It’s time for the national championship.
The 2026 NCAA Women’s Golf Championship gets underway Friday at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa’s North Course in Carlsbad, California. Thirty of the best women’s golf teams in the country will descend upon Southern California to battle it out for the national title.
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And making up those teams are some of the best players in the amateur game. There are numerous stars who will play for the individual title over the coming days at Omni La Costa, including plenty who are finalists for the 2026 Annika Award.
10 players to watch at NCAA Women’s Golf ChampionshipVanessa Borovilos, Texas A&M
Borovilos, a sophomore, is one of the reasons Texas A&M will be competing for a national title next week. She’s talented enough to win the individual crown and is coming in hot off a win at the NCAA Waco Regional.
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Paula Francisco, Florida
Francisco has a pair of wins this season, including in the SEC Championship. When she is playing well, it lifts Florida to new levels, and they’ll count on Francisco to have a stellar showing in California.
Jasmine Koo, USC
Koo has four wins this season but missed regionals last week dealing with a sickness. She was still under the weather earlier this week, coach Justin Silverstein told Golfweek, but when healthy, Koo is among the nation’s elite.
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Rianne Malixi, Duke
Malixi is arguably the best freshman in the country. She had a slow start this fall but found her footing in the spring and has proven she can win golf’s biggest events.
Maria Jose Marin, Arkansas
The defending NCAA champion. The winner of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur last month. Marin is undoubtedly one of the best amateurs in the world, and she has the titles to back it up. Now she has a chance to defend.
Paula Martin Sampedro, Stanford
Numerous Stanford players are on this list, but we’ll start with Martin Sampedro, who helped the Cardinal to the national title as a freshman in 2024. Now a junior, she’s hoping to add an individual title to her resume, too.
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Farah O’Keefe, Texas
If the race for the Annika Award ended after regionals, O’Keefe is the likely leader in the clubhouse to win the player of the year award. Nevertheless, she has been incredible this spring and a big reason Texas is hoping for a national title.
Meja Ortengren, Stanford
Oh, look, another Stanford player. Ortengren, a sophomore, has one win this season and six top-10 finishes. Her consistency is a big reason Stanford is the favorite for the title.
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Catherine Park, USC
Stanford isn’t the only team with multiple players on the list. Park has been stellar for the Trojans this season, with one win and eight top-10 finishes under her belt. She could be an X-factor if USC is to challenge for a national title.
Andrea Revuelta, Stanford
The third Stanford player on the list is Revuelta, another sophomore who won the NCAA Stanford Regional, her second regional title, and is playing her best golf this spring. Could an NCAA title be around the corner?
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: NCAA Women’s Golf Championship 2026: Players to watch at Omni La Costa