“I was happy with the start we had today,” director of golf Todd Miller said. “We got rolling late on our first nine holes and really played the tough par threes well on our second nine.”

The Cougars got off to a soaring start by combining for 12 birdies and only three bogeys on the back nine. BYU played steady golf overall, leading the field in made pars and tying for the fewest bogeys on the day.

“There are only three par fives on this course, and they are not automatic birdie holes like many courses our guys see,” Miller said. “I felt our management of those holes was what kept us from maintaining the lead we had. We were only one under on the par fives today, where Louisville, which is leading, was 8-under.”

No. 36 Louisville leads through 18 holes at 10-under par. No. 1 Auburn and No. 13 Vanderbilt share the second spot with a 7-under opening round. With a 5-under 279, Rice and host No. 26 Georgia finished the day tied for fifth, just one stroke behind the Cougars.

Kihei Akina made three consecutive birdies from holes 14-16 on his way to a 3-under round of 68. Akina found himself in a tie for eighth after his 19th round in the 60’s out of 23 total rounds in the spring portion of the season.

Parker Bunn, Peter Kim and Tyson Shelley each sit tied for 17th after carding 1-under-par 70s on Monday. Bunn and Kim combined for six birdies in the first nine holes, with Kim getting three consecutive on holes 11-13 and another on 17. Shelley played bogey-free golf and carded one birdie, coming on hole five.

Kwon turned in a 3-over-par first round and sits tied for 52nd.

“The University of Georgia Golf Club is a Robert Trent Jones design, and his courses always have tough green complexes,” Miller said. “If we want to continue to play well, we need to keep the ball under the hole and on the strong side of each hole location.”

BYU to host international soccer matches

BYU Athletics, in conjunction with the Korea Republic Men’s National Soccer Team, will host two international friendly matches at South Field on May 30 and June 3.

Korea Republic will face Trinidad and Tobago on May 30 and El Salvador on June 3. Both matches are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.

Tickets for the May 30 match will go on sale Tuesday at noon MDT, while tickets for the June 3 match will be available beginning at 2 p.m. MDT. Ticket prices range from $35 to $75 and will be available for purchase at byutickets.com.

Both matches will be broadcast live worldwide on BYUtv and BYUtv.org.

UVU hires Snow’s Andrew May as men’s basketball assistant

Utah Valley University men’s basketball head coach Todd Phillips  has announced the hiring of Andrew May as an assistant coach/offensive coordinator for the program.

May arrives at Utah Valley after serving as the head coach at Snow College, where he built one of the top junior college programs in the nation. Over four seasons, he led the Badgers to a 102-26 overall record, including an impressive 61-7 record over his last two seasons. His tenure at Snow also included a historic 32-2 campaign during the 2024-25 season that saw Snow finish ranked No. 1 nationally for the first time in school history and earn the No. 1 overall seed in the NJCAA National Tournament. His team went a perfect 15-0 in Scenic West Athletic Conference play during the 2024-25 season. May is the winningest coach in Snow College basketball history.

“I’m thrilled to welcome Coach Andrew May to our staff,” said Phillips. “I have known Andrew for many years. He’s a great offensive mind and a tireless recruiter. He’s a coach who is always thinking outside the box. His ability to develop players and put points on the board speaks for itself. We couldn’t be more excited to have him in our corner.”

During his time at Snow College, May guided the Badgers to four straight 20-win seasons and helped the program reach several milestones, including the school’s first undefeated conference season, first No. 1 national ranking, and first No. 1 overall seed at the NJCAA National Tournament. He was named the 2025 NJCAA Media National Coach of the Year, Scenic West Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, and West District Coach of the Year.

“I am excited for the opportunity to join Coach Phillips and his amazing staff at Utah Valley University as an assistant coach and offensive coordinator,” said May. “Growing up just a couple blocks from UVU, I am bullish on the incredible progress, momentum and trajectory of the university and the leadership of the athletic department from its early days of junior college to the new horizon of the Big West. I am thrilled to be reunited with Coach Phillips, who has been making history with the highest winning percentage in UVU history and has won back-to-back WAC championships. I look forward to helping our players grow to fulfill their dreams and inspiring the great community of students, fans, boosters, faculty and staff of Wolverine Nation.”

May reunites with Phillips after helping lead Salt Lake Community College to multiple conference championships and NJCAA Tournament appearances while serving on Phillips’ staff from 2011-15.

May also spent multiple stints at BYU under head coach Dave Rose, serving as director of basketball operations and student manager during some of the most successful stretches in Cougar basketball history, including BYU’s 2011 Sweet 16 run led by Jimmer Fredette.

A native of Mt. Pleasant, Utah, May played at Lone Peak High School and began his coaching career at Orem High School. He earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in exercise science from BYU. He and his wife, Marissa, are the parents of five children.

UVU men’s hoops signs Omar Mowafak

Phillips has announced the signing of Omar Mowafak, who will join the Wolverines for the upcoming season.

Mowafak, a 6-foot-8 forward from Cairo, Egypt, comes to Utah Valley after playing at Layton Christian Academy in Utah. He brings versatility and size to the Wolverine frontcourt with the ability to play multiple positions.

“Omar is a big, strong kid who doesn’t look like a freshman. He has a college-ready body,” said Phillips. “He played against some of the best teams in the country this year and looked really good. We love his ability to score inside and out. We’re excited to get him on campus.”

Mowafak played the past two seasons at Layton Christian Academy, where he averaged 10.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.1 steals per game during the 2025-26 season. He totaled 273 points, 162 rebounds, 56 assists, and 30 steals over 27 games as a senior.

Over his two-year prep career at Layton Christian, Mowafak recorded 481 points, 279 rebounds, 82 assists, and 55 steals.

Prior to moving to the United States, Mowafak competed for Al Ahly Club in Egypt, one of the country’s premier basketball organizations.

Mowafak will enter Utah Valley as a freshman for the 2026-27 season.