Cougars Tied for 12th After First Round at John Burns Intercollegiate

LIHUE, Hawaii – The Washington State men’s golf team opened its 2025 schedule and sits in 12th place at 14-over, 294, following the first round of the John Burns Intercollegiate played at the par-70, 7,098-yard Ocean Course at Hokuala.
 
The Cougars fired a combined 8-over on the back nine and finished on the front side at 6-over for a combined 14-over, 294, tied for 12th with Grand Canyon and No. 20 San Diego State. No. 16 Utah leads the field at 7-under, 273, the only team to finish the first round under par.
 
Senior Franklin Lydra and redshirt-sophomore Ben Borgida lead the way for the Cougars by shooting identical, 1-over, 71’s. Lydra had four birdies and five bogeys on his round while Borgida had two birdies and three bogeys on his first 18 holes as both players are tied for 24th after Thursday’s round.
 
Redshirt-senior Drayton Joseph is tied for 70th after posting a 5-over, 75, in his first round. Joseph started with a double-bogey 6, his only blemish on the front side, but managed only one birdie on the back for his opening round. Freshman Dylan Burcham was up and down during his opening round, with WSU’s only eagle Thursday, along with two birdies, but mixed in five bogeys and a pair of doubles to finish tied for 82nd. Junior Sam Renner never found a rhythm as he managed just two birdies on a round of 8-over, 78, and sits tied for 89th.
 
Round two at the John Burns Intercollegiate get under way Friday in a shotgun start beginning at 11 a.m. PT.