Women's College Golf · ANNIKA Award
By AmateurGolf.com Staff | May 26, 2026
CARLSBAD, Calif. — One day after capturing the NCAA Division I Individual Championship at Omni La Costa Resort and Spa, University of Texas junior Farah O'Keefe added the exclamation point to a season unlike any other in Longhorn history.
On Tuesday, O'Keefe was named the winner of the 2025-26 ANNIKA Award presented by Stifel, honoring the most outstanding female NCAA Division I college golfer of the year. With the announcement — delivered by John Shinkle, Senior Vice President of Stifel Financial, during Golf Channel's live coverage of the NCAA Women's National Championship — O'Keefe became the first Texas Longhorn ever to claim the premier individual award in the women's collegiate game.
"Top 10 in every stroke play start. Nine top 5s. The No. 1 ranking. And now an NCAA title and the ANNIKA. That is what dominance looks like."
A Resume Without a Weak Spot
The No. 1-ranked collegiate player in the country and No. 4 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, O'Keefe delivered a season of remarkable consistency. She posted a top-10 finish in every stroke play tournament she entered across the 2025-26 campaign, including nine top-5 results. Her regular season victories included the Betsy Rawls Invitational, the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate, and the Therese Hession Regional Challenge — a trio of marquee titles spread across the fall and spring slates.
She saved her finest performance for the biggest stage. On Monday at La Costa, O'Keefe outlasted the strongest field in college golf to win the NCAA Division I Individual Championship, the kind of statement victory that voters — players, coaches and members of the college golf media — rewarded a day later.
A Major Awaits in France
The hardware is only part of the prize. By winning the ANNIKA, O'Keefe has earned an exemption into The Amundi Evian Championship, one of the LPGA's five majors. She'll tee it up July 9-12, 2026, at Evian Resort Golf Club in Évian-les-Bains, France, for what will be one of the most anticipated amateur debuts in the women's professional season.
O'Keefe also picks up an exemption into Stage 2 of LPGA Tour Q-School and two points toward the LPGA Elite Amateur Pathway (LEAP) Program, accelerating what already looks like a clear runway to the next level.
Farah O'Keefe — 2025-26 At a Glance
- NCAA Division I Individual Champion (Omni La Costa Resort and Spa)
- No. 1 ranked collegiate player; No. 4 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking
- Three regular-season titles: Betsy Rawls Invitational, Darius Rucker Intercollegiate, Therese Hession Regional Challenge
- Top-10 finish in every stroke play tournament; nine top-5s
- First University of Texas player to win the ANNIKA Award
- 13th ANNIKA Award winner since the honor was created in 2014
Joining a Storied List
Created in 2014 in partnership with the Haskins Foundation and named for Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam, the ANNIKA Award is the women's counterpart to the Haskins Award, which honors the top male Division I collegiate golfer. Stifel, one of the nation's leading wealth management and investment banking firms, serves as the presenting sponsor of both awards and is also a presenting sponsor of the NCAA Division I Women's and Men's Golf Championships on Golf Channel.
O'Keefe becomes the 13th player to claim the honor — and the first to carry the burnt orange to the trophy stand. With the NCAA Championship still unfolding on Golf Channel and a major championship debut on the horizon, the spring of 2026 may only be the opening act.
Source: Haskins Foundation press release, May 26, 2026. For more information on the ANNIKA Award presented by Stifel, visit haskinsfoundation.org/annika-award.
