NCAA golf regionals: No. 24 BYU delays Hall-of-Fame coach’s retirement with 4th-place finish in Athens

PROVO — Bruce Brockbank’s retirement following a legendary career at BYU will have to wait.

But after 34 seasons as the head coach of the men’s golf program, what’s another couple of weeks?

The 24th-ranked Cougars clinched their 34th ticket to the NCAA national championships with a fourth-place finish Wednesday in the NCAA men’s golf regional at University of Georgia Golf Club in Athens, Georgia.

Parker Bunn led the way for BYU, shooting 1-under-par 70 to finish tied for 10th — the first top-10 finish of his career. The redshirt freshman from Ogden who transferred from Oklahoma State carded six birdies with five bogeys to add to his second-round 67 and finished with a three-day total of 6-under 207.

“Parker Bunn was our MVP,” Brockbank said in a news release.

“I’m so excited for our team,” he added. “This is about them. They played some outstanding golf this week. I love going to the NCAA finals.”

Freshman standout Kihei Akina added added a share of 14th at 5-under, rebounding from the 72 he shot in the second round to three of his four birdies on the back nine to card 3-under 68 in the final round.

Peter Kim added a top-25 effort at 3-under 210, and Simon Kwon finished the final regional appearance of the former Skyline High star’s college career at 1-under 34.

No. 13 Vanderbilt won the regional at 28-under after the 54-hole tournament. No. 36 Louisville finished two shots back for second, followed by Auburn at 22-under. BYU finished at 20-under, a single stroke ahead of host Georgia.

The low five teams and the low individual not on a qualifying team from each regional advanced to the NCAA national championships.

 

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The strong finish extends the legendary career of Brockbank through at least the opening rounds of the NCAA championships May 29 through June 3 at Omni La Costa Resort in Carlsbad, California.

Brockbank to retire from BYU men’s golf

Earlier this spring, Brockbank announced that the 2025-26 season would be his last as head coach at his alma mater. The two-time Utah state amateur champion and former Timpview High standout who led the Thunderbirds to three state titles suited up for the Cougars from 1985-88, after which he immediately began his coaching career as an assistant to the late great Karl Tucker.

In 1992, BYU promoted Brockbank to head coach of the program and he want on to a hall-of-fame career by both the Utah Golf Association and Golf Coaches Association of America, raising 24 All-Americans, the 2003 Masters champion in Mike Weir, and dozens of other pros including Dean Wilson, Daniel Summerhays, Zac Blair, Patrick Fishburn and Peter Kuest (to name a few).

His very first recruit was former BYU golf standout Matt Thurmond, now a rival head coach in the Big 12 at Arizona State that also advanced to the NCAA championships following a fourth-place finish in the 13-team Columbus Regional.

Utah ended its season with a sixth-place finish in that regional after a three-day total of 37-over. Brandon Robison led the Utes with a 1-under 70 to immprove to a tie for 36th, and Gabriel Palacios shot even-par on the day to finish at 7-over and tied for 17th.

“Bruce Brockbank has made an incredible impact over his years at BYU and leaves a legacy that will long be remembered,” BYU athletic director Brian Santiago said of the revered golf coach, both at BYU and in the Utah golf community. “Bruce is revered in the college golf world and has represented BYU with class and character as a remarkable ambassador for everything BYU stands for. He has been all in on BYU and has always done things the right way.

“We look forward to celebrating Bruce’s hall-of-fame career at the conclusion of the season.”

That will be some time in June. The top-eight teams from the 54-hole stroke-play tournament will advance to the match-play bracket.

Because of the school’s policy of not playing or practicing on Sunday, the Cougars will play their Sunday round as solos before the May 29 opening round in Carlsbad, California.

• Full leaderboard: NCAA men’s golf Athens regional