Major Champions and World's Top-Ranked Players Headline Field at The ANNIKA; Golf Channel/LPGA to Expand Wednesday Pro-Am Coverage Featuring Caitlin Clark
Each of the Top-Six and 18 of the Top-25 in the World Entered into the Championship
WNBA Star Caitlin Clark to Appear at The ANNIKA, Scheduled to Compete in Wednesday Pro-Am with Nelly Korda and Annika Sorenstam
GOLF Channel to Expand Wednesday Television Coverage for Wednesday Pro-Am
Tickets on Sale at www.TheANNIKA.com
BELLEAIR, Fla., Nov. 8, 2024 – Entries are now closed for the 2024 The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican, with the final field to be determined Sunday following the completion of the LPGA Tour’s LOTTE Championship. Currently, The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican boasts one of its strongest fields in its five-year history with 120 of the world’s best female professional golfers set to converge upon Tampa Bay and Pelican Golf Club on Nov. 13-17.
Each of the top-six and 18 of the top-25 players in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings are committed to the championship, including World No. 1 and two-time champion of The ANNIKA Nelly Korda, defending champion at No. 2 Lilia Vu, Ruoning Yin (3), Lydia Ko (4), Hannah Green (5), Haeran Ryu (6), Celine Boutier (8), Amy Yang (11), Rose Zhang (12), Charley Hull (13), Lauren Coughlin (15), Yuka Saso (16), Minjee Lee (17), Ally Ewing (19), Hyo Joo Kim (20), Megan Khang (22), Patty Tavatanakit (23), and Maja Stark (24).
Major Champion and Tampa resident Brittany Lincicome, University of South Carolina All-American Louise Rydqvist and Wake Forest All-American Rachel Kuehn are competing as sponsor exemptions at The ANNIKA. Lincicome will be playing her final event of the year in her final full-time LPGA Tour season, while Kuehn will be making her professional debut.
WNBA Rookie of the Year and Gainbridge® ambassador Caitlin Clark will appear at The ANNIKA and is scheduled to compete in the Wednesday Pro-Am (Nov. 13) alongside Nelly Korda and Annika Sorenstam. Clark’s Wednesday Pro-Am tee time will be at 7 a.m. ET. Andretti INDYCAR drivers Colton Herta and Marcus Ericsson will also join the Wednesday pro-am and walk inside the ropes as guest caddies. Wednesday’s Pro-Am is open to the public, with tickets on sale Wednesday-Sunday at www.TheAnnika.com.
GOLF Channel will expand its Golf Today studio programming to start at 11 a.m. ET on Wednesday and will include highlights, live tournament look-ins and expanded tournament preview coverage of Clark’s Wednesday Pro-Am. Throughout the day, video highlights and reports will be posted on GOLF Channel, NBC Sports, LPGA Tour and The ANNIKA social media channels, including a live stream of Clark’s warm-up range session on Wednesday, an in-round-walk-and-talk with the WNBA star and more.
Clark is also scheduled to be a panelist at the Women’s Leadership Summit on Tuesday (Nov. 12) at Pelican Golf Club, taking place from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. ET. LPGA.com and NBCSports.com are scheduled to live stream the summit in its entirety.
The penultimate event of the 2024 LPGA Tour season and hosted by World Golf and LPGA Hall-of-Famer Annika Sorenstam, The ANNIKA will take place at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Fla., where the field will compete for a share of the $3.25 million purse, one of the largest on the LPGA Tour.
In total, the 120-player field currently features:
- Five players who have been ranked No. 1 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings
- 24 major champions, including four major champions from the 2024 season
- 23 of the 24 participants in the 2024 Solheim Cup
- 16 winners during the 2024 LPGA Tour season
- 54 alums of the Annika Foundation
- Four Olympic Medalists
- Four winners of the ANNIKA Intercollegiate
Tickets are on sale for The ANNIKA, including the Wednesday Pro-Am on Nov. 13 and tournament rounds Nov. 14-17, exclusively at www.TheANNIKA.com. Ticket packages include exclusive hospitality and general admissions tickets offering a wide degree of entertainment and access. All 2024 tickets will be digital and will be emailed after purchase. Tickets can be viewed on either a mobile device or printed out where they will be scanned at the main gate.
All military personnel (active, reserve, retired and veterans) and a plus one will receive complimentary access to the championship, including access to a special exclusive hospitality venue – the Hero Outpost presented by FedData – overlooking the tournament’s signature par-3 12th green.
All first responders (fire, police and emergency medical service personnel) and one guest will be granted complimentary admission to the 2024 edition of the championship. Once inside the championship, First Responders will have access to an exclusive hospitality venue, the First Responders Outpost presented by SERVPRO, located on the par-4 16th green.
All military and first responders will receive complimentary admission to the championship and the Outposts by showing proper identification. Children 17 and under also will be admitted free with a paid adult.
2024 The ANNIKA Ticket Options: There are three ticket options for fans interested in attending:
Daily Grounds:
- Wednesday, Nov. 13 (Pro-Am): $25.
- Thursday, Nov. 14: $40.
- Friday-Saturday, Nov. 15-16: $45 per day.
- Sunday, Nov. 17: $50.
Weekly Grounds:
Wednesday-Sunday, Nov. 13-17: $140.
Lightning Lounge:
Offered in partnership with the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Lightning Lounge provides a shared hospitality experience at the tournament’s signature par-3 12th hole. The Lightning Lounge includes complimentary food and beverages, TVs, private bathrooms, and parking.
Thursday-Sunday, Nov. 14-17: $225 per day.
Weekly (Thursday-Sunday): $800.
Lilia Vu captured her fourth LPGA Tour win at The ANNIKA in 2023, elevating her to World No. 1 at the time. Nelly Korda is a two-time champion at The ANNIKA (2021 and 2022), with Sei Young Kim winning the inaugural event in 2020. All are in the field for The ANNIKA.
For more information on The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican, visit www.TheAnnika.com and on social media: @TheAnnikaLPGA on X, @TheAnnikaLPGA on Instagram, and The Annika driven by Gainbridge at Pelican on Facebook.
About The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican
The Annika driven by Gainbridge at Pelican is the LPGA’s annual tournament in the Tampa Bay region and features the world’s best female golfers competing over four rounds for a share of the $3.25 million purse, one of the largest on the LPGA Tour. The tournament is contested at the Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Fla., a Donald Ross original design and a Beau Welling redesign that offers world-class amenities and an unmatched golf experience. The sole namesake event on the LPGA Tour, Annika Sorenstam serves as tournament host with proceeds benefiting the ANNIKA Foundation. The championship is operated by Outlyr, a global sports, event management and lifestyle marketing agency. For more information on The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican, visit www.TheAnnika.com.
About ANNIKA
In 2008, Annika stepped away from professional golf and created the ANNIKA Foundation, which has impacted more than 8,000 young women from 60 countries to date and growing. It currently hosts grassroots “Share My Passion” golf clinics for young girls and seven global tournaments for junior girls. The Foundation also hosts the ANNIKA Intercollegiate presented by 3M, a premiere event on the NCAA Division I women’s golf fall schedule featuring 12 of the top DI schools in the country. A member of the winning team earns an exemption to compete in The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican.
Annika, the ANNIKA Foundation, and the Haskins Foundation annually recognize the NCAA Division I women’s golf player of the year via the ANNIKA Award. LSU’s Ingrid Lindblad was named the Annika Award winner for 2024.
The Foundation is launching the new More Than Golf Invitational in 2025 for women’s Mid-Major Conference Champions. It also supports 12 female college graduates through the ANNIKA Development Program at Old Barnwell as they pursue their professional golf dreams. The ANNIKA Women’s All Pro Tour was launched this year to provide a better pathway for women to the Epson Tour and LPGA Tour.
In 2014, the LPGA, in partnership with Rolex, the Rolex ANNIKA Major Award was established to recognize the player who, during a current LPGA Tour season, has the most outstanding record in all five major championships. In 2020, Annika was elected the President of the International Golf Federation which oversees golf in the Olympic Games. In 2021, Annika became the first female golfer to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
About Gainbridge®
Founded in 2018, Gainbridge® is an insurtech subsidiary of Group 1001 that empowers consumers to take control of their financial future with solutions that are accessible to everyone no matter their budget or financial knowledge. Its platform provides access to financial products that are simple, intuitive, and backed by smart technology with no complexity or hidden fees. Gainbridge® is headquartered in Zionsville, Indiana. For more information, visit www.gainbridge.io or follow and connect with us on X and LinkedIn.
About Group 1001
Group 1001 is a collective that empowers companies to create positive growth. Our insurance and annuities are easy to understand and accessible to all. Our online investing platform gives individuals control over their savings. Our technology and innovation help companies succeed. And our strategic partnerships bring people together through education and sports.
As of June 30, 2024, Group 1001 had more than 1,400 employees and combined assets under management of $65.2 billion, serving more than 950,000 customers. It comprises the following brands: Delaware Life, Gainbridge®, Clear Spring Health, Clear Spring Property and Casualty Group, Clear Spring Life and Annuity Company, and RVI Group, among others.
About the LPGA
The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) is the world’s premier women’s professional golf organization. Created in 1950 by 13 pioneering female Founders, the LPGA, whose members now represent more than 60 countries, is the longest-standing professional women’s sports organization. Through the LPGA Tour, the Epson Tour, the LPGA Professionals, and a joint venture with the Ladies European Tour, the LPGA provides female professionals the opportunity to pursue their dreams in the game of golf at the highest level. In addition to its professional tours and teaching accreditation programs, the LPGA features a fully integrated Foundation, which provides best-in-class programming for female golfers through its junior golf programming, and its LPGA Amateurs division, which offers its members playing and learning opportunities around the world. LPGA aims to use its unique platform to inspire, transform and advance opportunities for girls and women, on and off the golf course. Follow the LPGA online at www.LPGA.com and on its mobile apps. Join the social conversation on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), Instagram and YouTube.
About the LPGA Tour
The LPGA Tour is the world’s leading competitive destination for the best female professional golfers in the world. The Tour hosts more than 30 annual events across 10 countries for over 200 Active Players, awarding total prize funds exceeding $125 million and reaching television audiences in more than 220 countries. Follow the LPGA Tour on its U.S. television home, Golf Channel.
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