Akina ready to tee off at Bank of Utah Championship

PROVO, Utah — Freshman golfer Kihei Akina is set to tee off for Utah’s annual Bank of Utah Championship at Black Desert Resort on Oct. 23-26 in Ivins, Utah. 

Akina will be making his second PGA Tour appearance and fourth professional appearance. The freshman competed in this same event and venue last October where he carded back-to-back rounds of 2-under 69 last year and went on to miss the cut by one stroke. 

Akina’s other professional appearances include the Korn Ferry Tour’s Utah Championship in Ogden, Utah in 2024 and 2025. The Lone Peak product finished tied for 49th in the event in 2024. 

The Utah Open winner received a spot to play at Black Desert Resort by being granted a sponsor exemption. Akina was also granted a sponsor exemption for the tournament 2024.

In his first season at BYU, Akina has played in all four tournaments the Cougars have appeared in. Akina finished top 10 in two of those events and top 25 three times including his highest finish being at The Tindall where he took home sixth place to help BYU gain the victory.

Three other players will be representing the Cougars as alumni in the field. Current PGA Tour players and former third team All-Americans Patrick Fishburn and Zac Blair committed to play at Black Desert this month. Former two-time All-American honorable mention Carson Lundell will be making his PGA Tour debut after having competed in five Korn Ferry Tour and five PGA Tour Americas events.

Fishburn gained his tour card in 2023 and will be playing in his 53rd PGA Tour event since earning PGA status. Fishburn has accrued nine top-10, four top-5, and two top-3 finishes in his career on tour. The Ogden native missed the cut in the Bank of Utah Championship last year. 

Blair has been playing on tour since 2013 and has played in 221 PGA Tour events. Blair has finished top 10 10 times, top five six times, and top three three times including two runner-up finishes. The 35-year-old placed 66th in this event last October. 

Lundell made his debut on the Korn Ferry Tour in August 2022 and PGA Tour Americas in June 2024. Lundell's best finish from either of those tours was at PGA Tour Americas' Bromont Open presented by Desjardins in July 2024 where he took a share of eighth place.

Akina and the BYU alumni will be teeing off on Thursday. Coverage begins at 7:45 a.m. MDT on ESPN+ and will be televised on the Golf Channel at 3 p.m.