By: Max Bechtoldt
Stanford and UCLA are two of the biggest powers in women’s college golf. Together, they are responsible for over half of the winners of the Annika Award. They have produced some of the best players on the LPGA Tour. Here, I will rank the top five current players to be produced by UCLA and Stanford, Note: This is based on professional career, not college:
No. 5 – Andrea Lee: There were other players in contention here. Bronte Law from UCLA has an LPGA Tour win and a few LET wins, along with a Solheim Cup appearance. Ryann O’Toole from UCLA is also a solid option. I went with Andrea Lee here though, who recently made her first Solheim Cup team, and looks in line for another. Lee played at Stanford from 2016-2019, and at the time of her graduation was probably the greatest player in school history. Her first LPGA Tour win was the 2022 Portland Classic. Lee had three top-10s in 2023 and already has the same amount in 2024. She seems to be hitting her stride right now.
No. 4 – Alison Lee: While the former Bruin, Alison Lee doesn’t yet have an LPGA victory, she is almost definitely the best player on tour without one. Lee has 21 career top-10 finishes and four career runner-ups. She’s only played on one Solheim Cup team so far, but is starting to feel like a lock to make her second in 2024. Lee is ranked No. 18 in the world and has a legitimate shot of making the United States Olympic Team in Paris. Over the last two years she has finished in the top 10 of an LPGA event nine times and has won two LET events since 2021.
No. 3 – Patty Tavatanakit: Patty Tavatanakit has a major championship, which was almost enough to place her in the No. 2 position here. After her time at UCLA, Tavatanakit was almost immediately a superstar, winning the 2021 Chevron Championship and the Rookie of the Year award. While she hasn’t been particularly consistent since then, she does have two wins already in 2024, one on the LET and one on the LPGA Tour. Tavatanakit was also a member of the 2023 Thailand team that won the International Crown. Tavatanakit is currently ranked No. 22 in the world, and is an almost lock to play in the Olympics.
No. 2 – Rose Zhang: Rose Zhang was probably the greatest college player ever in two years at Stanford, winning two individual national titles and two Annika Awards. On the LPGA Tour, she has lived up to the expectations. In one year, she was won two tournaments, had three top-10s in majors and has risen to as high as No. 6 in the Rolex Rankings. Zhang is still only 20-years-old and already is one of the most recognizable players on the LPGA Tour. She is set to make her second Solheim Cup appearance in 2024 and her first Olympic start.
No. 1 – Lilia Vu: While Vu’s 2024 campaign has been riddled with injury, she has still held on to a top two spot in the Rolex Rankings. That’s because her 2024 season was phenomenal. In route to winning the 2024 LPGA Player of the Year award, the former Bruin standout won four tournaments including two majors, the Chevron Championship and the AIG Women’s Open. In three years on tour, Vu has 16 career top-10s. She will join Zhang in making her second Solheim Cup and first Olympics appearances.
