University of Georgia Athletics
Bae Named Finalist For ANNIKA Award
May 23, 2023 | Women's Golf
Georgia golfer had record-setting season
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Athens, Ga. — Georgia's Jenny Bae was named one of three finalists for the 2023 ANNIKA Award on Tuesday by the Haskins Foundation, which administers the accolade presented annually to the top Division I women's golfer.
Stanford's Rose Zhang was won the award for the second straight season. Bae and Julia Lopez Ramirez of Mississippi State were the other finalists.
"Jenny deserves this," head coach Josh Brewer said. "She has been one of the best players honestly over probably the last 18 months in amateur women's golf. She had a really special year, one that I don't know if I'll ever see replicated as a coach. I think she's deserving to win the ANNIKA Award, but we all know she's competing against the Tiger Woods of this era in women's athletics."
Bae wrapped up her collegiate career on Monday by leading Georgia to a 14th place finish at the NCAA Championships, the Bulldogs' third straight top-20 effort at the national championships.
A fifth-year senior from Suwanee, Ga., Bae enjoyed a record-setting 2022-23 campaign. She shattered Georgia's season stroke average and par-or-better rounds marks. Bae compiled a 70.75 average, .29 better than the Bulldogs' previous mark. She posted 25 par-or-better scores, three more than the existing standard. All told, Bae played 36 rounds at a combined 36-under par during the season.
Bae posted eight top-5 finishes in 12 tournaments as a senior. She won medalist honors at both the Illini Invitational and the NCAA Athens Regional and, in the process, recorded the two best tournament scores in Georgia history. Bae shot 16-under en route to victory at historic Medinah Country Club last fall to improve the previous school record by four shots. She recorded a 13-under tally to lead Georgia's sweep of the team and individual titles at the Athens Regional.
In addition to her collegiate success, Bae was the runner-up at the 2023 Augusta National Women's Amateur. She shot 9-under and was tied with Zhang atop the leaderboard after 54 holes before falling on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff. Bae broke the ANWA record for birdies, recording 16 red numbers.
Bae will make her professional debut this weekend, competing in the Epson Tour's Nova Mission Inn Resort and Club Championship in Howey-In-The-Hills, Fla. Ironically, that is the same course where Georgia won the 2001 NCAA Championship.
About the ANNIKA Award presented by Stifel:
Created in 2014, the ANNIKA Award presented by Stifel is annually given to the top female Division 1 collegiate golfer; the winner voted on by players, coaches and members of the college golf media. Named for 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 Division I collegiate golfer. Rose Zhang (Stanford) became the 9th ANNIKA Award winner in 2022, and the second consecutive winner from Stanford.
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, recognizing annually the most outstanding NCAA Division I female and male college golfers. Stifel also serves as a presenting sponsor for the NCAA Division I Women's and Men's Golf Championships on GOLF Channel.
Athens, Ga. — Georgia's Jenny Bae was named one of three finalists for the 2023 ANNIKA Award on Tuesday by the Haskins Foundation, which administers the accolade presented annually to the top Division I women's golfer.
Stanford's Rose Zhang was won the award for the second straight season. Bae and Julia Lopez Ramirez of Mississippi State were the other finalists.
"Jenny deserves this," head coach Josh Brewer said. "She has been one of the best players honestly over probably the last 18 months in amateur women's golf. She had a really special year, one that I don't know if I'll ever see replicated as a coach. I think she's deserving to win the ANNIKA Award, but we all know she's competing against the Tiger Woods of this era in women's athletics."
Bae wrapped up her collegiate career on Monday by leading Georgia to a 14th place finish at the NCAA Championships, the Bulldogs' third straight top-20 effort at the national championships.
A fifth-year senior from Suwanee, Ga., Bae enjoyed a record-setting 2022-23 campaign. She shattered Georgia's season stroke average and par-or-better rounds marks. Bae compiled a 70.75 average, .29 better than the Bulldogs' previous mark. She posted 25 par-or-better scores, three more than the existing standard. All told, Bae played 36 rounds at a combined 36-under par during the season.
Bae posted eight top-5 finishes in 12 tournaments as a senior. She won medalist honors at both the Illini Invitational and the NCAA Athens Regional and, in the process, recorded the two best tournament scores in Georgia history. Bae shot 16-under en route to victory at historic Medinah Country Club last fall to improve the previous school record by four shots. She recorded a 13-under tally to lead Georgia's sweep of the team and individual titles at the Athens Regional.
In addition to her collegiate success, Bae was the runner-up at the 2023 Augusta National Women's Amateur. She shot 9-under and was tied with Zhang atop the leaderboard after 54 holes before falling on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff. Bae broke the ANWA record for birdies, recording 16 red numbers.
Bae will make her professional debut this weekend, competing in the Epson Tour's Nova Mission Inn Resort and Club Championship in Howey-In-The-Hills, Fla. Ironically, that is the same course where Georgia won the 2001 NCAA Championship.
About the ANNIKA Award presented by Stifel:
Created in 2014, the ANNIKA Award presented by Stifel is annually given to the top female Division 1 collegiate golfer; the winner voted on by players, coaches and members of the college golf media. Named for 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 Division I collegiate golfer. Rose Zhang (Stanford) became the 9th ANNIKA Award winner in 2022, and the second consecutive winner from Stanford.
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, recognizing annually the most outstanding NCAA Division I female and male college golfers. Stifel also serves as a presenting sponsor for the NCAA Division I Women's and Men's Golf Championships on GOLF Channel.
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