IRVING, Texas – Boasting the top-ranked team in the league for the bulk of the season, UCF swept both major player honors as part of the 2022 American Athletic Conference women’s golf award winners that were unveiled on Tuesday. The American Player of the Year, American Freshman of the Year and American Coach of the Year awards were voted on by the conference’s 10 women’s golf head coaches.
Tunrada Piddon became the second UCF player (fourth overall award) to be named American Player of the Year, while Zoe Allaux added the fifth all-time American Freshman of the Year trophy for the Knights. Tulane head coach Stew Burke captured the first American Coach of the Year trophy in women’s golf for the Green Wave.
A total of 15 players from seven member institutions, including 2022 American Women’s Golf Championship medalist Kennedy Pedigo from SMU, brought home all-conference accolades. All-conference recognition is awarded to the top 10 players from The American in the Golfstat national individual player rankings and to any other players who finished among the top seven and ties at the 2022 American Women’s Golf Championship not among that ranked group. UCF, Houston and Tulane led the way with three honorees, followed by SMU and Tulsa boasting two players each.
Piddon joined Ashley Holder (2014-15, ‘17) as UCF recipients of American Player of the Year on the heels of a runner-up finish at the 2022 American Women’s Golf Championship at Pinehurst No. 6. Piddon, the number 55 ranked player in NCAA Division I women’s golf according to Golfstat, has posted a 72.03 adjusted scoring average thus far this season in advance of NCAA Regionals. Piddon was named the conference player of the month for October 2021 and captured player of the week honors in The American on Feb. 16 and April 7. Piddon was the medalist at the Evie Odom Invitational Championship on Oct. 3-5 of 2021 after firing rounds of 67-66-67=200 (-10) and tied for second at the Brickyard Collegiate on April 4-5, shared fourth place at the UCF Challenge on Feb. 6-8 and tied for fifth place at the Moon Golf Invitational on Feb. 20-22 during the regular season.
Allaux became the latest UCF player to earn the title of American Freshman of the Year, along with prior winners Holder (2014), Lauren Sojo (2015), Maria Balcazar (2017) and Elizabeth Moon (2019). Allaux checked in ranked 138th in the Golfstat national rankings and has posted a weighted scoring average of 73.58 this season. Allaux’s best finish of her rookie campaign was a tie for seventh place at the Brickyard Collegiate on April 4-5, to go along with a share of 10th place to lead the Knights at the Bryan National Collegiate Sept. 26-28 of 2021. Allaux tied for 21st place in her first career American Women’s Golf Championship start at Pinehurst No. 6.
In his third season at the helm of the program, Burke guided Tulane to its first league championship in women’s golf as an American member and first NCAA Regional berth since 2016. The Green Wave overcame a 10-shot deficit entering the final round to capture the 2022 conference tournament by five strokes. Three Tulane players finished among the individual top 10 at the American tournament, led by Sandra Vazquez in third place, Daozeng Liu in a tie for fourth place and Carla Bernat (ranked 242nd by Golfstat) in a tie for seventh place. Burke led Tulane to four top-10 tournament results this season, including the American tournament title, on the road to 2022 NCAA Regionals.
2022 American Athletic Conference Women’s Golf Awards
Player of the Year
Tunrada Piddon, Jr., UCF
Freshman of the Year
Zoe Allaux, UCF
Coach of the Year
Stew Burke, Tulane
All-Conference Team
Zoe Allaux, Fr., UCF
Camille Banzet, So., UCF
Tunrada Piddon, Jr., UCF
Kathryn Carson, Sr., East Carolina
Nicole Abelar, So., Houston
Annie Kim, Sr., Houston
Maria Jose Martinez, Sr., Houston
Melanie Green, So., South Florida
Serena Shah, Sr., SMU
Kennedy Pedigo, Sr., SMU
Carla Bernat, Fr., Tulane
Daozeng Liu, So., Tulane
Sandra Vazquez, Jr., Tulane
Sydney Seigel, Fr., Tulsa
Lilly Thomas, Jr., Tulsa