Cowgirl Golf, Nation’s Best Collide At ANNIKA Intercollegiate
ORLANDO, Fla. — Fresh off a victory in the Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invitational, the Oklahoma State women’s golf team will be put to the test by the best in the nation at the ANNIKA Intercollegiate.
One of the year’s most prestigious events, the ANNIKA Intercollegiate is hosted annually by former LPGA Tour legend Annika Sorenstam, and only the nation’s top programs from the previous year get an invite.
This year’s field features 11 teams ranked inside the Golfweek Preseason Top-20, including No. 1 UCLA, No. 2 Arizona State, No. 3 Georgia, No. 4 Southern California, No. 5 Duke and the No. 9 Cowgirls.
Few teams in the country can claim the hot streak the Cowgirls are currently riding, however. OSU has won five of the last seven events it has participated in, including the Dick McGuire Invite two weeks ago. There, the Cowgirls took down eight other squads ranked in the top 30, including a pair of ANNIKA Intercollegiate invitees, Arizona and Arizona State.
Cowgirl senior Linnea Johansson is playing at the top of her game, and moved up to No. 82 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings this week. She carded 18 total birdies at the McGuire Invite, and opened the event with a career-low 66. Johansson finished the week at 10-under and in a tie for third place.
The Cowgirls will also be represented at the ANNIKA by two-time Big 12 individual champ Kenzie Neisen, Alexis Sadeghy, Isabella Deilert and Chih-Min Chen.
Event: ANNIKA Intercollegiate Presented by 3M Host: ANNIKA Foundation Dates: Sept. 24-27, 2016 Site / Course: Orlando, Fla. / Reunion Resort (Tom Watson Course) Par / Yardage: 72 / 6,257 Live Stats: Golfstat.com History at This Event: 2nd Appearance (OSU 3rd place, McCrary T5th in 2014)
Cowgirl Starting Five … 1. Linnea Johansson (33rd career start for OSU) 2. Kenzie Neisen (33rd career start) 3. Alexis Sadeghy (18th career start) 4. Isabella Deilert (29th career start) 5. Chih-Min Chen (15th career start)
The Field (Golfweek Preseason Ranking) Arizona (12) Arizona State (2) Arkansas (10) Duke (5) Florida (7) Georgia (3) Oklahoma State (9) South Carolina (15) Central Florida UCLA (1) Southern California (4) Virginia (19)