The 2018 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship will be played this week at Kemper Lakes Golf Club in Kildeer, Illinois. Out of the 156 competitors, 28 are ANNIKA alumnae who have participated in at least one of the Foundation’s junior or collegiate tournaments.
Returning to defend her title is Danielle Kang of Las Vegas, Nevada. The 24-year-old won last year’s tournament at Olympia Fields Country Club. With the title, Kang became the eighth player to make the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship her first LPGA Tour victory. This also made her the first ANNIKA Alum to win a major championship.
Other alumnae competing are Bronte Law, Angel Yin and Celine Boutier. Law, who played collegiate golf for UCLA, won the 2016 ANNIKA Award presented by 3M. It is annually given to the best Division I female collegiate golfer and is voted on by players, coaches and select golf media.
French native Celine Boutier participated in four ANNIKA events during her junior golf career, twice each in the ANNIKA Invitational USA presented by Rolex and the ANNIKA Intercollegiate presented by 3M. In 2011, Boutier won the ANNIKA Invitational USA in Orlando.
Four years later, Angel Yin, having played the event for four consecutive years, took home the title. She began her rookie season on the LPGA Tour in 2017.
Robynn Ree, an LPGA rookie, played in six ANNIKA events during her junior and collegiate career. While at USC, she helped bring her team to victory in back-to-back years at the ANNIKA Intercollegiate.
Mariah Stackhouse, who heads into the week fresh off a top-10 finish, has also played in six ANNIKA events. She was a part of the field at the inaugural ANNIKA Invitational USA and played for four consecutive years. Then, while at Stanford, she competed in two ANNIKA Intercollegiates.
Other ANNIKA alumnae competing in the LPGA’s third major are Erynne Lee, Aditi Ashok, Laetitia Beck, Nicole Broch Larsen, Amelia Lewis, Tiffany Chan, Yu Liu, Katelyn Dambaugh, Austin Ernst, Annie Park, Jaye Marie Green, Emily Pedersen, Kelly Shon, Luna Sobron, Megan Khang, Emma Talley, Lauren Kim, Maria Torres, Nanna Koerstz Madsen, Jessica Korda and Nelly Korda.
Annika, who won the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship three years in a row (2003-2005) to become the second woman in history to win the same major championship three consecutive times, is looking forward to watching all the ANNIKA alumnae compete this week. She also wants to wish her sister, Charlotta, best of luck as she is also competing this week!