him at 133 in a 12-way tie for ninth place.
Daniel Summerhays, an eight-year common on the PGA Tour, who hasn’t performed the large tour for a few years, was within the final group on the course however nonetheless has two holes to play Saturday morning. He's 4-under for the event and wishes a birdie on certainly one of his final two holes to make the reduce, which can come at 5-under.
Two present BYU golfers and the one amateurs within the event, Carson Lundell and David Timmins, won't make the reduce as they stand at 1-under and 7-over, respectively, with a few holes left.
The least recognized of the seven Cougars is Austen Christiansen, a 25-year-old from Houston, who performed two seasons in Provo from 2015-17 earlier than transferring to Sam Houston State.
Christiansen, a local of Houston, gained the Cougar Traditional as a freshman however stated he transferred for private causes and to get out of the chilly. Nonetheless, he says, “I nonetheless take into account myself a Cougar not a Bearkat.”
He simply turned skilled final summer time and has been attempting to qualify for Korn Ferry occasions in Monday qualifiers. In eight tries, he missed by one shot 5 occasions, earlier than lastly breaking by means of earlier this week at Talons Cove, the place he shot a 64 to be certainly one of seven qualifiers.
Christiansen is tied for thirty second, simply six off the lead after a spherical of 68 that included two eagles. Usually he could be aiming for a top-25 end to get him into the next week’s Korn Ferry occasion. Nonetheless, the playoffs begin subsequent week and he figures he’ll have to complete in third place or higher to earn a spot within the Korn Ferry playoffs.
Three golfers are tied for second at 11-under-par 131. Michael Kim, who gained the John Deere Traditional on the PGA Tour in 2017, shot a 63 Friday, whereas Kevin Velo, who led all qualifiers on the Monday qualifier at Talons Cove, shot a 64 and Jeremy Paul, a co-first-round chief shot 68.
Blair, who's rehabbing after having shoulder surgical procedure final yr, nonetheless hasn’t made a bogey in two rounds and had three birdies Friday, at 7, 14 and 15.
“It’s at all times good to play at residence,” stated the Ogden native. “I’m aware of the course, had a pleasant spherical yesterday and battled on the market as we speak and was capable of scrape round a 68.”
After the second spherical is accomplished Saturday morning, the third spherical might be performed with the ultimate 18 of the $750,000 event set for Sunday.