BYU sophomore Kihei Akina, who captured NCAA Freshman of the Year honors last season and is playing in this week’s Bank of Utah Championship on a sponsor invite, has signed an agreement to represent PING, company CEO & President John K. Solheim announced today.
The 20-year-old native of Hawaii starred at Lone Peak High School in Alpine, Utah, where he won three individual state titles and led the team to two state championships before joining Brigham Young University in 2025 as one of the most highly recruited players in the country, receiving offers from 50 golf programs. He won twice his freshman season and earned a spot on the 2026 U.S. Walker Cup team. As a 19-year-old, Akina became the youngest winner of the Utah Open Championship in more than 90 years.









