By: Golfweek |
December 10, 2019 1:44 pm
Female collegians will now have an additional honor to play for with the creation of the Juli Inkster Senior Award. The award will be presented to the highest ranked women’s college golfer, as determined by Golfstat and Golfweek/Sagarin rankings, who is in her final year of NCAA eligibility.
The award is appropriately named for Inkster, given that the LPGA legend was a three-time All-American at San Jose State, and in the span of her college career (1979-1982), won 17 individual titles.
“This is a great honor to have this award named after me,” said Inkster. “It’s a privilege to be able to play college golf at all levels. To have a player be honored for her commitment to the school, coaches and her teammates is what this award is about.”
The creation of the award was announced Tuesday at the annual college golf coaches convention in Las Vegas.
The Inkster award will be administered by the Women’s Golf Coaches Association and presented across all three NCAA divisions. The recipient must be academically eligible, per NCAA rules, and must meet a minimum round requirement – 15 rounds for Division I players and 12 rounds for Divisions II and III players.
The creation of the Inkster Award will shine a light on a senior who commits a full college career to her team in a climate where leaving early for the LPGA has become more and more enticing for the top players. It also bolsters postseason honors in the women’s game. While the men have many honors and awards to play for, women’s golfers only recently have been eligible for a player of the year award – the ANNIKA Award – which is voted on by players, coaches and media.
“On behalf of the Women’s Golf Coaches Association, I’d like to thank Juli for her support of this award as well as the college golf experience,” said WGCA President Todd Oehrlein. “To have our top ranked seniors recognized with an award bearing her name is an incredible honor. We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to create this award.”
The first Inkster awards will be presented after the completion of the 2019-20 women’s collegiate golf season. The Division I women’s golf recipient will receive a sponsor exemption into the next Cambia Portland Classic and have the opportunity to spend time with Inkster during a two-day mentorship retreat.
