Annika Borrelli comes away with NCGA Women's Amateur title

Just last week, Alamo resident Annika Borrelli failed to get through a U.S. Women’s Amateur qualifier. The poor results literally left her in tears.

Among those consoling her was her dad, Dave, and her coach at the University of San Francisco, Sara Doell. “After talking with my coach, she just told me to remember to have fun out there. Not to press early,” said Borrelli, a senior on the USF women’s golf squad.

Borrelli took the piece of wisdom and ran with it, as she’d go on to post a wire-to-wire win at the annual NCGA Women’s Amateur Championship on Wednesday at par-72 Poppy Hills Golf Course. Borrelli, 21, would card a final round 78 to defeat runner-up Nicola Kaminski by two shots.

“Coming into this event, my mindset was to have fun. To just enjoy the moment,” Borrelli said.

While Borrelli did play more relaxed, it was with a heavy heart. Just two days earlier, she lost a friend who had been struck by a car. To honor her friend, she put his initials on her ball.

“I did it for him and his family,” Borrelli said. “I thought of him watching me.”

Fueling Borrelli along to the victory were two stellar opening rounds of 1-under 71. In Monday’s first round, she posted five birdies. A day later, she carded another three birdies. She’d play each day with her father on the bag as caddie.

In 2019, Borrelli earned NCGA Women’s Player of the Year honors. The Women’s Am victory marked her first NCGA title, and put her on a solid path towards another Player of the Year title.

“It feels like I’ve gone full circle,” Borrelli said. “In my speech, when I got my Player of the Year tropjhy, I said I would win an NCGA event. All my hard work is paying off.”

Kaminski took second at 222 after a final round 71. Kaylyn Noh was third at 225 after a 71.