In a dominant performance all the way around, Brigham Young University won team and individual titles at the 2026 Bridgestone Collegiate Invitational men’s golf tournament March 23-24 at Silverado Resort in Napa.
The Cougars put an exclamation point on their spring-season victory by getting a masterful 11-under-par 61, an amateur course record, from Peter Kim in the final round on the North Course.
BYU, No. 24 in the scoreboard.clippd.com rankings, won by a commanding 25-shot margin over runner-up Santa Clara University, posting rounds of 267, 281 and 262 for an 810 total. The Cougars had a spectacular 54-under-par total.
The Cougars’ Kihei Akina, a freshman from Alpine, Utah, captured low individual medalist honors, firing a 21-under-par 195 total, with rounds of 65, 67 and 63 for a five-stroke win over his teammate, Kim.
“It’s nice to have the team roll like that. You don’t get that very often,” said BYU director of golf Todd Miller, a Justin-Siena High School graduate and the son of World Golf Hall of Fame member Johnny Miller. “If you get one guy in the top five, you’re pretty happy. But to get a win and a guy in second place, and the team plays so well overall, it’s just a pretty special week for us.
“To have all of my family around and have everybody cheering them on, that’s a special week for me as a coach.”
Kim set an amateur course record with his 61, a round that featured eagles on the ninth and 16th holes along with seven birdies. He completed the two-day, 54-hole event at 16-under 200, good for a second-place finish. He opened with a 67 and shot 72 in the second round.
“I was just sticking to the same game plan I had the last two days. I just happened to hit it a little bit closer to my target and then made a few putts,” said Kim, a junior from Salt Lake City. “I didn’t drive it as well as I would have liked. I probably only hit half the fairways out there, maybe a little less, but I hit my wedges really well, really close, and then putted it really good.”
The tournament, now in its third year, is a competitive element of the Bridgestone Collegiate Development Program, according to a March 18 press release from the PGA Tour. The field, as announced by the PGA Tour’s Pathway to Progression, consisted of 10 NCAA Division I teams, three HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) programs, and last year’s champion, Tohoku Fukushi University of Japan.
“What we’re trying to do is just give these guys the opportunity to be able to shine a spotlight on themselves and show the world that they’re ready for that next level,” said Kenyatta Ramsey, PGA Tour vice president of player development. “Pathway to Progression is all about ensuring that everyone who has talent has an opportunity to compete. It’s all about opportunities, advancement and hard work.”
The tournament is held in collaboration with the Golf Coaches Association of America, according to a press release.
“I think what we are trying to do is to provide a competitive opportunity for everybody that’s at that highest level of golf, to be able to play for something important, to play in the stadium that they want to eventually get to with the PGA Tour-ready venue,” said Ramsey.
“Over the last three years, we’ve been able to accomplish that. You see from the champions that we’ve had in the event, they are high-level individuals. So, it’s been a great journey so far, and we’re looking forward to hopefully coming back next year.”
As the individual winner, Akina earns an exemption into the 2026 Blue Championship. It’s an official Korn Ferry Tour event and is scheduled for July 9-12 at TPC Colorado in Berthoud, Colorado.
It was the third win of the 2025-26 season for BYU, which also won the Bridgestone Collegiate Invitational at Silverado in 2024.
“This was an impressive week for us, and we’re very excited about it,” said Todd Miller. “Hopefully we can just keep it rolling, because this is toward the end of the season.”
Also, in the field were host team Central Michigan, UC Davis, Santa Clara, Cal Poly, Eastern Michigan, Hawaii, North Alabama, University of San Francisco and Connecticut. The HBCU teams in the field were Florida A&M, Howard and North Carolina A&T.
“The PGA Tour is thrilled to again partner with Bridgestone and the Golf Coaches Association of America in this exciting opportunity to highlight collegiate golfers from diverse backgrounds,” Ramsey said in a press release.
The Bridgestone Collegiate Development Program, according to a press release, is “dedicated to enhancing competitive and mentorship opportunities for golfers from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and underrepresented communities. Additionally, it offers tangible career development opportunities for both players and coaches.
“Initiatives include the Bridgestone APGA Collegiate Ranking, the HBCU Performance Day presented by Bridgestone, the Pathway to Progression HBCU Performance Day presented by Bridgestone, and two collegiate golf tournaments – the Bridgestone Collegiate Invitational and the Bridgestone HBCU Invitational.”
Pathway to Progression, according to a press release, is an “initiative designed to identify and support underrepresented golf talent across the junior, collegiate and professional levels. The program provides access, resources, and competitive opportunities to help players advance through the amateur ranks. Through strategic alignments and partnerships, Pathway to Progression aims to build a stronger, more diverse pipeline of future Tour professionals.”
Caitlyn Ranson, head of partnerships, Bridgestone Americas, said the Bridgestone Collegiate Development program was “launched to help build a stronger, more inclusive golf community both on and off the course.”
In a press release, Ranson said: “It’s exciting to see that impact taking shape at this year’s Bridgestone Collegiate Invitational with such a high-level competition. We congratulate and thank these teams for helping us create more equitable access to opportunity – in golf and beyond – for generations to come.”
It was a record-setting tournament for BYU. According to byucougars.com, the Cougars attained their “best 18-hole round in program history” with their final round 26-under par 262. The Cougars also recorded the “lowest 54-hole score under par in program history.”
In the scoring format, four scores count for a team.
Also, playing for BYU were Tyson Shelley, who tied for fifth place at 67-72-70 – 209; Simon Kwon, who tied for 12th place at 68-72-70 – 210; and Angus Klintworth, who tied for 20th place at 74-70-68 – 212.
“What a privilege to be out here at Silverado, to be able to play this golf course that is in such great shape, and to have your team come in and get some momentum, start making putts, and having chips go in, things like that. We had a lot of that this week,” said Bruce Brockbank, BYU’s head coach.
“The kids have been working really hard. It doesn’t always come together like this, but when it does, you really appreciate it. You’ve got to give the kids the credit, because they work hard. It was great to see Peter Kim shoot 61, because he’s been struggling a little bit. Kihei has been on fire as of late. Every one of our team contributed this week to the win, and that’s always very satisfying as a coach.”
The tournament began with 36 holes the first day, with 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. shotgun starts. Players went off the No. 1 and 10 tees on the second day. The North Course was set up as a par-72, 6,859-yard layout.
It was sunny, with temperatures in low 80’s and a light breeze for the final round. Looking on from the gallery was Johnny Miller, a 25-time PGA Tour winner who retired in 2019 after 29 years as NBC Sports’ lead golf analyst. Miller played out of Silverado during his PGA Tour career. He redesigned the North Course with son Andy Miller, a Justin-Siena graduate and a four-time NCAA All-American at BYU who played on the Nationwide Tour and PGA Tour.
Asked about Kim setting the amateur North Course record at Silverado, Johnny Miller, an All-American at BYU, said “The guy just played great. You have to do some great playing to shoot that score.”
Added Bryan Johnson, golf sales manager at Silverado Resort, “It’s quite a score to put up. It really is something special.”
Ramsey presented the individual and team awards, near the practice green and scoring area.
“Extremely excited to be able to recognize (Kim) and recognize BYU. They are one of the top teams in the country, and they showed it today,” he said.
Kim had seven birdies in the first round and four birdies in the second round. He holed a chip shot from 15 yards for an eagle on the ninth hole in the final round.
“He can really get rolling, because he hits his irons so close to the hole,” said Todd Miller.
Akina put together three outstanding rounds of golf.
“I had good control of my game, and I putted well. I kept really good control of my ball and just stayed away from big numbers,” said Akina.
He had eight birdies in the first round, seven birdies in the second round, and nine birdies during the final round.
“He’s just kind of rolling right now,” said Todd Miller. “In the fall, he played really well. He didn’t make a ton of putts. I knew it was just kind of a matter of time before those putts start falling. Now he’s rolling the ball beautifully.”
Akina was named as a 2025-26 third-team Golfweek Preseason All-American. He won the R.E. Lamkin Invitational, earlier this month, at San Diego Country Club, in Chula Vista.
“To get the team win is really special,” said Akina. “The team has put in a lot of work. This is a big tournament for our momentum going into later in the season. We want to play our best golf going late into the season. I think we’re starting to get there right now.
“The big thing for us and as a team was to really just stay focused on our process and really just take it one shot at a time.”
Kim putted very well, making a 23-footer for eagle on No. 16. He also made an 18-foot birdie putt on No. 17.
“We’ve been working really hard the last month, just trying to get things going right before the postseason. So, it’s really nice to see some good golf come together,” said Kim.
BYU took an 11-shot lead going into the final round.
Akina took a three-shot lead into the final round.
Santa Clara was second. Tying for third were Tohoku Fukushi, University of San Francisco and North Alabama. Cal Poly was sixth, followed by Eastern Michigan, Connecticut, UC Davis, Howard, North Carolina AT&T, Hawaii, Central Michigan and Florida A&M.
Cy Williams returns to Napa as UC Davis coach
Cy Williams, a 1982 Napa High graduate, is in his 32nd year as UC Davis’ head coach.
“I’ve got a lot of memories here,” said Williams. “(Silverado) is so nice and special. To be here is a real privilege for us.”
The set-up and condition of the North Course provided a very good test, said Williams, who played for UC Davis from 1984-87 and is a two-time Big West Conference Coach of the Year..
“I think for this course, the hole locations are a big defense,” he said. “The green complexes are awesome. There’s some really tricky greens. The fairways are narrow, and so it forces you to be accurate. When you’re in that rough, especially around the green, it’s very hard to chip.”