Darling, Rydqvist Named to Fall ANNIKA Award Watch List

COLUMBUS, Ga. – All-Americans Hannah Darling and Louise Rydqvist were named to the 2024-25 Fall ANNIKA Award Watch List, the Haskins Foundation announced on Wednesday via Golf Channel and Golfweek.

Created in 2014, the ANNIKA Award presented by Stifel is annually given to the top female Division 1 collegiate golfer. The winner is voted on by players, coaches and members of the college golf media. Named for World Golf Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam, the award was created in partnership with the Haskins Foundation to acknowledge the top female golfer and to match the Haskins Award presented by Stifel, which acknowledges the top male NCAA Division I collegiate golfer. Ingrid Lindblad (LSU) became the 11th ANNIKA Award winner in 2024.

Stifel, one of the nation’s leading wealth management and investment banking firms, serves as the presenting sponsor of both the ANNIKA and Haskins Awards. Stifel also serves as a presenting sponsor for the NCAA Division I Women’s and Men’s Golf Championships on GOLF Channel.

Darling and Rydqvist enter their fourth and final seasons at Carolina this fall looking to cement two of the finest careers in program history. Darling, a two-time First Team All-American and three-time First Team All-SEC selection, is currently the program’s leader in all-time scoring average at 72.27. The Midlothian, Scotland, native has 22 career top-10 finishes, including 11 top-fives, in 31 stroke play starts. She returns to campus after recently going 3-1 in matches in helping lead Team Great Britain & Ireland to victory at the Curtis Cup.

Rydqvist, a WGCA First Team All-America selection a season ago, is coming off one of the best single seasons in school history in 2023-24. She led the team with a 71.14 scoring average, the third lowest mark in program history. The Värnamo, Sweden, native shot par or better in 20 of 29 rounds played with an impressive five top-five finishes in 10 stroke play starts. She had a big summer winning the European Ladies’ Amateur Championship in late July by three shots. The win earned her an exemption into the AIG Women’s Open at St. Andrews in August where she made the cut in her Major Championship debut. She also advanced to the semifinals at The Women’s Amateur Championship for the second time in three consecutive appearances.

Both Darling and Rydqvist made their debuts for Team International in the Arnold Palmer Cup as well over the summer. Rydqvist is slotted No. 13 (her highest ranking ever) and Darling No. 30 in the latest World Amateur Golf Rankings.

The Gamecocks, who return everyone from last season, open the season at the ANNIKA Intercollegiate (Sept. 9-11) next week. Carolina was ranked No. 5 in Golf Channel’s recent preseason poll.

2024-2025 Fall ANNIKA Award Watch List

Emma Bunch, New Mexico State

Zoe Campos, UCLA

Adela Cernousek, Texas A&M

Carolina Chacarra, Wake Forest

Hannah Darling, South Carolina

Anna Davis, Auburn

Savannah de Bock, Eastern Michigan

Francesca Fiorellini, UCLA

Lauren Kim, Texas

Jasmine Koo, Southern Cal

Maria Jose Marin, Arkansas

Farah O’Keefe, Texas

Meja Ortengren, Stanford

Catherine Park, Southern California

Julia Lopez Ramirez, Mississippi State

Andrea Revuelta, Stanford

Kiara Romero, Oregon

Louise Rydqvist, South Carolina

Amanda Sambach, Virginia

Paula Martin Sampedro, Stanford

Bailey Shoemaker, Southern Cal

Rocio Tejedo, LSU

Lottie Woad, Florida State

Jeneath Wong, Pepperdine

Kelly Xu, Stanford

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