Sambach Leads UVA Back to ANNIKA Intercollegiate as Reigning Medalist
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The No. 25 Virginia women’s golf opens its season Monday at the ninth annual ANNIKA Intercollegiate presented by 3m. The three-day event takes place at Royal Golf Club in Lake Elmo, Minn.
UVA junior Amanda Sambach won the tournament last year by two shots at 9-under 207. She posted rounds of 65, 68 and 74. Her first-round score matched the UVA single-round scoring record. Sambach’s performance was at the time her best finish as a collegiate and helped her go on to earn All-America honors last season.
Virginia placed third at last year’s event, its best finish in three appearances at the ANNIKA Intercollegiate. The Cavaliers were 11th in both 2017 and 2019.
This year’s field features (Golfweek ranking): Baylor (12), Duke (27), Florida State (10), Minnesota, Mississippi State (6), Oregon (8), San Jose State (15), South Carolina (3), Texas (7), Texas A&M (5) and Wake Forest (2).
Joining Sambach for the event will be junior Megan Propeck, senior Rebecca Skoler, graduate student Celeste Valinho and freshman Jaclyn LaHa. Propeck, and Valinho all played in the tournament last season.
Monday and Wednesday’s rounds start at 8:30 a.m. CT while Tuesday’s play gets underway at 9:30 a.m. CT. UVA will be paired with Duke and Minnesota during Monday’s play. They start at 9:25 a.m. CT from the 10th tee.
The tournament is named for former LPGA champion Annika Sorenstam, who won 89 professional events and 10 major titles during her 15 years as a professional.
Sorenstam enrolled at the University of Arizona in the fall of 1990 and won seven titles during her collegiate career. She was the first foreign-born player and first freshman to win the individual NCAA Championship. She also won the 1991 National Co-Player of the Year Award, was the 1992 Pac-10 Champion and was named to the 1991-1992 All-American team. In 1992, Annika was a runner-up for the National Player of the Year Award and finished second to Vicki Goetze at the United States Women’s Amateur Golf Championship.
Live scoring of the tournament is online at Golfstat.com.