This week, Mission Hills Country Club will host the third-annual ANA Junior Inspiration. The 54-hole stroke-play tournament brings together 48 of the top-ranked girls in junior golf, of which 36 are ANNIKA alumnae. The event will take place March 28-31 in Rancho Mirage, California.
Highlighting the past ANNIKA players is the Philippines’ Yuka Saso. She has played in two ANNIKA Invitationals, finishing solo second in New Zealand this past December in the ANNIKA Invitational Australasia with a total score of 205. That was followed up with a T4 in January’s ANNIKA Invitational USA presented by Rolex, which annually boasts the strongest field in junior golf.
Rose Zhang of Irvine, California will be defending her title this week at Mission Hills. Currently ranked No. 24 in WAGR, Zhang has competed in two ANNIKA Invitational USA tournaments with her best finish a solo 5th in 2017.
Other ANNIKA alumnae scheduled to compete are Kynadie Adams, Amari Avery, Sophia Bae, Hailey Borja, Zoe Antoinette Campos, Briana Chacon, Anne Chen, Siyan Chen, Sadie Englemann, Maisie Filler, Megan Furtney, Sophie Guo, Yoon Min Han, Charlotte Hillary, Irene Kim, Yu Kyung Karen Kim, Trinity King, Xin (Cindy) Kou, Lynn Lim, Yu Wen Lu, Ashley Menne, Minori Nagano, Makenzie Niblett, Bohyun Park, Megan Propeck, Pauline Roussin Bouchard, Celina Rosa Sattelkau, Megan Schofill, Ashley Sim, Latanna Stone, Kailie Vongsaga, Christine Wang, Therese Warner and Nicole Whiston.
During the final round, juniors will be paired with an LPGA legend to foster mentorship between the players and the greats of women’s golf. The winner of the ANA Junior Inspiration will receive an exemption into the first major of the year, the ANA Inspiration.
Good luck to all our past ANNIKA players this week!
Learn more about the tournament here.