Tag: ANNIKA Intercollegiate

South Carolina wins, four share medalist honors at 2023 Annika Intercollegiate

Four golfers shared medalist honors after a crazy finish in Minnesota.

LAKE ELMO, Minn. — Kiara Romero stood next to her coach, Derek Radley, on the side of the 18th green.

The freshman at Oregon just walked in a birdie putt on the final hole of her first college tournament. She had no idea where it put her on the leaderboard, but everyone else did.

It gave her a share of the lead.

Radley whispered to Romero that she had won. She threw her hands over her mouth as tears filled her eyes.

Romero was one of four who shared medalists honors Wednesday after the final round of the 2023 Annika Intercollegiate at Royal Golf Club. She, along with South Carolina’s Louise Rydqvist, Duke’s Phoebe Brinker and Florida State’s Lottie Woad all finished at 8-under 208 for the tournament, a grand start to the year at one of the deepest events in women’s college golf.

“I thought I was going to have to make an eagle on the last hole to get the win,” Romero said. “I just wanted to make birdie so I could be in the top three or something.”

However, the birdie was good enough to earn Romero, the 2023 U.S. Girls’ Junior champion, a college win in her first start.

It was also the first win for Rydqvist, a junior who had a 4-foot putt for birdie on 18 to win outright, but it slid by. Nevertheless, she’s not going home empty handed, as South Carolina won the team title at 26 under, beating Oregon by three strokes and defending event champion and national champion Wake Forest by four.

Rydqvist also earned a coveted exemption into the inaugural The Annika driven by Gainbridge at Pelican taking place Nov. 6-12 at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida. One player from the winning team earned a spot in the field, and Gamecocks’ coach Kalen Anderson chose Rydqvist, from Sweden, for the honor.

2023 Annika Intercollegiate
South Carolina’s Louise Rydqvist earned an exemption to the 2023 The Annika after her team won the 2023 Annika Intercollegiate. (Photo: Ben Adelberg/The Back of the Range)

“I think I need a minute because it hasn’t sunk in yet,” Rydqvist said. “It feels absolutely incredible. I can’t wait to get down there.”

The Annika, an official LPGA event, will offer a $3.25 million purse, one of the largest outside of the majors. Proceeds from the tournament will benefit the Annika Foundation.

Each of the four medalists shot 2-under 70s in the final round. Wake Forest’s Mimi Rhodes and South Carolina’s Maylis Lamoure, who were the 36-hole leaders, both missed birdie putts on the final hole to join the winners and finished at even-par 72.

For Woad, a sophomore, it’s the third win of her collegiate career. Brinker, a senior, won for the second time, including a win at the 2022 ACC Championship. She finished fourth last year at the Annika Intercollegiate and lost in a playoff at the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invite in the spring.

2023 Annika Intercollegiate
The four co-medalists of the 2023 Annika Intercollegiate, from L-R: South Carolina’s Louise Rydqvist, Duke’s Phoebe Brinker, Florida State’s Lottie Woad and Oregon’s Kiara Romero. (Photo: Ben Adelberg/The Back of the Range)

Meanwhile, South Carolina had a lead as big as 10 shots early in the final round, but it also shrunk to as small as one on the back nine. Two-time first-team All-American Hannah Darling and freshman Vairana Heck each made pivotal birdies down the stretch, as well as Rydqvist and Lamoure, to help South Carolina pull back away.

It’s the third time South Carolina has won the Annika Intercollegiate.

“It was awesome, what a great way to start the season,” Anderson said. “We had a really great qualifier, and it’s nice to see them come out and play great golf.”

Heck shot 4-under 68 on Wednesday, which tied the low round of the day, and finished T-9. Darling finished 17th at 3 under.

Thanks to a pair of 18th-hole eagles from Briana Chacon and Minori Nagano, Oregon moved into second place past defending champ Wake Forest. Freshman Macy Pate finished T-9 at 6 under for the Demon Deacons while Carol Chacarra tied for 15th at 5 under.

Chacon, Lamoure, Rhodes and Texas freshman Farah O’Keefe finished runner-up at 7 under.

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Why this four-time Wake Forest All-American chose to come back for a fifth year

“I feel like another year of maturing and letting my game develop, I figured it could only do me some good.”

LAKE ELMO, Minn. — When reading Rachel Kuehn’s roster page on the Wake Forest website, it’s easy to get lost in the myriad accolades listed while scrolling.

A four-time All-America selection. Two-time Curtis Cup member. Four times on the Arnold Palmer Cup team. A national champion.

The resume is that of the greatest player in Wake Forest history. It’s a resume that’s on par with many of the best college golfers in the history of the sport.

Yet, even after four successful years representing the Demon Deacons, Kuehn is back as a graduate student for her fifth season. She began her season in Minnesota this week in the Annika Intercollegiate at Royal Golf Club.

She had opportunities to turn professional. Instead, she’s lugging her Wake Forest bag around and playing team golf one final season.

“I’ve just improved so much in my four years, I felt like it was a no-brainer coming back,” Kuehn said. “Professional golf is always going to be there. You get such a limited amount of time to play college golf and to play on a team like this. I love the girls, I love my coaches. My facilities at Wake are incredible. So I feel like another year of maturing and letting my game develop, I figured it could only do me some good.”

Last year, Kuehn became the sixth women’s golfer to be named the ACC Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons. She also set a program record for the lowest single-season scoring average in program history with a 70.53 average over 36 rounds played. She also won twice and went undefeated in match play at the NCAA Championship.

2023 NCAA Championship
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons celebrate with the trophy after winning the NCAA women’s Golf Championships at Grayhawk Golf Club on May 24, 2023, in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Even after playing lights out at Grayhawk Golf Club in May, there was never a question on Kuehn decision’s to come back.

“It was right after COVID hit,” Wake Forest coach Kim Lewellen said of Kuehn’s decision. “I asked her whether she would want to come back for a fifth year, and I think it took her about half a day.

“It’s outstanding to have Rachel back for so many reasons. She’s a leader. She’s you know, she just loves Wake Forest and she brings that energy for all of us.”

Heading into the final round of the Annika Intercollegiate, Wake Forest, the defending event champion, sits second at 18 under, three strokes behind South Carolina. Although Kuehn didn’t have the start to the season she wanted – she’s even-par after 36 holes – her leadership abilities are unquestioned.

Kuehn stood in the rain at the end of the round and went and welcomed each of her teammates who finished behind her and brought their bags from the green to the clubhouse. She prides herself on leading by example in every facet.

There’s a long season ahead between now and the NCAA Championship at Omni La Costa in Carlsbad, California, come May, but Kuehn is eager for her last ride in college golf.

“I just want to use this year as a personal growth year in order to kind of get myself ready to turn professional next fall,” Kuehn said.

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South Carolina in front, packed individual leaderboard among takeaways from second round of Annika Intercollegiate

Wednesday’s final round is shaping up to be spectacular.

LAKE ELMO, Minn. — The day started under cloudy skies and ended in light rain, but there was plenty of sunshine in between at Royal Golf Club on Tuesday during the second round of the Annika Intercollegiate.

One of the premier women’s college golf events on the calendar, the field at the Annika Intercollegiate is loaded. Defending national champion Wake Forest is also the defending tournament champion, and the Demon Deacons creeped closer to South Carolina after the second round. The Gamecocks remain in front after 36 holes.

Meanwhile, the race for the individual title is tight. There are nine players at or within two shots of the lead, meaning the title is up for grabs come Wednesday.

Here’s everything you need to know from the second round of the Annika Intercollegiate.

U.S. Girls’ Junior champ Kiara Romero starts college career off hot at Annika Intercollegiate

Kiara Romero had a stellar start to her college career

LAKE ELMO, Minn. — On Sunday, Oregon women’s golf coach Derek Radley had a conversation with Kiara Romero before the start of her collegiate career.

Romero, who won the U.S. Girls’ Junior this summer in Colorado and advanced to match play at the U.S. Women’s Amateur in California, has had success at numerous stages in her junior career. Radley told her she didn’t need to do anything different to replicate that at the college level.

Safe to say the talk paid off.

The freshman shot 5-under 67 on Monday at Royal Golf Club in the opening round of the 2023 Annika Intercollegiate and is tied for second. The tournament is one of the best in the country all season long, but in her first collegiate round, Romero stood out and finished strong, making birdies on three of her final four holes.

“I think when players move to the next level, they feel like they have to do something extra special,” Radley said. “I told her to just go be an athlete because she’s just so gifted.”

Kiara Romero
Oregon’s Kiara Romero at the 2023 Annika Intercollegiate. (Photo: Ben Adelberg/The Back of the Range)

Romero posted five birdies and no bogeys on a course that numerous players took advantage of. She is tied with San Jose State junior Lucia Lopez Ortega and South Carolina freshman Maylis Lamoure. South Carolina junior Louise Rydqvist birdied her final three holes to shoot 6-under 66. She holds the solo lead.

“(The U.S. Girls’ Junior) showed me I can compete and win against these girls,” Romero said. “Everything was pretty smooth out there today.”

Lopez Ortega’s round started incredibly with a hole-out eagle on the par-4 11th, her second hole of the round. She had 133 yards, to the hole and hit from the rough, up over trees, the ball landing on the right side of the green before funneling into the cup.

“I didn’t see it go in,” she said while laughing, “but it’s pretty nice.”

Last year’s individual champion, Virginia junior Amanda Sambach, shot 2-under 70 in her title defense.

However, it’s South Carolina in front in the team competition and with the leading individual. The Gamecocks shot 15 under and lead Wake Forest and San Jose State by four shots after the opening round.

Hannah Darling
South Carolina’s Hannah Darling at the 2023 Annika Intercollegiate. (Photo: Ben Adelberg/The Back of the Range)

“It’s definitely gettable out here,” South Carolina coach Kalen Anderson said. “We’ve got some long hitters, and the par 5s are pretty gettable for us.”

Lamoure shot 5-under 67 and Vairana Heck added a 3-under 69. Two-time first-team All-American Hannah Darling was the other counting score at 1 under for Anderson’s squad.

Wake Forest, the defending national champions and last year’s Annika Intercollegiate winners, is in great position after the first round. The Demon Deacons shot 9 under in the opening round, with Mimi Rhodes and Brooke Rivers each shooting 4 under.

LPGA exemption for inaugural The Annika on the line at 2023 Annika Intercollegiate in Minnesota

There’s going to be a lot on the line at the Annika Intercollegiate.

Come the beginning of the 2023-24 college golf season, there’s going to be a lot on the line at the Annika Intercollegiate.

Held at Royal Golf Club in Lake Elmo, Minnesota, the Annika Intercollegiate has quickly grown to be one of the premier women’s college golf events in the country. And this year, the stakes are even higher.

An LPGA tournament exemption to be awarded to a player from this year’s winning team. The exemption will allow one player to compete in the inaugural The Annika driven by Gainbridge at Pelican taking place Nov. 6-12 at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida.

The Annika, an official LPGA event, will offer a $3.25 million purse, one of the largest outside of the majors. Proceeds from the tournament will benefit the Annika Foundation.

The 2023 Annika Intercollegiate presented by 3M takes place Sept. 10-13. This year’s tournament will see 12 top NCAA Division I women’s golf programs compete in a 54-hole, stroke-play event, including defending champions Wake Forest. 

“This is one of the tournaments I look forward to most each year,” Annika Sorenstam said in a release. “It allows the Annika Foundation to advance its mission by providing an opportunity for talented golfers to compete and make connections. We are thrilled to raise the stakes this year by extending the winning team an LPGA tournament exemption, further cementing our event as a launch pad for the nation’s top programs and players.”

Other teams in the field include Duke, Florida State, Minnesota, Mississippi State, San Jose State, Oregon, Texas, South Carolina, Texas A&M and Virginia. The final team will be announced after the 2023 NCAA Championships.

Virginia sophomore Amanda Sambach won the individual title in the fall.

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College golf notebook: Vanderbilt, Oklahoma duel at Frederica Cup, Oakland women win in coach’s debut

It has been a busy first week of college golf.

If the first week of college golf is any indication, we’re in for a doozy of a season.

Rose Zhang and Stanford dominated in the Carmel Cup at Pebble Beach. Teammates at Holy Cross recorded albatrosses on the same hole in the same group. In an inaugural event, the Frederica Cup, multiple team scoring records were set and even an NCAA record was broken.

Nevertheless, college teams are back in action across the country for the fall season with plenty of big tournaments slated for the remainder of the calendar year, as well.

Golfweek takes a loop around the country to update you on all the latest news in the college game.

Men

Haskins Award: Preseason watch list for 2022-23 season

Vanderbilt had a season-opening win to remember.

In the Frederica Cup at Frederica Golf Club in St. Simons Island in Georgia, which counted the five best scores from six golfers (as opposed to the normal four-count-five scoring format), top-ranked Vanderbilt blistered the field to the tune of 69 under to record a victory at the inaugural event, winning by three shots against No. 9 Oklahoma. William Moll won the individual title at 19 under, beating teammate Cole Sherwood by one stroke.

There was a weather delay with three holes to play, and the teams were tied at 67 under. Then Vanderbilt pulled away once play began again.

Texas Tech’s Ludvig Aberg, the 2022 Ben Hogan Award winner, finished in third at 17 under, and Oklahoma freshman Jase Summy shot 15 under, along with teammate Drew Goodman and Mississippi State’s Ford Clegg.

Meanwhile, Wright State picked up right back where it left off last season. The Raiders won the Earl Yestingsmeier Invitational, the second straight season Wright State has won the event. Mikkel Mathiesen won the individual title after a playoff.

At the Fighting Irish Classic, Florida came away with the victory but mid major Georgia Southern finished only a stroke behind the Gators. Ben Carr, who finished runner-up at the 2022 U.S. Amateur, finished in solo fourth at 8 under. Teammate Mason Williams was a shot better at 9 under in third.

Colorado’s Dylan McDermott captured the title in a playoff, finishing at 10 under and tied with North Carolina’s David Ford.

Missouri won both the team and individual titles at the Tiger Turning Stone Intercollegiate. The Tigers defended their title from last year with the 11-stroke victory over runner-up, Stetson, and Jack Lundin finished at 13 under to win the individual crown.

Women

ANNIKA Award: Preseason watch list for 2022-23 season

Sarah Burnham got off to a great start in her head coaching career at Oakland.

In her first tournament as coach, Oakland captured the A-Ga-Ming Invitational in Kewadin, Michigan. Oakland won by three strokes over host Central Michigan. Freshman Bridget Boczar tied for first at 4 over but lost in a playoff to Eastern Michigan’s Alyssa DiMarcantonio. Paige Scott finished tied for third at 5 over for Oakland.

Western Kentucky freshman Sydney Hackett earned her first collegiate win in her first start for the Hilltoppers at the USA Intercollegiate at Magnolia Grove Crossing Golf Course in Mobile, Alabama. The freshman fired a school-record 10-under 206 for her 54-hole total, including a final-round 4-under 68, to claim the championship.

It is the first time a Lady Topper has taken home an individual championship since Megan Clarke won the Little Rock Golf Classic in Fall 2018.

Arkansas State won the event at 14 under par, beating South Alabama by five strokes.

On Monday, the ANNIKA Intercollegiate gets underway in Lake Elmo, Minnesota, right outside of St. Paul. The 54-hole event features some of the top women’s college golf teams in the country, including Wake Forest, Oregon and defending champion South Carolina.

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