ANNIKA Award: First spring watch list for 2022-23 women’s college golf Player of the Year

With every passing week, the women’s college golf season creeps closer to the NCAA Championships at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The ANNIKA Award announced Thursday its first spring watch list, featuring 15 of the best women’s college golfers this season. Rose Zhang, who captured the award as a freshman last season, is again having a stellar sophomore campaign, but there are plenty of others who are trying to claim the crown.

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.

Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings: Women’s team | Women’s individual

Jenny Bae, Georgia

Georgia’s Jenny Bae. (Photo: Georgia Athletics)

In seven events this season, Bae, a fifth-year senior, has one win at the Illini Invitational, five top-5 finishes and has finished in the top 25 in every start, boasting a 70.57 stroke average.

Rosie Belsham, Baylor

Baylor’s Rosie Belsham. (Photo: Baylor Athletics)

Belsham won the Collegiate Invitational and has a trio of top fives in her past three starts, four top 10s and six top 25s in seven starts.

Zoe Campos, UCLA

UCLA’s Zoe Campos. (Photo: UCLA Athletics)

Campos, a sophomore, has five top-10 finishes, including a T-2 in the stroke-play portion of the East Lake Cup. Her worst finish in seven starts is a T-21.

Jensen Castle, Kentucky

Jensen Castle, who won the 2021 U.S. Women’s Amateur, captured the 2022 Tar Heel Invitational. (Photo: Kentucky Athletics)

Castle, a senior who won the 2021 U.S. Women’s Amateur, won the Tar Heel Invitational in the fall, and she has finished inside the top 10 in four consecutive tournaments.

Hannah Darling, South Carolina

South Carolina’s Hannah Darling. (Photo: South Carolina Athletics)

In six starts, Darling has three finishes in the top five, four in the top 10 and her worst finish was a T-23 at the Darius Rucker.

Megha Ganne, Stanford

Megha Ganne putts on the first hole during the second round of stroke play at the 2022 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Chambers Bay in University Place, Wash. on Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022. (Darren Carroll/USGA)

The stellar freshman has four top-10 finishes in six starts, including a runner-up finish at the Carmel Cup at Pebble Beach.

Charlotte Heath, Florida State

FSU’s Charlotte Heath watches her ball travel toward the seventh hole at the NCAA Women’s Golf Championship round three at Grayhawk Golf Club on May 22, 2022, in Scottsdale, AZ. (Photo: Megan Mendoza, Arizona Republic)

Heath, a junior, shared medalist honors at the Landfall Tradition in October and has also collected four top-10 finishes.

Rachel Kuehn, Wake Forest

Wake Forest’s Rachel Kuehn. (Photo: Wake Forest Athletics)

In eight starts, Kuehn has a win at the Stephens Cup and three top-five finishes. The senior also has six top-10 placements, her worst finish a T-21 at the Darius Rucker.

Andrea Lignell, Ole Miss

Andrea Lignell after winning the 2022 The Ally. (Photo: Ole Miss Women’s Golf)

In seven starts, Lignell, a senior, has recorded two victories at the Cougar Classic and The Ally to go along with five top-five finishes, including a runner-up at the Blessings Collegiate.

Ingrid Lindblad, LSU

Ingrid Lindblad of Sweden looks on during Day One of the AIG Women’s Open at Muirfield on August 04, 2022 in Gullane, Scotland. (Photo by Octavio Passos/Getty Images)

Lindblad has competed in six tournaments for the Tigers, nabbing a win at the Battle at the Beach and finishing in the top 10 five times. Her worst finish is a T-11 at the Darius Rucker.

Carolina Lopez-Chacarra, Wake Forest

Carolina Lopez-Chacarra, tees off the 10th hole during the first round of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur March 30, 2022. (Photo: Katie Goodale, Augusta Chronicle).

The sophomore from Spain has made seven starts this season, and collected a third- and fourth-place finish along with six top 20s.

Julia Lopez Ramirez, Mississippi State

Julia Lopez Ramirez won the 2022 Blessings Collegiate. (Photo: Mississippi State Athletics)

The sophomore won the Blessings Collegiate and has placed in the top five six times in eight starts. Her worst finish is a T-20 at The Ally.

Lauren Walsh, Wake Forest

Wake Forest’s Lauren Walsh hits a tee shot during the second round of the ANNIKA Intercollegiate at Royal Golf Club in Lake Elmo, Minnesota. (Photo: Taylor Britton, ANNIKA Foundation)

Walsh, a junior, has made eight starts this season and collected two runner-up finishes at the ANNIKA Intercollegiate and the Nexus Intercollegiate. She has five top-10 placements and seven top 25s.

Lottie Woad, Florida State

Lottie Woad of Farnham poses with The Girls’ Amateur Championship trophy during Day Seven of The Girls’ Amateur Championship at Carnoustie Golf Links on August 14, 2022 in Carnoustie, Scotland. (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/R&A/R&A via Getty Images)

The stellar freshman shared medalist honors at the Ivy Intercollegiate, and she has also collected five top-10 finishes in six starts.

Rose Zhang, Stanford

Rose Zhang hits a shot during the 2022 Stanford Intercollegiate. (Photo: Stanford Athletics)

The top-ranked golfer in the WAGR, Zhang has won five of her six tournaments this year and placed T-12 in the one she didn’t win. This week at the Juli Inkster, she tied Andrea Lee on top of Stanford’s career wins list with nine.