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Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
BYU’s men’s golf team — wholly comprised of Utah high school golf products — is going dancing in retiring head coach Bruce Brockbank’s final season at the helm.
The No. 24-ranked Cougars finished in fourth place at the NCAA Athens (Georgia) Regional on Wednesday at University of Georgia Golf Course in Athens, a high enough finish to send the squad to the NCAA championships next week in Carlsbad, California.
With the top five teams advancing, the Cougars shot Wednesday’s best round — a 9-under 275 — and finished the 54-hole event at 20-under.
No. 13 Vanderbilt (-28) won the event (BYU won its regional in Reno, Nevada, last year), while No. 36 Louisville (-26) was second and No. 1 Auburn (-22) was third.
Hard-charging Georgia, ranked No. 26 and playing at home, placed fifth at -19 to edge out College of Charleston (-18) by a stroke for the final berth.
Redshirt freshman Parker Bunn, a transfer from Oklahoma State who prepped at South Ogden’s Bonneville High, is a big reason why the Cougars are advancing. Bunn shot -6 in the tournament and finished in a tie for 10th.
That’s remarkable, considering Bunn flew to Atlanta last Thursday not knowing if he, or fellow freshman Jackson Mauss of Corner Canyon High, would get the nod to join BYU’s starting five.
Fellow freshman Kihei Akina, the No. 6-ranked golfer in the country, tied for 14th at -5. Akina shot a -3 on Wednesday, rallying with four birdies after a bogey on the 5th hole.
Senior Simon Kwon had a round to remember, posting a 5-under 66 despite a bogey on the par-5 7th hole and a bogey on the 18th hole.
Kwon, the grandson of former BYU golfing great Johnny Miller, tied for 34th.
Fellow senior Tyson Shelley was mostly steady throughout the tournament to finish at +1 and tied for 42nd. Junior Peter Kim, who like Shelley and Kwon prepped at Salt Lake City’s Skyline High, tied for 25th after shooting -3 in the tournament.
Utes fall just short in Ohio
Utah made a mighty push for a spot in the NCAA championships next week but fell just short in the Columbus (Ohio) Regional.
Having started Wednesday’s round — which was delayed for more than two hours by weather and included a shotgun start — in last place and 13 shots below the cut, the Utes posted the day’s best round by five shots.
That round of +2 pushed their total to +37 for the tournament, and they finished in sixth place — six shots behind fifth-place Florida State for the final berth from that regional.
Every Ute moved up the individual leaderboard Wednesday. Gabriel Palacios shot an even-par round to finish at 7-over for the 54-hole tournament and in a tie for 17th place. Junior Sergio Jimenez bounced back with a round of +1 and finished at 10-over and in a tie for 27th.
Senior Brandon Robison shot a 1-under 70 on Wednesday and tied for 36th place in his final tournament as a Ute. Jack Jerge (+2) also contributed to Wednesday’s score, and finished tied for 41st.
Other Utahns in the NCAA Championships field
In all, seven Utah high school products will be among the 156 golfers teeing it up next week at La Costa Golf Resort in Southern California, as Arizona State’s team placed fourth at the Columbus Regional.
Boston Bracken of St. George’s Crimson Cliffs High and Bowen Mauss of Draper’s Corner Canyon High are part of the Sun Devils’ squad.
NCAA Men’s Golf Championship: 7 Utah high school grads will be among the 156 contestants: BYU’s full lineup (Kihei Akina, Parker Bunn, Simon Kwon, Peter Kim and Tyson Shelley) and Arizona State freshmen Boston Bracken and Bowen Mauss. Utah, with Brandon Robison, just missed.
— Kurt Kragthorpe (@UtahGolfers) May 20, 2026
Bracken tied for 17th, and Mauss — brother of BYU’s Jackson Mauss — tied for 45th in Ohio.