IRVING, Texas – Charlotte sophomore Pinky Chaisilprungruang repeated as the top player in the conference for the second straight season as part of the 2026 American Conference women’s golf awards that were announced by the league on Monday, being voted the Golf Player of the Year amid a stellar campaign. South Florida’s Tiphani Knight captured Freshman of the Year and Tulsa’s Mike Roters brought home Coach of the Year for the second consecutive year. All three major awards were voted on by the conference’s 11 women’s golf head coaches.

Chaisilprungruang followed up on a dynamic freshman season with four wins over her first 11 starts, capturing medalist honors at the Clemson Tiger Classic (137, -7), the French Broad Collegiate Invitational (139, -5) and the Appalachian State Mimosa Invitational (214, -2) during the regular season. Chaisilprungruang finished as the only player under par in all three rounds on the way to a dominant nine-stroke victory at the 2026 American Women's Golf Championship at Southern Hills Plantation Club, firing rounds of 71-67-67 to close at 11-under-par 205. Chaisilprungruang, the top ranked American player in the April 24 Clippd rankings at number 40, became the third multi-time American Women’s Golf Player of the Year in conference history and will return to NCAA Regionals as the conference’s individual champion.

Knight enjoyed a successful debut season with USF, ranking number 229 in the April 24 Clippd individual player rankings after registering three top 10s in eight starts. Knight was tied for sixth place at the Pat Bradley Invitational, shared seventh place the UCF Challenge and was solo third in her final start at the Bell Bank “Pay It Forward” Collegiate. Knight became the first USF player to earn American Freshman of the Year honors in women’s golf.

Roters kept the momentum rolling in his second season at the helm of the Tulsa program, with Tulsa ranked 49th in the April 24 Clippd national team rankings after logging six top-three showings as a squad in 11 starts. The Golden Hurricane defended the team title at the 2026 American Women's Golf Championship at Southern Hills Plantation Club with a 2-over-par score of 866 (284-284-298) to again qualify for NCAA Regionals. Four Tulsa players, including conference tournament top seven finishers Samantha Olson (second place, 214, -2), Romaine Masserey (third place, 215, -1) and Allyn Stephens (tied for seventh place, 220, +4) along with national top 250 player Jenni Roller, secured all-conference recognition.

Chaisilprungruang led a total of 16 players from seven American member institutions that earned all-conference accolades. All-conference recognition was awarded to the top 10 players from the American in the Clippd national individual player rankings and to any other players who finished among the top seven and ties at the 2026 American Women’s Golf Championship not among that ranked group. Tulsa led the way with its four honorees, while UTSA had three total honorees. East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, North Texas and South Florida each boasted two all-conference players each.

2026 American Conference Women’s Golf Awards

Golf Player of the Year
Pinky Chaisilprungruang, So., Charlotte*

Freshman of the Year
Tiphani Knight, South Florida

Coach of the Year
Mike Roters, Tulsa

All-Conference Team
Pinky Chaisilprungruang, So., Charlotte
Nicole Nash, Jr., East Carolina
Marta Perez, Grad, East Carolina
Nancy Cox, So., Florida Atlantic
Maddie Rathjen, So., Florida Atlantic
Malisone Chanthapanya, Grad, North Texas
Bouquet Subsomboon, Jr., North Texas
Tiphani Knight, Fr., South Florida
Cherry Marley, So., South Florida
Daniela Abonce, Sr., UTSA
Lauren Rios, Sr., UTSA
Victoria Schuldt, Fr., UTSA
Romaine Masserey, Grad, Tulsa
Samantha Olson, So., Tulsa
Jenni Roller, Sr., Tulsa
Allyn Stephens, R-Jr., Tulsa
 
* - denotes unanimous selection