The BYU golf team secured the Preserve Golf Club Collegiate Tournament win in Carmel, Calif., Thursday, finishing the three-day tournament with an overall score of 29-under-par.
With star performances from Tyson Shelley, Kihei Akina, and Simon Kwon all finishing in the top 5 overall in the tournament, the Cougars ended up on top over the 10 other teams that participated on the Santa Lucia Preserve.
“I’m proud of the guys for hanging in there today,” said Director of Golf Todd Miller. “When we met in the morning and reviewed the hole locations, we knew it would play tougher in the third round.”
Shelley, a Salt Lake native, posted one of the best performances of his career this week, finishing in third place with 11-under-par through the tournament's 54 holes. He tied his best 54-hole score of his career this week with an 11-under-par score, which he also accomplished at the Ping Cougar Classic in 2023.
“Just wanted to play my golf,” said Shelley. “The course set up well for me and during the practice round, I found my confidence and was able to hit the shots I needed for the tournament. I hit my iron shots really well the past two days. This course was an approach shot demanding course, and I was able to hit my approach shots in good positions to score.”
“The big reason we won this week is the play of Tyson Shelley,” said head coach Bruce Brockbank. “So impressed by the adjustments he made. The harder the course played the better he played.”
Akina and Kwan followed closely behind Shelley, finishing tied for fifth in the tournament with a score of 8-under. Akina bounced back with a career performance, finishing in top 5 for the first time in his career and achieving his best 54-hole score.
"I hit the ball very well and gave myself a lot of looks," said Akina. "Struggled on the greens in trying to make putts but it was a great team win. The boys stepped up."
Jackson Mauss followed after them, finishing with a respectable score of 1-over-par to place 33rd overall.
Peter Kim and Parker Bunn capped off the last of the Cougars in the tournament, finishing with a 2-over-par score tied for 36th place.
“All the guys had some really solid play this week,” said Brockbank.
This tournament was a great ending for the Cougars' fall portion of the 2025-26 season, as they will resume play with the Arizona N.I.T. Tournament in Tucson, Ariz., on Jan. 26-27.
