Before his 20th birthday, Kihei Akina had already played on the PGA Tour, broken the Utah Open’s 99-year-old age record, and earned a First-Team All-American honor at BYU — all as an amateur.
Kihei Akina’s net worth is modest by professional golf standards, but the NIL deals, brand ambassadorships, and collegiate prize eligibility building around him tell a bigger story about where his earnings are headed.
Kihei Akina’s Biography
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Kihei Akina |
| Birthplace | Kahuku, Hawaii, USA |
| Age | 20 |
| Nationality | American |
| Hometown | Alpine, Utah, USA |
| High School | Lone Peak High School, Alpine, Utah |
| College | Brigham Young University (BYU), Class of 2029 |
| Tour(s) | NCAA (BYU Cougars); PGA Tour (sponsor exemptions); Korn Ferry Tour (sponsor exemption) |
| Turned Professional | Still amateur |
| Status | Amateur / Collegiate |
| World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) | No. 29 |
| Career PGA Tour Wins | 0 (amateur status) |
| Major Titles | None (amateur) |
| Notable Amateur Wins | 2025 Larry H. Miller Utah Open; 2026 R.E. Lamkin Invitational; 2026 Bridgestone Collegiate Invitational |
| Net Worth | $200,000 – $400,000 (NIL-based, pre-professional) |
| Parents | Alan Akina (father), LeeAnn Akina (mother) |
| Siblings | Keanu, Kawika, Kiani, Kili, Babby, Kanani |
| Social Media | Instagram: @kihei_akina |
Early Life and Golf Journey
Kihei Akina was born in Kahuku, Hawaii, a small town on the North Shore of Oahu known for its tight-knit community and athletic culture.
His name comes from the Maui village where his great-grandfather worked as a fisherman — a detail that reflects the family’s deep Hawaiian roots.
Golf ran alongside family ambition from an early age. His brother Keanu played college golf at BYU, his sister Kiani played rugby at Harvard, and his brother Kawika played basketball at NYU.
His father Alan played basketball at BYU–Hawaii. Athletics were simply part of the Akina household rhythm.
When Kihei was in the sixth grade, the family relocated from Hawaii to Alpine, Utah. The move put him on courses year-round with stronger junior competition, and he quickly rose through state and national rankings.
By his freshman year at Lone Peak High School, he was already one of the most talked-about young players in the country.
His high school résumé reads like a highlight reel. He earned Rolex Junior All-America recognition through the AJGA in both 2023 and 2024. USA Today named him the 2023 National Boys High School Golfer of the Year.
He won three 6A Utah State individual championships — as a freshman, sophomore, and senior — and was the first player to accomplish that feat since 1999.
He also recorded a state championship 36-hole record of 127 and was a four-time First Team All-State selection.
Despite receiving six-figure NIL offers from programs like Oklahoma State, Florida, and North Carolina, Akina chose BYU in January 2024 — partly because of the program’s golf legacy and partly because of his family’s faith.
His brother Keanu had just finished his career there, and BYU’s culture fit the way the Akina family approached competition and personal development.
Professional Golf Career
Kihei Akina remains an amateur, but his trajectory reads more like a young professional’s than a freshman golfer’s.
In the summer of 2024, still a high school senior, he accepted a sponsor exemption into the PGA Tour’s Black Desert Championship — the first Tour event played in Utah since 1963. He shot back-to-back rounds of 69, missing the cut by a single stroke. It was an electrifying debut that showed he could compete at Tour level before finishing his senior year.
He had already debuted on the Korn Ferry Tour that same summer, finishing T49 at the 2024 Utah Championship with a 13-under performance that included a round of 66 at Oakridge Country Club.
Just before starting at BYU, he won the 2025 Larry H. Miller Utah Open at Riverside Country Club with a 17-under total of 199 — becoming the youngest champion in the event’s 99-year history.
He beat two professionals in a playoff by two strokes, and did so as an amateur, the first to win the event since 2017.
His freshman season at BYU in 2025–26 was historic by any measure. According to BYU Athletics, he posted a team-leading 68.95 scoring average across 13 events, won two individual titles (the R.E. Lamkin Invitational and the Bridgestone Collegiate Invitational), and set a BYU school 54-hole scoring record with a 21-under-par total at Bridgestone.
He also shot a career-low 63, which tied a BYU single-round record.
He made his first PGA Tour cut at the Puerto Rico Open, shooting rounds of 68-70-70-70 for a 10-under total and finishing tied for 16th.
Three days later, he flew through the night and won his first collegiate event at the R.E. Lamkin Invitational in San Diego on less than two hours of sleep — a feat that BYU director of golf Todd Miller, who caddied for Akina in Puerto Rico, called remarkable.
He earned Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors, was named to the All-Big 12 First Team, and was selected as a 2026 GCAA PING All-America First Team honoree — the 16th player in BYU history to earn that distinction.
He finished tied for 8th at the 2026 NCAA Men’s Golf Championships and was chosen for the 2026 Arnold Palmer Cup Team USA, which competed at Tralee Golf Club in Ireland.
He was the only freshman selected for the American squad.
Caddie
As an amateur competing on sponsor exemptions, Kihei Akina does not carry a professional caddie on the PGA Tour.
At the 2026 Puerto Rico Open — the first PGA Tour event where he made the cut — his caddie was BYU’s director of golf, Todd Miller, who has served as a close mentor throughout Akina’s collegiate career.
Miller physically carried the bag across 72 holes in Puerto Rico before the pair flew through the night so Akina could tee off in a collegiate event the following morning.
No permanent professional caddie relationship has been publicly confirmed as of 2026.
Kihei Akina’s Net Worth Details
As of 2026, Kihei Akina’s estimated net worth is approximately $200,000 to $400,000.
He remains an amateur athlete and has not collected PGA Tour prize money — amateurs who make cuts on Tour do not receive official payouts. His financial position reflects early-stage NIL income, brand ambassadorship fees, and his growing profile as one of college golf’s biggest names.
Career Prize Money
Because Kihei Akina competes as an amateur, he has not collected official PGA Tour or Korn Ferry Tour prize money.
When Akina finished tied for 16th at the 2026 Puerto Rico Open, the payout for that position came from the $4 million purse — but as an amateur, he was ineligible to collect those earnings.
The same applied to his T49 finish at the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour’s Utah Championship.
His amateur wins carry symbolic rather than financial weight. He did win the 2025 Larry H. Miller Utah Open, where first prize was $25,000 — but as an amateur, he was not eligible to keep prize money from that professional event either.
His financial runway remains tied to NIL and endorsement structures while he remains in college.
Career Earnings By Year
| Season / Year | Tour / Level | Notable Finish | Official Prize Money |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Korn Ferry Tour (sponsor exemption) | T49 – Utah Championship | $0 (amateur) |
| 2024 | PGA Tour (sponsor exemption) | MC – Black Desert Championship (69-69) | $0 (missed cut) |
| 2025 | Amateur / Pre-college | Won Larry H. Miller Utah Open (17-under) | $0 (amateur, ineligible) |
| 2025–26 | BYU / NCAA | T16 Puerto Rico Open; 2 collegiate wins; T8 NCAA Championship | $0 (amateur) |
| Total Official Tour Earnings | $0 (active amateur) | ||
Endorsements
Even before turning professional, Akina has begun attracting legitimate brand partnerships through the NCAA’s NIL framework.
His most notable confirmed deal is with Full Swing, the sports technology company and Official Licensee of the PGA Tour, which signed Akina as a player ambassador in May 2026.
Full Swing’s roster includes Tiger Woods, Jon Rahm, and Justin Rose — so placing Akina alongside those names at age 20 reflects the brand’s belief in his long-term star power. He uses the Full Swing KIT launch monitor as part of his daily practice regimen.
On the equipment side, Akina played PING irons at the 2024 Black Desert Championship, as confirmed by the PGA Tour’s own equipment report.
PING has strong BYU and Utah ties and has outfitted several Cougars golfers. He received the GCAA PING All-Region West Team honor in 2026. No official PING equipment contract has been publicly announced as of this writing.
Before enrolling at BYU, Akina was reportedly offered six-figure NIL deals from multiple Power Five programs.
He declined those offers to attend BYU, but he and his brother Keanu had already engaged in at least one NIL collaboration with the apparel brand &Collar, aimed at supporting Maui wildfire recovery efforts in 2023–24.
Career Statistics
| Year | Tour / Level | Events | Wins | Top 10s | Cuts Made (Pro) | WAGR / Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Junior / State | Multiple | 1 (6A State Medalist) | Multiple | N/A | First Team All-State |
| 2022 | Junior / State | Multiple | 1 (6A State Medalist) | Multiple | N/A | First Team All-State |
| 2023 | Junior / AJGA | Multiple | Multiple junior wins | Multiple | N/A | USA Today HS Golfer of Year; AJGA Honorable Mention All-American |
| 2024 | Junior / Amateur / KFT / PGA Tour | Multiple + 2 pro starts | Multiple junior wins; T49 KFT; MC PGA | Multiple | 0 of 2 | AJGA 2nd Team All-American; No. 4 junior nationally |
| 2025 | Amateur / Pre-college | Multiple | Utah Open (17-under) | Multiple | N/A | Utah HS Male Athlete of the Year; WAGR Top 30 |
| 2025–26 | BYU / NCAA / PGA Tour | 13 collegiate + 1 PGA Tour | 2 collegiate wins | 10 collegiate top 10s | 1 of 1 (T16, Puerto Rico Open) | No. 6 NCAA; No. 29 WAGR; First-Team All-American; Big 12 Freshman of Year |
FAQs
What is Kihei Akina’s net worth?
Kihei Akina’s net worth is estimated at $200,000 to $400,000. He is still an amateur athlete, so his income comes from NIL deals and brand ambassador agreements rather than official Tour prize money.
Has Kihei Akina earned any PGA Tour prize money?
Akina participates in PGA Tour events on sponsor exemptions as an amateur, which means he is not eligible to receive official prize money. He finished T16 at the 2026 Puerto Rico Open but collected no earnings from that result.
What is Kihei Akina’s biggest endorsement deal?
His most publicly confirmed partnership is with Full Swing, the official simulator licensee of the PGA Tour, which named him a brand ambassador in May 2026. The financial terms were not disclosed, but Full Swing also represents Tiger Woods and Jon Rahm.
What is Kihei Akina’s world golf ranking?
Akina held approximately No. 29 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR). He ranked as high as No. 6 in NCAA Scoreboard individual player rankings during his freshman season at BYU.
When will Kihei Akina turn professional?
He is entering his sophomore year at BYU in fall 2026 and could turn pro at any point if a compelling Tour opportunity arises. Many analysts expect him to test the Korn Ferry or PGA Tour within the next two to three years.
