Most college sophomores would be happy to find spending money and a parking spot near their dorm, but Kihei Akina, who is in the field this week at the PGA Tour's Bank of Utah Championship on a sponsor invitation, has landed an equipment deal with Ping.
Ping announced this week that the 20-year-old BYU golfer has signed a name, image and likeness (NIL) agreement with the company. The timing gives the partnership an immediate stage and deal calls for Akina to play 14 Ping clubs, carry a Ping bag and wear a Ping hat at tournaments and appearances outside his collegiate events.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
For readers whose NIL knowledge mostly involves college quarterbacks and booster checkbooks, the concept applies here, too. A college golfer
can build a relationship with an equipment company while continuing to compete for his school. For athletes, it's a way to make some money and market their success. For brands like Ping, it's a way to solidify a relationship with a college golfer who one day could be on the PGA Tour.
And Akina has supplied plenty of reasons for Ping to pay attention.
The Hawaii native won three individual state titles at Lone Peak High School in Alpine, Utah before arriving at BYU in 2025. His freshman season, last year, included two victories, an eighth-place finish at the NCAA Championships and national freshman of the year honors.
He also established a BYU record with a 68.95 scoring average and finished runner-up at the Big 12 Championship. That is a fairly persuasive résumé before you get to sophomore year.
The deal with Ping didn't come up out of the blue. Akina has played Ping clubs since his junior golf days and credited the company’s equipment knowledge and custom fitting with helping his game.
David Dusek is a Golfweek senior writer covering golf equipment and technology.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Ping signs NIL deal with BYU sophomore Kihei Akina
