By Don Donohue
DUBLIN, Ohio – May 28, 2025 –Three-time All-American and Wake Forest University senior Carolina Lopez-Chacarra has been named the recipient of the 2025 Inkster Award presented by Workday, recognizing the highest-ranked women’s Division I (DI) collegiate golfer in her final year of eligibility for the 2024-2025 college golf season.
The award is named after Juli Inkster, a World Golf Hall of Fame member and LPGA legend who was a three-time All-American at San José State (1979-1982). Inkster elected not to turn professional until finishing her four-year commitment to her school, winning 17 individual titles during her college career. The Inkster Award winner was announced onsite at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday, a PGA TOUR event in Dublin, Ohio.
Lopez-Chacarra, a fourth-year senior, finished the season as the top-ranked DI women’s college golfer in her senior season, according to Clippd, ranked sixth overall. She is also currently ranked 20th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings. She captured two wins during the 2024-2025 season, including the individual medalist at the NCAA Lubbock Regional Championship as well as the individual champion at the Jackson T. Stephens Cup.
As a result of winning the 2025 Inkster Award, Lopez-Chacarra will receive:
• Sponsor invitations to compete in the 2025 Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give (June 12-15) at Blythefield Country Club in Belmont, Mich.; and The Standard Portland Classic, (Aug. 14-17) at Columbia Edgewater Country Club in Portland, Ore.
• She will automatically advance to the Qualifying Stage (Second Stage) of 2025 LPGA Qualifying Series (Q-Series), Oct. 15-18 at Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, Fla.
• As a presenting sponsor of the Inkster Award, Workday will provide $50,000 to the Juli Inkster Foundation to help support Lopez-Chacarra’s transition to her professional golf career. The $50,000 will support Lopez-Chacarra’s mentorship retreat with Inkster and assist with her travel expenses.
• She will join Inkster on a two-day mentorship retreat in Northern California.
“Carolina has had a decorated amateur and collegiate career at Wake Forest, earned her college degree and excelled on the golf course, helping to lead the Lady Demon Deacons to consecutive NCAA national championship appearances,” said Inkster. “That says a lot about not only her performance on the course, but also about her goals and passions away from it and putting education as a priority. I look forward to mentoring Carolina as she navigates the next stage in her professional and personal journeys.”
“I also want to thank the Women’s Golf Coaches Association and Workday for partnering with me on this award,” continued Inkster. “To have a player be honored for her commitment to her school, coaches and her teammates is what this award is all about.”
“I’m thrilled to be the recipient of this year’s Juli Inkster Award presented by Workday and to receive this award,” said Lopez-Chacarra. “Juli has had an incredible career on tour and I aspire to follow in her footsteps. Thank you to Workday and Juli Inkster for this mentorship and opportunity to kick-start my professional career.”
“It is an unbelievable honor for Carolina to be selected for the Juli Inkster Award,” said Kim Lewellen, women’s golf head coach at Wake Forest. “Juli Inkster not only won 31 times on tour, but she also showcases professionalism and a willingness to give back to the game, especially for those young ladies who made the decision to stay the four years and graduate with a degree instead of turning professional early. That is the spirit of this award, and Carolina embodies that. It’s perfect timing in her golf career for all the opportunities that the Juli Inkster Award presented by Workday provides, including two LPGA starts, as well as financial support in her transition to professional golf. This award is a true honor.”
Lopez-Chacarra wrapped up her collegiate career by helping to lead Wake Forest to the NCAA Women’s Golf Championships earlier this month. She concluded her senior season with six top-five finishes, including two wins, in 10 events. She has competed in five editions of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, highlighted by a ninth-place finish in 2025. She will represent Team International in the 2025 Arnold Palmer Cup, June 5-7 at Congaree Golf Club, her second appearance in the Arnold Palmer Cup (2022). As a sophomore in 2023, she helped Wake Forest win the NCAA DI Women’s Golf Championships title. She is competing this week at the U.S. Women’s Open at Erin Hills in Wisconsin after finishing as the low medalist and low amateur at the Duke University Golf Club qualifier.
The 2025 recipients of the Division II and Division III Inkster Award will be announced at a later date.
COURTESY WOMEN’S GOLF COACHES ASSOCIATION
