NCAA golf: How did BYU freshman Kihei Akina fare in his quest for the individual title at nationals?

Kihei Akina putts on the 17th green during the final round of the 2025 Utah Open at Riverside Country Club in Provo on Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News BYU freshman Kihei Akina tied for 8th in the race for medalist honors at the 2026 NCAA Men’s Golf Championships on Monday at La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California.

>Akina, a teenager from Alpine who prepped at Lone Peak High, shot a 2-under 70 on the North Course in the fourth and final round and finished the tournament at -8 and in a tie with Lance Simpson of Tennessee.

>Akina made four birdies and two bogeys on Monday, a day after his BYU team was eliminated from the team competition and finished in 18th place. Akina played on because he was one of the top nine individuals not on an advancing team.

>Preston Stout of Oklahoma State finished as the medalist, posting a 72-hole total of 14-under. Top-ranked Auburn won the stroke-play portion of the tournament at -26 and moves on as the top seed for match play, which begins Tuesday.

>Akina “has had an All-American type year,” said retiring BYU coach Bruce Brockbank. “To have a scoring average like he’s had this season is great for him, the golf team and BYU athletics. It has been a long time since we’ve had a guy put up the performances he’s been having.”

>Akina posted rounds of 69-70-71-70 to carry the Cougars to a top 20 finish after they tied for 13th last year.

>“The guys did a really nice job this year,” Brockbank said in a school news release. “They were determined to accomplish some pretty high and lofty goals. Unfortunately we just gave away too many shots this week to make that first cut. In order to get into match play, you have to be a little more consistent.

>“I’ve had a great season with this team, and I am so glad my last season with these guys was spend with great players and even better kids.”

>Seniors Simon Kwon (T72) and Tyson Shelley (T141) played their last rounds as Cougars, while junior Peter Kim (T127) has one more season of eligibility remaining. All three upperclassmen prepped at Salt Lake City’s Skyline High.

>Akina was recently named to the 2026 PING All-Region West Team and will be one of the top players in all of college golf next year. Redshirt freshman Parker Bunn, the star of BYU’s performance in the Athens Regional, placed tied for 109th. Another freshman, former Corner Canyon standout Jackson Mauss, was the substitute in Carlsbad.