FORT WORTH, Texas (April 29, 2026) – BYU’s Kihei Akina, Long Beach State’s Alejandro de Castro Piera and Oklahoma State’s Preston Stout have been named the three finalists for the Ben Hogan Award’s March Golfer of the Month accolade.
Akina, a freshman from Alpine, Utah, had a pair of victories during the month, winning the R.E. Lamkin Invitational (202, -14) and the Bridgestone Collegiate Invitational (195, -21). Additionally, he was the runner up at The Goodwin (199, -11). Akina shared 16th place in his PGA TOUR debut at the Puerto Rico Open, giving him a monthly scoring average of 67.23. In all, he secured 58.1 total World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) points.
de Castro Piera, a senior from Sant Esteve Sesrovires, Spain, had three top-10 finishes during March, highlighted by a victory at the Arizona Thunderbirds Invitational with a 13-under total of 203. Additionally, de Castro Piera was runner up at the R.E. Lamkin Invitational and shared sixth place at The Goodwin. He totaled 41.8 WAGR points while posting a score average of 67.78 and having a total score of 32-under-par.
Stout, a junior from Richardson, Texas, claimed two high-profile wins in three events during the month. He was victorious at the Cabo Collegiate by seven strokes with a 15-under score of 198 and shared first place at the Maridoe Collegiate (215, -1). Stout also placed third at the Pauma Valley Invitational with a 205 (-8). He accumulated 58.4 WAGR points and had a stroke average of 68.67.
The Ben Hogan Award Golfer of the Month will be chosen by a selection committee comprised of foundation members from the Ben Hogan Award and Friends of Golf as well from as the award’s selected partners. In addition, a Fan Vote on social media through Thursday at noon (CT) will give the top vote getter on each of the @benhoganaward social media channels (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) a bonus committee vote. The winner will be announced on Thursday.
The Ben Hogan Award presented by Baird annually recognizes the top collegiate golfer considering all college, amateur and professional events played over the 12-month period beginning with the 2025 NCAA Championships and running through the 2026 NCAA Regionals. This year the award is celebrating its 25th anniversary in Fort Worth.
—www.BenHoganAward.com—