COLUMBUS, Ga. — Golfweek, Golf Channel and The Back of the Range announced Kihei Akina to the 2025-26 Fred Haskins Award Postseason Watchlist presented by Stifel on Wednesday.
The Haskins Award is presented annually to the most outstanding male collegiate golfer in the United States. Named in honor of golf teaching professional Fred Haskins, the award was first presented in 1971. Former Cougar great Bobby Clampett won the award in 1979 and 1980, and Peter Kuest (2020), Rick Fehr (1984) and Keith Clearwater (1982) were named as finalists.
Akina won two tournaments during his 2025-26 campaign. The R.E. Lamkin and Bridgestone Collegiate Invitational titles came in back-to-back fashion. On his way to a 68.92 scoring average, the freshman recorded two runner-up finishes, seven top-5 finishes and 10 top-10 finishes in 12 tournaments this season. Akina currently sits No. 6 in NCAA Scoreboard player rankings and No. 29 on World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR).
Akina was the only freshman out of 15 men’s golfers selected to the list, and one of two Big 12 players. Oklahoma State’s Preston Stout, winner of the Big 12 Championship, made an appearance.
The top-10 finalists for this honor will be announced Friday, May 22. The voting window for the winner will be opened from then until June 1 at the conclusion of the stroke play in the NCAA Championship. In addition, Haskins Honors will be held at Grand Blanc Maison on Wednesday, May 27 for the 10 finalists and their coach, hosted by the Haskins Foundation.
2025-26 Haskins Award Postseason Watchlist (listed alphabetically)
| Name | Class | School |
| Kihei Akina | Freshman | BYU |
| Paul Chang | Senior | Virginia |
| Mahanth Chirravuri | Senior | Pepperdine |
| Ryder Cowan | Junior | Oklahoma |
| Tom Fischer | Senior | Ole Miss |
| Frankie Harris | Senior | South Carolina |
| Ben James | Senior | Virginia |
| William Jennings | Sophomore | Alabama |
| Jackson Koivun | Junior | Auburn |
| Christian Maas | Senior | Texas |
| Niall Sheils Donegan | Junior | UNC |
| William Sides | Senior | SMU |
| Preston Stout | Junior | Oklahoma State |
| Harry Takis | Sophomore | San Diego State |
| Tyler Weaver | Junior | Florida State |