COLUMBUS, Ga. — BYU men’s golfer Kihei Akina was named to the 2026-27 Fred Haskins Award presented by Stifel preseason watch list on Thursday.
The award, presented annually to the top male NCAA Division I golfer, is considered one of the most prestigious honors in college golf. Established in 1971, past recipients include Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Justin Thomas and Ben Crenshaw.
Akina capped a standout freshman season in 2025-26 by winning the Phil Mickelson Outstanding Freshman Award. After two tournament victories and seven top-five finishes, Akina was one of 10 finalists for the 2026 Fred Haskins Award, becoming the only freshman among the finalists.
The rising sophomore is one of 25 golfers on the preseason watch list and the only BYU player selected. Peter Kuest was the last Cougar to earn a spot on the preseason list, doing so ahead of the 2019-20 season.
Bobby Clampett is the only BYU golfer to win the Haskins Award, earning the honor in 1979 and 1980. Clampett, Crenshaw, Mickelson and Jackson Koivun are the only players to win the award multiple times.
