Kihei Akina: Key Facts About the Amateur Golf Star

By Andrew Coleman On Oct 31, 2026 4

The American golfer Kihei Akina is having a successful amateur career, securing many important titles and delivering impressive results on the PGA Tour.

Below are 13 key facts regarding this emerging talent.

Kihei Akina Facts

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1. Kihei Akina’s birthplace is Kahuku, Hawaii.

2. While at Lone Peak High School, Akina collected 50 collegiate offers before committing to Brigham Young University.

3. Akina hails from an athletic household; his father Alan played basketball at BYU-Hawaii, his sister Kiani played rugby at Harvard, and his brothers Keanu and Kawika competed in golf and basketball, respectively, at their universities.

Akina during the 2026 Walker Cup(Image credit: Getty Images)

4. He enjoys playing basketball, fishing, and traveling.

5. Among his many junior victories, he claimed the Harry H. Miller Utah Open in 2025, becoming the youngest winner of the Utah Open since 1934.

6. Upon joining Brigham Young University in 2025, Akina had an exceptional freshman season, receiving several honors.

7. A Fred Haskins Award Finalist who won the Big 12 Freshman of the Year and Phil Mickelson Outstanding Freshman Award, Akina qualified for the 2026 US Walker Cup team and the US Arnold Palmer Cup squad.

A post shared by Kihei Akina (@kihei_akina)

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8. During 2024 and 2025, Akina competed in the PGA Tour’s Bank of Utah Championship and the Korn Ferry Tour’s Utah Championship. He reached the weekend at the first event in 2024 but failed to make the cut in the remaining three tournaments.

9. He currently possesses two collegiate victories: the 2026 R.E. Lamkin Invitational and the Bridgestone Collegiate Invitational.

10. In the Walker Cup, Akina recorded one win, one loss, and one tie as Team GB&I edged out the American side in a close match.

11. In October 2026, Akina joined Ping’s ambassador roster and secured an apparel agreement with Nike.

12. Several months before these brand deals, Akina finished T16th at the Puerto Rico Open on the PGA Tour.

13. Gaining additional tournament starts that year, the American achieved his first top 10 finish on the PGA Tour at the Bank of Utah Championship, ending in solo ninth place. At the midway point of the VidantaWorld Mexico Open, he is tied for second.