College golf is back, which means it’s time to look at Player of the Year candidates.

The Annika Award presented by Stifel honors the player of the year in college men’s golf, as selected by college golfers, coaches and members of the college golf media.

Last year, Rose Zhang dominated college golf, earning the Annika Award for the second straight year. She went on to win her first start as a professional at the Mizuho Americas Open and is now a part of the United States Solheim Cup team.

On Monday, the Annika Foundation announced its 2023-24 Annika Award preseason watch list. The players are listed alphabetically. Players on the Annika Award Watch List were selected by a panel of Golfweek and Golf Channel writers.

Here’s a look at the 25 golfers on the preseason watch list.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — On Monday, Rose Zhang closed her sophomore year with a victory, capping one of the most dominant college golf seasons of all time. And she’s being rewarded for that superiority again.

For the second straight year, Zhang was named winner of the 2023 ANNIKA Award presented by Stifel, given to the best female golfer in college golf. She’s the third two-time winner, joining Leona Maguire and Maria Fassi, and the second to win back-to-back ANNIKA Awards (Fassi).

“It doesn’t get better than winning the ANNIKA Award,” Zhang said. “To do so again, even though it’s not on the forefront of my mind, it’s something that’s a byproduct of everything I’ve done this year.”

Zhang’s sophomore year was one for the record books. She won an incredible eight times, her victory Monday at the 2023 NCAA Women’s Golf Championship at Grayhawk Golf Club as the feather in the cap. She also captured the Pac-12 Championship and NCAA Pullman Regional and had an NCAA record 68.81 scoring average, besting her 69.68 record from last season.

She also set a new women’s course record at Pebble Beach, shooting 9-under 63 in the season-opening Carmel Cup, which she won. She will tee it up in July at the U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach.

“For me, I went out (this year) on the golf course with a completely different mindset,” Zhang said. “Starting in the fall season and talking with coach (Anne) Walker, I had personal goals in mind about just trying to be the best player I could be.”

Rose Zhang (left) won the 2023 ANNIKA Award. (Photo: Darren Reese, Stanford)

The selection is just another impressive milestone in her amateur career. Last month, Zhang captured the 2023 Augusta National Women’s Amateur, and she has spent more weeks at No. 1 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking than any other female amateur in history.

This is the third straight year a Stanford golfer has won the ANNIKA Award, with Rachel Heck winning in 2021.

The winner of the ANNIKA Award is selected by college golfers, coaches and members of the college golf media and has been handed out annually since the 2014 season.

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

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.

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

The bad news? School is back in session for student-athletes across the country. The good news? That means college golf is officially back, as well.

After a busy summer amateur schedule, it’s time to focus back in on the college game. What better way to celebrate than with preseason award watch lists?

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 writers.

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

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Rose Zhang got two big gifts for her 19th birthday.

The Stanford freshman won the individual title at the 2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championship by three shots at Grayhawk Golf Club on Monday and on her birthday on Tuesday was named the winner of the 2022 ANNIKA Award, given annually to the player of the year in women’s college golf.

“I thought it was just a normal press conference but it turned out to be the ANNIKA award, and I was kind of shook by it because there were so many amazing players on the ANNIKA watch list and just being able to win, it’s crazy,” said Zhang of her surprise when she saw Sorenstam standing next to the award.

Last year, Zhang’s teammate Rachel Heck won the first individual national title in program history and also become the ANNIKA Award’s first winner from Stanford in its eighth-year history.

“Annika is arguably the greatest female golfer to play and having my name there is something that truly value,” Zhang continued. “For my peers and coaches and others to vote for me I feel like it really speaks volumes about how great I’m doing not only on the golf course, but off the golf course. That’s what I truly value.”

After winning her first three collegiate starts, Zhang ended a phenomenal freshman campaign with her fourth win of the season at the national championship following a final-round 75 – the same as Heck last year, as well. The Irvine, California, native led the championship wire-to-wire and was one of just two players to shoot two rounds in the 60s over the first four days in the desert. Zhang earned four runner-up finishes, a T-4 and a T-10 this season thanks to an impressive 69.68 scoring average, which sets a new single-season NCAA record.

The winner of the ANNIKA Award is selected by college golfers, coaches and members of the college golf media and has been handed out annually since the 2014 season.

The postseason is underway in women’s golf, and after last week’s NCAA Regionals, the NCAA Div. I Women’s Golf Championship field is set for May 20-25 at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona.

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.

The players are listed alphabetically. Players on the ANNIKA Award Watch List were selected by a panel of Golfweek and Golf Channel writers.

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

Women’s golf is at the forefront this week as the top players in the world meet for the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, to be played at Champions Retreat Golf Club and Augusta National Golf Club on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.

As an amateur event and not a college event, the ANWA doesn’t figure into the selection of the ANNIKA Award, but the tournament will still showcase many of the college game’s best, like top-ranked Rose Zhang and her Stanford teammate Rachel Heck, who has now won eight titles with the Cardinal.

The ANNIKA Award honors the player of the year in women’s college 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 writers.

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

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. Perhaps none accomplished that quite like Rose Zhang, the top-ranked amateur who started her Stanford career this fall with three individual titles and remains undefeated as a college player. There are plenty of talented women, however, on her heels.

The ANNIKA Award honors the player of the year in women’s college 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 writers.

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

The bad news? School is back in session for student-athletes across the country. The good news? College golf is officially back, as well.

After a busy summer amateur schedule that featured a somewhat return to normalcy amid the coronavirus pandemic, it’s time to focus back in on the college game. What better way to celebrate than with preseason award watch lists?

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 writers.

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