Division I
Akina, de Castro Piera, Stout Named March Ben Hogan Award Finalists
BYU’s Kihei Akina, Long Beach State’s Alejandro de Castro Piera, and Oklahoma State’s Preston Stout have been selected as finalists for the March Golfer of the Month honor presented by the Ben Hogan Award.
Akina delivered two wins during the month, capturing the R.E. Lamkin Invitational at 14 under and the Bridgestone Collegiate Invitational at 21 under. He also finished runner up at The Goodwin at 11 under and made his PGA TOUR debut with a T16 finish at the Puerto Rico Open. The freshman posted a 67.23 scoring average and earned 58.1 WAGR points.
de Castro Piera recorded three top 10 finishes, highlighted by a win at the Arizona Thunderbirds Invitational at 13 under. He also placed second at the R.E. Lamkin Invitational and tied for sixth at The Goodwin. The senior totaled 41.8 WAGR points with a 67.78 scoring average and finished the month at 32 under.
Stout secured two wins in three starts, including a seven shot victory at the Cabo Collegiate at 15 under and a share of the title at the Maridoe Collegiate at 1 under. He also placed third at the Pauma Valley Invitational at 8 under. The junior recorded a 68.67 scoring average and led the group with 58.4 WAGR points.
The winner will be selected by the Ben Hogan Award committee, with fan voting providing an additional vote. The announcement is scheduled for later this week.
