With the championship field set, the race for the ANNIKA Award is starting to heat up. A handful of players have made their case throughout the season as front-runners for the ANNIKA Award, which honors the player of the year in women’s college golf, as selected by college golfers, coaches and members of the college golf media.
Check out who’s in the running for women’s college golfer of the year.
As the fall season winds to a close, it’s time to recognize players who set themselves apart as frontrunners in women’s college golf over the past two and a half months.
Rose Zhang, who won the award as a freshman at Stanford last season, is off to an excellent start this year, but plenty of others are making their case early, like Andrea Lignell at Ole Miss, among many others.
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.
LAKE ELMO, Minn. – Annika Sorenstam took a back seat to the action happening in front of her.
Sorenstam and her husband, Mike McGee, were perched on a hill looking over the 18th green and down the fairway at Royal Golf Club outside of Minneapolis. Occasionally, spectators would notice Sorenstam was sitting there and ask for a picture or say hello, but when she wasn’t entertaining her fans, she was intently watching the golf in front of her.
Sorenstam was in town for the annual ANNIKA Intercollegiate, a college tournament her foundation started in 2014 that features some of the top women’s college golf teams across the country. Wake Forest captured the team title on a windy Wednesday afternoon while Virginia sophomore Amanda Sambach won the individual crown. Yet for the tournament’s namesake, it’s yet another event where she gives back to the golfing community.
“This tournament has grown very consistently and been really solid every team,” Sorenstam said. “Just look at the teams. the reception is so good. The coaches are so thankful, and I get to know the players more and more every year.
That’s why it’s important for Sorenstam to come to Minnesota every year in one of the premier women’s golf tournaments on the schedule. It also happens at Royal Golf Club, which is a course she and the late Arnold Palmer co-designed. It’s Palmer’s last design before his death and Sorenstam’s first in the United States.
Players and coaches alike recognize the significance of Sorenstam being present, too.
“Annika is literally the greatest of all time, so it’s really awesome just to be at a site where I know she’ll be,” Sambach said. “She’s such an inspiration.”
Soremstam arrived in Minnesota on Tuesday, and she threw out the first pitch at the Minnesota Twins’ game that night. Then she spent all of the final round Wednesday at Royal Golf Club, interacting with players, coaches and spectators.
The ANNIKA Intercollegiate is just one of the numerous events hosts not only in Minnesota but also across the country. She hosts the ANNIKA Invitational early in the year, which is recognized as one of the top junior events in the country. She’s also active with numerous clinics, including her “Share my Passion” series that she does at stops on the PGA and LPGA tours.
She makes an effort to attend most of her events and clinics, and Sorenstam is always making time to interact with the attendees and competitors. Yet the ANNIKA Intercollegiate is really special because of its location and it’s an opportunity to watch players she has seen grow up playing her events.
“We see them make the transition and in every phase of their golf life,” Sorenstam said. “Just to follow women’s golf and you look at them, it’s really cool to be associated. These are role models and ambassadors. They represent the game very well. It’s fun to be a part of it.”
It’s Wake Forest’s second win at the ANNIKA Intercollegiate.
LAKE ELMO, Minn. – There was a constant theme at Royal Golf Club outside of Minneapolis all week during the 2022 ANNIKA Intercollegiate.
Survive the front nine, attack the back nine. And that’s what the Wake Forest women’s golf team did.
The No. 3 Demon Deacons trailed by six shots entering the final round, but they dominated both sides of the golf course and finished strong with a late birdie barrage to capture the ANNIKA Intercollegiate on a windy afternoon outside Minneapolis. Wake Forest had contributions from every member of its lineup, finishing at 6-under 858 for the week, but Wednesday’s 3-under 285 was enough to propel the Demon Deacons to their second ANNIKA Intercollegiate title, the first coming in 2019.
“You’re always comfortable when you have a lead, but we’ve got a bunch of really good teams here, so we just had to stick to the game plan,” Wake Forest coach Kim Lewellen said. “We’ve got a lot of veterans, and they’re used to being in this position.”
Rachel Kuehn helped cap the victory for Wake Forest. She birdied her final three holes, finishing at 1 under for the day and even-par 216 for the tournament, which was a tie for 10th. Lauren Walsh also birdied the closing par-5, and she finished in a tie for second at 7-under 209.
Emilia Migliaccio shot a 2-over 74 on Wednesday but finished in a tie for 10th, as well. Carolina Lopez-Chacarra was 4 under on the front nine and finished at 2 under and tied for 19th in the tournament.
The group effort culminated in Wake Forest’s first win of the season
“Now we will continue to learn and continue to get better,” Lewellen said. “It’s a cliche and you hear it a lot but these players are good and but they’re always striving to be better. So I think if we just stick with trying to get better each day, enjoy this victory, but get back to work tomorrow.
For a short while, Texas tied Wake Forest for the team lead at 2 under, when Bohyun Park got up and down from a greenside bunker for birdie on 18. Park finished tied with Walsh for second, and Texas ended in second as a team at 2-under 862.
Virginia, which led after the first two rounds, shot 8 over during the final round and finished in third, one shot behind the Longhorns. South Carolina and Duke finished in a tie for fourth at 1-over 855.
The Cavaliers aren’t going home empty handed, though. Sophomore Amanda Sambach went wire-to-wire and won her first collegiate tournament, finishing at 9-under 207. She was overcome with emotion when walking off the 18th green and into the trophy presentation, but the win was a culmination of perseverance and self-belief.
“It means everything,” Sambach said. “My game has come so far. I hadn’t seen much improvement over the past couple tournaments or years, and now I see all of my work finally pay off.”
Sambach shot 2 over in the final round, one she admitted was a grind. She had a one-shot lead when standing on the final tee box, but she chipped within two feet of the hole on the par-5 and had an easy birdie putt, her 15th of the week, tied with Walsh for the most among all players.
Virginia’s Amanda Sambach with Annika Sorenstam after winning the 2022 ANNIKA Intercollegiate at the Royal Golf Club in Elmo, Minnesota. (Photo: Taylor Britton/ANNIKA Foundation)
Duke’s Phoebe Brinker had five birdies in the final round and shot 3-under 69, which tied for low round of the day. Brinker finished solo fourth and 6 under for the tournament. Florida’s Annabell Fuller also shot 3 under in the final round and tied for fifth with South Carolina’s Mathilde Claisse and Hannah Darling, who each shot 2-over 74 on Wednesday.
When Sambach drained the final putt, her teammates rushed the green and soaked her with water. Then, Annika Sorenstam, the tournament’s namesake, was there to congratulate her.
“It’s insane. First of all, just to win with a tournament that has her name on it, but to have her here in person is unbelievable,” Samback said. “She’s literally the GOAT.”
Virginia is looking to clinch the victory come Wednesday.
LAKE ELMO, Minn. – Lauren Walsh stepped to the tee knowing she had a special round going.
The senior for Wake Forest knew the closing stretch at Royal Golf Club outside of Minneapolis provided multiple birdie opportunities. A short par 4. Two par 5s. After birdieing five of her past six holes, Walsh had an opportunity to go even lower.
“I made bogey on 15, which was plenty frustrating,” Walsh said while cracking a smile, “and then I missed a short birdie putt on 16. so I was determined to birdie one of the last two.”
And she did just that, bringing a loud cheer from her three teammates sitting greenside.
Walsh fired a 6-under 66, tied for low round of the day, to help propel herself and Wake Forest up the leaderboard during Tuesday’s second round of the ANNIKA Intercollegiate. The Demon Deacons, third in Golfweek‘s preseason women’s college team rankings, moved up four spots to second on the team leaderboard after a 9-under performance but still trail Virginia heading to Wednesday’s final round. Walsh sits tied for second place at 5 under for the tournament, and Emilia Migliaccio shot 4 under on the day and moved up to 2 under overall.
“Today gives us a lot of confidence moving forward,” Walsh said “We’ve all worked hard on our games over the summer at home. To come back together and see some good scores is always good.”
The 2022-23 Wake Forest women’s golf team at the 2022 ANNIKA Intercollegiate. (Photo: Taylor Britton, ANNIKA Foundation)
Wake Forest at one point was in a three-way tie for first with Virginia and South Carolina, which won last season’s tournament. But the Demon Deacons teed off before the Cavaliers and Gamecocks, and there was plenty of leaderboard shuffling before the conclusion of the second round.
Royal Golf Club played almost two strokes easier during the second round Tuesday compared to the first round. The five most difficult holes come on the front nine through two rounds, according to Golfstat. Meanwhile, of the six holes playing under par, four come on the back nine, with three of the four being Nos. 15, 17 and 18.
Virginia finished strong, as it leads following the second straight round at 9 under, six strokes ahead of Wake Forest. Sophomore Amanda Sambach, who shot 7-under 65 in the first round, is at 11 under for the tournament after a second-round 4-under 68 that included birdies on three of her final four holes. She leads by six strokes in the individual competition.
“The team stayed really patient on the front,” Virginia coach Ria Scott said. “There’s a stretch of really challenging holes. They did a great job of sticking to what they were doing and waiting for the opportunities on the back.”
South Carolina fell back after holding the lead alone about halfway through the second round. Mathilde Claisse and Hannah Darling both moved into the top five on the leaderboard, as the duo are tied for second with Walsh. Claisse was 5 under on the day, and Darling tied Walsh for low round of the day at 6-under 66. The Gamecocks are at 2 under, one behind Wake Forest and seven behind Virginia.
Duke had a strong back nine and sits at even par, tied with Michigan for fourth. Phoebe Brinker had four birdies, including three straight, on the back nine and she’s tied for seventh on the leaderboard at 3 under. Freshman Andie Smith birdied six holes on her back nine and shot 3 under for the day.
Florida’s Maisie Filler also finished strong, making birdie on her final three holes to finish 5 under in the second round. Filler is at 3 under for the tournament, in a tie for seventh. Michigan’s Monet Chun and Texas’ Bohyun Park are tied for fifth at 4 under. Auburn’s Megan Schofill is tied for ninth with Migliaccio at 2 under, rounding out the top 10.
Amanda Sambach changed her putter three weeks ago.
LAKE ELMO, Minn. – Amanda Sambach was frustrated.
The sophomore on Virginia’s golf team was coming off an excellent summer where she advanced to the semifinals of the North & South Women’s Amateur at Pinehurst No. 2 and played in the U.S. Women’s Amateur at Chambers Bay. Yet she wasn’t getting the results she wanted because of one club.
Her putter.
So, before the start of her sophomore season, Sambach went and got a couple putting lessons. She switched from a mallet-style flat stick to a blade. And the change was incredible during her first round with the new putter Monday at Royal Golf Club in the first round of the ANNIKA Intercollegiate.
“It has completely changed everything,” Sambach said. “I have never putted this well. It has been a huge change, but it has been good so far.”
Sambach dominated the field Monday, recording seven birdies and no bogeys, shooting a 7-under 65 to open the tournament. She opened with birdies on two of her first three holes and closed with one on her 18th hole, the par-5 ninth. The 7-under performance tied Virginia’s single-round scoring record.
The ANNIKA Intercollegiate presented by 3M is a college golf tournament founded by the ANNIKA Foundation in 2014. The 54-hole stroke play event is held annually at the Royal Golf Club outside of Minneapolis and features 12 of the top Division I women’s programs in the country. This event allows Sorenstam to stay connected with the players through the entirety of their careers, bridging the gap from junior to professional golf. In addition, a gala reception takes place before the event during which Annika presents the ANNIKA Award presented by Stifel to the nation’s best female player in college golf.
Virginia sophomore Amanda Sambach (@AmandaSambach) makes birdie on her 18th hole (No. 9) to shoot 7-under 65 in the first round of the ANNIKA Intercollegiate. She leads by five with half the players done for the day. @UVAWomensGolfpic.twitter.com/qFhktc7huB
“She has really recommitted herself to becoming a great putter,” Virginia coach Ria Scott said. “That has been the difference maker here in the first few weeks we’ve been back. Her ball striking has always been exceptional, but she got the putts to fall today.”
Sambach leads by four strokes heading to the second round over Texas sophomore Bohyun Park, who sits at 3 under. Florida’s Annabell Fuller and Michigan’s Mikaela Schulz are tied for third at 2 under, and a trio of golfers at 1 under make up the only seven women who broke par.
Sambach is one of 25 players on the preseason ANNIKA Award watch list, given to the top college golfer in the country each year. That’s why Monday’s performance meant even more.
“Annika is literally the greatest of all time, so it’s really awesome to be at a site where I know she’ll be,” Sambach said. “She’s such an inspiration, and this tournament is one of the bigger ones, so it is a bit more nerve-wracking, but I’m just excited to be here.”
Virginia also holds the team lead at 4 under and was the only team to finish under par during the first round. Michigan and Texas are tied at even par with Duke and Oregon tied for fourth at 4 over. Jennifer Cleary shot 1 under for the Cavaliers, Megan Propeck was at 1 over and Celeste Valinho tallied a 3 over round as the four counting scores.
Although there’s plenty of golf to be played, Scott couldn’t have asked for a better start from her team.
“This is a really strong field, one of the best in the country,” Scott said. “When you come up and play at the ANNIKA (Intercollegiate), it kind of takes guts to tee it up against such a strong field in the start of the season. We don’t have some of these warm-up weeks like some other sports do. But that’s what we pride ourselves in, is giving these girls a great schedule and great chances to test themselves throughout the year.”
Amanda Sambach won the North & South Junior just days before teeing it up at the North & South Women’s Amateur.
Early this week at Pinehurst, Amanda Sambach will get a window into what it’s like to play at the University of Virginia. The 17-year-old is playing a practice round for the North & South Women’s Amateur with some of her future Hoos teammates: current junior Riley Smyth, incoming freshman Jennifer Cleary and fellow commit Megan Propeck.
Not that Sambach, a high school junior from Davidson, North Carolina, doesn’t have anything to offer in that group. After all, she’s just a few days removed from claiming the North & South Girls’ Junior title on July 8.
The Sambachs rent a home off Pinehurst No. 3 so she’s familiar with the place, but this summer marked her first time playing the North & South Junior. She had played Pinehurst No. 2 in the World Van Horn Cup, a one-day best-ball tournament for top U.S. Kids Golf competitors. That seems like forever ago to Sambach. She was 11 then.
Sambach won the North & South Junior with deep breaths and strong wedge play.
“My first round wasn’t that solid on No. 2. I wasn’t hitting my driver very well for a stretch of holes,” she said of consecutive bogeys at Nos. 11-13. “I was getting a little anxious at that point but I managed to bring it back together and obviously I shot a pretty good score for the first day so I didn’t completely shoot out of it.”
She followed that 74 with rounds of 69-68 on No. 6 and at 5 under, had a four-shot cushion on runner-up Sydney Yermish.
Amanda Sambach at Pinehurst. (Photo submitted)
Sambach felt confident in her wedges going into the tournament, but she still realized she had to keep it in the fairway. She tried to keep her coaches’ voices in her head as she played.
Over the past year and a half, Sambach has won the Peggy Kirk Bell Junior Tour Invitational, AJGA Girls Championship, Callaway Golf Ollie Schniederjans Junior Classic and the Rolex Tournament of Champions. The iconic Putter Boy trophy she took home from the North & South Junior is in good company.
It’s true that the majority of Sambach’s resume consists of junior golf highlights. And even from here, her late-summer season includes includes two more major AJGA starts – the Rolex Girls and the AJGA Girls.
Sandwiched amid all the junior titles, however, is an 11th-place finish on the Symetra Tour. Sambach gained an exemption to last year’s Symetra Classic at River Run Country Club in Davidson, her home course. She fired rounds of 67-74-74 and nearly earned a top 10.
“My main takeaway was just the fact that I could hang in there with them,” she said.
Cydney Clanton, a former Auburn standout who earned her first LPGA victory in 2019 at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, was another hometown player in the field. People tell Sambach her game is similar to Clanton’s in that her ballstriking is so strong.
“She gave me the advice to just focus on a lot of short game,” Sambach said of getting to know the LPGA player.
The next natural progression for Sambach’s game is to step on up to amateur events. If not for the pandemic, she would have played the Augusta National Women’s Amateur in April. She was initially crushed over that event being canceled, but the silver lining is in the fact that the invitation is still on the table for 2021.
“I’m very, very happy to hear about that,” Sambach said with audible relief in her voice. It will be her first time to Augusta.
Amanda Sambach during the North & South Junior. (Photo submitted)
At No. 28 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, Sambach easily earned an exemption into next month’s U.S. Women’s Amateur. The USGA made room for the top 75 in that ranking. This will be her first time playing the event. She’d never even tried to qualify for it.
Even as she crosses the threshold from junior golf into something bigger, Sambach’s goals for the next year are less about results and more about other aspects of this game. Each year, the AJGA selects one male and one female player to serve as player representatives. She and Jackson Van Paris are serving in those roles in 2020.
It’s a way to enjoy the journey and expand her golf circle.
“Going to these tournaments and meeting people is one of my favorite things,” she said.
