There are very few “dynasties” in women’s college golf. When it comes to national championships, however, one thing is certain: The addition of match play at the NCAA Women’s Championship in 2015 brings more teams into the mix.
The following list gives a picture of the top teams’ postseason prowess. Arizona State and Duke, with eight and seven national titles, respectively, top the list.
The NCAA only documents national champions since the 1982 season. Beginning in 1971, the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women governed women’s college athletics and administered the national championship. The AIAW, as it was known, discontinued sponsorship of national championships after the 1981-82 academic year and was later dissolved. Before the AIAW’s formation, the Division for Girls’ and Women’s Sports organized women’s intercollegiate championships.
The following list mentions AIAW titles, when they are notable, but only NCAA titles make up each school’s official championship count for the purposes of this list.
Arizona State
Number of titles: Eight
Years won: 2017, 2009, 1998, 1997, 1995, 1994, 1993, 1990 (plus the 1975 AIAW)
Notable past players: Joanne Carner, Heather Farr, Danielle Ammaccapane, Pearl Sinn, Amy Fruhwirth, Brandie Burton, Emilee Klein, Grace Park, Anna Nordqvist, Azahara Munoz
There’s no doubt that a perfect golf formula is at work at Arizona State, from great courses to phenomenal weather to alumni support that’s both deep and visible. A strong Sun Devil history dates all the way to the 1950s when JoAnne (Gunderson) Carner became the first American woman to earn a college golf scholarship and was the first Sun Devil national champ in 1960 (though that pre-dates the NCAA). An enormous amount of credit, however, goes to Linda Vollstedt, a brilliant coach who transformed the program in the 1980s and ’90s.
