ANNIKA Award: First spring watch list for the women's college golf Player of the Year

March 9, 2023 | by Golfweek

Rose Zhang of Stanford might be the prohibitive favorite but there are plenty of others who are trying to claim the crown

With every passing week, the women’s college golf season creeps closer to the NCAA Championships at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The ANNIKA Award announced Thursday its first spring watch list, featuring 15 of the best women’s college golfers this season. Rose Zhang, who captured the award as a freshman last season, is again having a stellar sophomore campaign, but there are plenty of others who are trying to claim the crown.

The ANNIKA Award honors the player of the year in college women’s golf, as selected by college golfers, coaches and members of the college golf media. The players are listed alphabetically. Players on the ANNIKA Award Watch List were selected by a panel of Golfweek and Golf Channel reporters.

• • • • •

Jenny Bae, Georgia
In seven events this season, Bae, a fifth-year senior, has one win at the Illini Invitational, five top-5 finishes and has finished in the top 25 in every start, boasting a 70.57 stroke average.

Rosie Belsham, Baylor
Belsham won the Collegiate Invitational and has a trio of top fives in her past three starts, four top 10s and six top 25s in seven starts.

Zoe Campos, UCLA
Campos, a sophomore, has five top-10 finishes, including a T-2 in the stroke-play portion of the East Lake Cup. Her worst finish in seven starts is a T-21.

Jensen Castle, Kentucky
Castle, a senior who won the 2021 U.S. Women’s Amateur, won the Tar Heel Invitational in the fall, and she has finished inside the top 10 in four consecutive tournaments.

Hannah Darling, South Carolina
In six starts, Darling has three finishes in the top five, four in the top 10 and her worst finish was a T-23 at the Darius Rucker.

Megha Ganne, Stanford
The stellar freshman has four top-10 finishes in six starts, including a runner-up finish at the Carmel Cup at Pebble Beach.

Charlotte Heath, Florida State
Heath, a junior, shared medalist honors at the Landfall Tradition in October and has also collected four top-10 finishes.

Rachel Kuehn, Wake Forest
In eight starts, Kuehn has a win at the Stephens Cup and three top-five finishes. The senior also has six top-10 placements, with her worst finish being a T-21 at the Darius Rucker.

Andrea Lignell, Ole Miss
In seven starts, Lignell, a senior, has recorded two victories at the Cougar Classic and The Ally to go along with five top-five finishes, including a runner-up at the Blessings Collegiate.

Ingrid Lindblad, LSU
Lindblad has competed in six tournaments for the Tigers, nabbing a win at the Battle at the Beach and finishing in the top 10 five times. Her worst finish is a T-11 at the Darius Rucker.

Carolina Lopez-Chacarra, Wake Forest
The sophomore from Spain has made seven starts this season, and collected a third- and fourth-place finish along with six top 20s.

Julia Lopez Ramirez, Mississippi State
The sophomore won the Blessings Collegiate and has placed in the top five six times in eight starts. Her worst finish is a T-20 at The Ally.

Lauren Walsh, Wake Forest
Walsh, a junior, has made eight starts this season and collected two runner-up finishes at the ANNIKA Intercollegiate and the Nexus Intercollegiate. She has five top-10 placements and seven top 25s.

Lottie Woad, Florida State
The stellar freshman shared medalist honors at the Ivy Intercollegiate, and she has also collected five top-10 finishes in six starts.

Rose Zhang, Stanford
The top-ranked golfer in the WAGR, Zhang has won five of her six tournaments this year and placed T-12 in the one she didn’t win. This week at the Juli Inkster, she tied Andrea Lee on top of Stanford’s career wins list with nine.

by Cameron Jourdan, Golfweek

About the ANNIKA Award

ANNIKA Award: First spring watch list for the women's college golf Player of the Year

Created in 2014, the ANNIKA Award presented by Stifel is annually given to the top female U.S. collegiate golfer; the winner voted on by college golfers, coaches and members of the golf media. Named for and presented by Annika Sorenstam, the award wa...

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