Amateur Akina ties Mexico Open lead after 64

BYU sophomore Kihei Akina, 20, shot a 7-under 64 Friday at the VidantaWorld Mexico Open, finishing at 11 under and tied for the lead with Matthieu Pavon and Adrien Dumont de Chassart as the second round continued. His round included an eagle on the par-4 13th and a chip-in birdie on the 18th. Akina’s strong run on the PGA Tour has included a top-10 finish and repeated rounds of 67 or better, and he now has 12 points in the PGA Tour University Accelerated program, eight short of the threshold for PGA Tour status. A top-10 finish in Mexico could add another point, while winning the tournament would provide a direct route to Tour status.