Men's Golf | 5/7/2025 5:48:00 PM
Utah Tech sophomore
KJ Ofahengaue came away with a third place finish at the 38
th PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship, which wrapped up play on Wednesday at Whistling Straits Golf Course in Kohler, Wisc.
Ofahengaue found himself near the top of the individual player leaderboard throughout the 54-hole event, starting with Monday's opening round. After a pair of bogeys on his first nine holes, he bounced back with four birdies on the back nine to close day one tied for fourth place at 1-under 71.
The sophomore rolled in four more birdies as part of a second round even par 72 on Tuesday, which moved him into solo sixth place at minus-1 143.
Ofahengaue got off to a great start on his final loop on Wednesday, birdieing four of his first six holes to go out in 4-under 32, which vaulted him into a tie for second place.
Unfortunately he could not maintain that momentum after the turn as he settled for his second-straight 72, which was good for solo third place at minus-1 215.
Ofahengaue finished five shots back of Delaware's Egor Zubov (67-67-76), who claimed medalist honors with a three-round score of minus-5 210. Meanwhile, Zubov's Delaware teammate Arsit Areephun (71-70-72-213; -3) took home runner-up honors.
As a result of his third place showing, Ofahengaue also earned a sponsor exemption into the upcoming Korn Ferry Tour's Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Kansas Wichita Open, which is scheduled for June 19-22.
The PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship (formerly known as the National Minority College Championship) originated at a meeting in November 1986, following the Jackson State University Golf Tournament. The founders' goal was to elevate the game at minority colleges and universities by providing student-athletes with the opportunity to compete on a championship stage during an era when they were excluded from playing in many collegiate golf events.
The inaugural Championship was conducted in the spring of 1987 at Highland Park Golf Course in Cleveland. Since 1998, PGA Golf Club has hosted the Championship, and in 2006 the PGA of America was granted complete ownership and management of the Championship by the National Minority College Golf Scholarship Fund. In 2019, PGA REACH, the 501(c)(3) foundation of the PGA of America, assumed ownership of the Championship from the PGA of America.
