Kitayama, UNLV lead Mountain West men’s golf meet

Kurt Kitayama of UNLV swings for a shot during the Southern Highlands Collegiate Masters Golf Tournament held at the Southern Highlands Golf Club in Las Vegas on Wednesday, March 11, 2015. (Martin S. Fuentes/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Kurt Kitayama of UNLV putts during the Southern Highlands Collegiate Masters Golf Tournament held at the Southern Highlands Golf Club in Las Vegas on Wednesday, March 11, 2015. (Martin S. Fuentes/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Kurt Kitayama increased his lead to five strokes Saturday with his second straight 6-under-par 65 to give record-setting UNLV an eight-stroke lead after two rounds of the Mountain West men’s golf championship in Tucson, Ariz.

With a 36-hole score of 12-under 130, Kitayama established a two-round conference championship record, three strokes better than the mark set by New Mexico’s Steve Saunders in 2009. Kitayama has a tournament-high 12 birdies in two bogey-free rounds.

The Rebels’ 36-hole score of 19-under 549 is a conference tournament record, seven strokes better than Texas Christian’s mark set in 2009.

UNR is second in the 11-team field with 557, and San Diego State is third at 560. UNR’s Corey Eddings is second individually at 7-under 135.

UNLV freshman John Oda is tied for seventh at 3-under 139. Rebels freshman Shintaro Ban and senior Carl Jonson are tied for ninth at 140, and junior A.J. McInerney is tied for 41st at 149.