The fall season in college golf is winding to a close, which means 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.

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

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, 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).

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 19-24 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.

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

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.

In the eve of Stanford, the reigning NCAA Division I women's champion, kicking off its season at Pebble Beach, what better way to mark the occasion than with the release of the preseason ANNIKA Award Watch List presented by Stifel.

The Cardinal have four players on the initial 25-player list – last year's ANNIKA Award recipient Rose Zhang, 2021 ANNIKA Award winner Rachel Heck, Brooke Seay (who won Annika Sorenstam's AJGA invitational in 2017) and Megha Ganne. That's one more than Wake Forest, which boasts three players.

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.

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.

Rose Zhang got her college career off to a fast start last fall, winning her first three events at Stanford. While she hasn’t hoisted a trophy in four tries this spring, she has two runners-up, a T-4 and a T-10. This stellar play has her headlining an elite group that find themselves on the Annika Award’s spring watch list.

Zhang is joined by Stanford teammates Rachel Heck and Aline Krauter, who are both having phenomenal seasons.

Heck, the 2021 Annika Award winner, has two wins in six starts this season for the Cardinal, bringing her collegiate trophy count to eight.

Stanford is well represented on this year's preseason watch list for the Annika Award presented by Stifel.

The Cardinal, widely considered the team to beat this season in women's college golf, boast three players on the list: reigning Annika Award winner Rachel Heck, No. 1-ranked amateur Rose Zhang and Angelina Ye.

The Annika Award is awarded annually to the most outstanding women’s college golfer, as voted on by players, coaches and media. Past winners of the Annika Award include Leona Maguire, Alison Lee and Maria Fassi.

Here are the 20 players who made the award's preseason watch list: