Who's going to win the Annika Award? Breaking down the favorites ahead of NCAA Regionals
The race for the Annika Award is as close as it has been in recent years. Here's a look at the candidates and favorites to win.
The race for the 2026 Annika Award may be the closest in the award's history. With only the NCAA postseason remaining, there's hardly any separation between the best players in women's college golf. Numerous players have had incredible seasons, and now only two events remain for college golf's best to pad their resumes and prove why they deserve to win the national player of the year award.
The Annika Award presented by Stifel honors the player of the year in women’s college golf, as selected by college golfers, coaches and members of the college golf media. Here's a look at the contenders for the Annika Award, their resumes and more on what they would need to do to win the award later this month. Favorite for the 2026 Annika Award Farah O'Keefe O'Keefe, a junior at Texas, has been college golf's hottest player this spring with three victories.
In 10 stroke-play events this year, her worst finish is T-10. In those 10 events, she has lost to only 31 players all season long. O'Keefe may be the leader in the clubhouse when it comes to the Annika Award, but if she can continue her strong form of play at Regionals and the NCAA Championship, she can lock up her biggest award yet.
Maria Jose Marin Marin, the defending NCAA individual champion, is the second-ranked player in college golf this year and has one win at the Clemson Invitational. Marin, who won the Augusta National Women's Amateur last month, only finished outside of the top 10 once, a T-12 at SECs. The junior at Arkansas' consistency has been remarkable, but trailing O'Keefe by two wins (amateur wins don't count toward Annika criteria) she may need to win out to claim the Annika Award.