Borrelli Earns Third NCGA Player Of The Year Award

Annika Borrelli became the first player ever to be named the NCGA Player of the Year three times.

WGOLF12/12/2022 1:49 PM | By: Cal Athletics

Grad Transfer Becomes First Ever To Win Award Three Times

Cal graduate student Annika Borrelli was named the 2021-22 NCGA Player of the Year earlier this fall, making her the first woman ever to earn the honor three times.

Last year, Borrelli also became just the second woman ever to win the award in back-to-back years.

“To start 2022, I was on a plane with my dad and we wrote down my goals for the year, and the first one we wrote down was to win NCGA Player of the Year,” Borrelli said. “It means the world to me.”

Borrelli capped off the 2021-22 season by repeating as winner of the California Women’s Amateur Championship, making her just the seventh player in history to win that title in consecutive years. She transferred to Cal before the 2022-23 season after an accomplished career at USF, where she was a three-time All-West Coast Conference selection.

“Northern California, and California in general, is very competitive overall,” Cal head coach Nancy McDaniel said. “Annika has shown her true colors to the entire state – it extends beyond just Northern California. She’s established herself nationally. Annika is just a wonderful young woman who knows what she wants. She continues to grow and learn, and that’s someone fun to be around and coach.”

Borrelli competed in three fall tournaments for the Bears and finished in a tie for 10^th at the season-opening USF Intercollegiate. She also qualified for Stage II of LPGA Q-School after advancing out of the Stage I tournament in August.

Cal junior Cristina Ochoa finished second in the NCGA Player of the Year points race.

“It gives me and the team confidence,” Borrelli said. “This makes me want to work hard not only for myself, but for the team. The past few months being at Cal have been amazing. I love being part of this team.”

The Bears begin the spring season Feb. 3-7 at the Collegiate Invitational in Guadalajara, Mexico.