Akina set to compete in 2026 Walker Cup

LAHINCH, Ireland — BYU men’s golfer Kihei Akina will compete at the 51st Walker Cup at Lahinch Golf Club on Saturday and Sunday.

Akina was named to Team USA in August and became the sixth BYU golfer selected to a Walker Cup team, joining Michael Brannan and John Fought in 1977, Bobby Clampett in 1979, Rick Fehr in 1983 and Mitch Voges in 1991. Akina is the first Cougar selected in 35 years.

The sophomore earned a Walker Cup selection following a standout 2025-26 freshman season that included 11 top-10 finishes, seven top-five finishes and two victories. He also tied for eighth at the NCAA Championship en route to winning the 2026 Phil Mickelson Outstanding Freshman Award and earning PING All-America First Team honors.

Currently ranked No. 11 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, Akina made the cut in two of four PGA Tour events and added three Korn Ferry Tour appearances. He also advanced to the Round of 64 at the 2026 U.S. Amateur Championship in August and competed in the 30th Arnold Palmer Cup, becoming the only freshman in BYU history to do so.

 

 

 

 

 

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Akina will join nine other Team USA golfers and face Team Great Britain and Ireland in a two-day team match play tournament consisting of four morning foursome matches each day, followed by afternoon singles matches, with eight on Saturday and 10 on Sunday.

Team USA needs 13 points or more out of 26 possible to retain the cup. Team Great Britain and Ireland needs 13.5 points or more to win the cup outright.

The United States leads the series 40-9-1 and has won five consecutive Walker Cup contests.

Television coverage is available on the Golf Channel, with streaming available via the Golf Channel app. Live scoring is available at championships.usga.com. Saturday’s foursome pairings will be announced Friday.

Broadcast times are listed below.