New BYU linebacker Cade Uluave thought it sounded too good to be true.
Take a few hours off from offseason football conditioning and play golf with his teammates, coaches and media members?
“Count me in,” said the transfer from Cal, who earlier this month was selected to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team and named All-America Fourth Team by both Athlon Sports and Phil Steele Publications.
Uluave, safety Raider Damuni and offensive linemen Andrew Gentry and Sonny Makasini were among the players who participated in the annual BYU Football Media Golf Classic on Thursday at Timpanogos Golf Club in Provo, along with coaches Kalani Sitake, Fesi Sitake, Demario Warren, Lewis Walker, Logan Lutui and Jack Damuni.
“I think everybody loves it. It is a chance for all of us to be a little bit more vulnerable, get to know each other a bit better. I always look forward to it.”
— BYU coach Kalani Sitake on the BYU Football Media Golf Classic Thursday
“We never did anything like this at Cal, no way,” said Uluave, who grew up in Herriman and attended Mountain Ridge High. “I am a big golfer myself. I love golf. So this was right up my alley.”
Humbly, Uluave said he’s “about a 10 handicap” and was one of the better players in his group. They shot a 7-under 65 in a scramble format, which put them around the middle of the pack of 31 teams.
It was the fourth time in the past four years that BYU Athletics has staged the day, this one coming in Provo instead of the Cedar Hill Golf Club, where it was held the first three years, and in late June.
Kalani Sitake said the brainchild of BYU’s sports information department came about when the Cougars went into the Big 12 in 2023, and had to shelve their own media day when they were an independent in favor of the annual talkfest in Frisco, Texas, or Las Vegas.
“I think everybody loves it,” Sitake said. “It is a chance for all of us to be a little bit more vulnerable, get to know each other a bit better. I always look forward to it.”
Walker, the new cornerbacks coach who prepped locally at Judge Memorial Catholic High before a playing career at Hawaii and Utah, said he’s never been involved in an event quite like Thursday’s in all of his years of football. He’s coached at Monmouth and North Dakota State.
“To have a golf outing or an event with our staff and the media outlets (is unusual),” he said. “I think that’s a good thing because it builds a bridge. It allows you guys to come in and see how we are on a daily basis or on a basis where we’re not on the football field.”
Walker said it was fun to hear the trash talk fly on the course.
“So it’s actually fun and it just shows who Kalani is. Like, this is who he is,” Walker said. “He’s so welcoming, so loving. He’s an open guy. And if you respect what the process is and the program that he’s running and things that he’s doing, like, you’re going to be welcome forever.”
A media team even won the event, as the KSL Sports Zone team of Patrick Kinahan, Jackie Kinahan, Tim LaComb and Jake Hatch shot a 15-under 57 to win blankets provided by BYU sponsor Minky Couture.
Second place went to the team of Brad Warner, Sydney Warner, Brenton Foulk and Britten Goldhart. They shot a 12-under 60. The KSL Radio team of Mitch Harper, Nate Slack, Ty Hilton and Parker Brown placed third.
As usual, prizes — pickle balls — were awarded to the last-place team of Tim Peterson, Hau Tran, Kaela Keisel and Jenna Fink. They shot a 73.
There was one minor mishap, Uluave and Damuni reported.
The golf cart in which they were riding in — we won’t report who was driving — got stuck in a small creek behind a green as they were trying to pull to the left of another cart carrying Gentry and Makasini.
“It just slipped down into the creek,” Uluave said. “Luckily, between me, Raider, Andrew and Sonny we were able to get it out of there. It was pretty funny.”
On a more serious note, Uluave said it is bonding moments like these that help build team culture.
“The culture here, really, is unmatched. I haven’t really seen anything like it. I mean, obviously I was just only at Cal. But the people here, they care a lot. I’ve met more people here at BYU in my short time here than I met my whole time at Cal (three years). Being able to be involved in the community, it’s just been awesome.”
BYU football also took the time to honor retiring Channel 4 sports director Wesley Ruff, who has spent 44 years in the business, including the last 41 in the Salt Lake City market.
Closest to the hole prizes went to Devin Anderson (No. 4), Ben Bair (No. 7), safeties coach Demario Warren (No. 12). Dermot Roberts sank the longest putt and the long drive award went to former BYU receiver and current BYU football sideline reporter Mitchell Juergens.
Former Cougar Braden Brown, now the Director of Mental Health for BYU Athletics, won the closest-to-the-target prize.
Sitake talks injury situation, LB’s legal issues
While the laughs were in large supply Thursday, actual football news was not.
In a 20-minute chat with reporters after the luncheon provided by Tucanos Brazilian Grill, Sitake pronounced the Cougars ready to start training camp next week. Players report on Tuesday, and the first practice is Wednesday.
Regarding the situation that captured headlines Wednesday — backup linebacker Ephraim Asiata being arrested on suspicion of DUI on July 2 — Sitake said he was not allowed to specifically comment on the sophomore from Herriman’s situation, but did express love and support for the Asiata family and spoke at length for the need for accountability.
On the injury front, Sitake said starting safety Faletau Satuala, who fractured his foot in June, will be worked in slowly at camp next week and should be available for the Sept. 5 opener against Utah Tech.
Sitake said offensive lineman Zak Yamauchi is still dealing with an injury and his status is “still up in the air” as far as his availability this season is concerned.
“He will have a role. We don’t know when and how,” Sitake said.
