23-05-2025
NCAA golf: BYU played alone in the first round of the national championships Thursday. How did the Cougars do?
Led by senior Zac Jones' 1-under-par 71, BYU's men's golf team got off to a decent start at the NCAA Men's Golf Championships Thursday at La Costa Golf Course in Carlsbad, California.
Playing their 'third round' first, and playing alone so they don't have to play on Sunday for religious reasons, the Cougars recorded a team score of 1-over 289.
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That score will be officially posted on Sunday after the other 29 teams in the field play their third round. The same pin placements the Cougars played on Thursday will be used on Sunday.
It is hard to ascertain whether the round was above average, or not, because BYU was the only team on the course. By way of comparison, two years ago at Grayhawk Golf Club in Arizona, BYU shot a 303 on Thursday, a 289 on Friday and a 287 on Saturday and finished in 23rd place.
The top 15 teams after Sunday's third round will make the cut and play an additional stroke-play round on Monday. After that, the top eight teams will advance to match play and a champion will be crowned on Wednesday.
On Thursday for BYU, senior Cole Ponich and sophomore Peter Kim shot even-par 72, while sophomore Simon Kwon shot 74. Junior Tyson Shelley struggled down the stretch and carded a non-counting 81.
Jones, the 2022 Utah State Amateur champion, made four birdies and three bogeys to get in the clubhouse at 1-under.
