WAILUA — California dropped four strokes but continued to maintain the lead following 36 holes of the John Burns Intercollegiate golf tournament at the Wailua Golf Course on Thursday. California fired a team 282 for a 36-hole, 10-under 560, nine
WAILUA — California dropped four strokes but continued to maintain the lead following 36 holes of the John Burns Intercollegiate golf tournament at the Wailua Golf Course on Thursday.
California fired a team 282 for a 36-hole, 10-under 560, nine strokes ahead of Brigham Young University, which tied California with a team 282, Thursday, for a 36-hole, seven-under 569 in humid, warm and near windless conditions on the par-72 course.
BYU was led by Maui’s Baldwin High School graduate Justin Keiley who topped the individualists Thursday after wrestling the lead from Erik Oja, who led the opening day with a 64.
Keiley, who opened with a four-under 68, fired a six-under 66 Thursday for a 36-hole, 10-under 134. Keiley leads second place Joel Stalter of Cal, who finished with a one-under 71 for a two-day 138, four strokes off the pace. Stalter is the defending champion.
Oja slipped to third place after carding a three-over 75 for a two-day, five-under 139, a stroke back of Stalker.
Derek Inouchi of the Hawaii athletics department said host Hawaii’s “A” team jumped four spots to 13th place with a 590 total, while the “B” team is in a tie for 14th place at 597.
Nainoa Calip set the pace for the “A” team, firing a one-under 71. Calip, a senior from Hilo, Hawaii, had birdies at No. 11 and 12.
Kauai native Justin “Pono” Tokioka is in the “B” team, dropping four strokes to finish at 76, tying with Zachary Braunthal.
David Saka, on the “A” team, closed with a one-over 73. Saka is in a tie for 48th place at a five-over 149. Brian Lee also finished at one-over 73 for a 148, a tie for 39th place.
Skye Inakoshi improved two strokes from his opening round 76 to finish at two-over 74, including birdies on his final two holes. Inakoshi is tied for 56th.
Scotty Yamashita struggled to a second-round 80, finishing tied for 80th at 155.
Corey Kozuma, the leading golfer for the University of Hawaii-Hilo, finished even par for a two-day 147, a tie for 35th place. The UH-Hilo team is in 17th place.
The tournament concludes Friday following an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start at the Wailua Golf Course.
• Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
