Photo Credit: Ladies European Tour/Twitter
This week, the best women in golf are set to compete at historic Carnoustie for the 2021 AIG Women’s Open and final major of the year. This will mark the 21st playing of the event as a major championship and 46 ANNIKA alumnae are represented in the field.
Of the 46 former and current ANNIKA players, four are amateurs. Sweden’s Ingrid Lindblad is coming off a win at the European Ladies Amateur Championship which earned her an invite to play this week. Ranked No. 3 in the WAGR, the 2020 ANNIKA Award presented by Stifel finalist is also a past Diamond Resorts ANNIKA Invitational presented by Rolex champion, claiming the title in 2019 at World Golf Village. Fellow amateur Rose Zhang is also playing in Scotland this week. The incoming Stanford freshman has had an incredible year, recently receiving the USGA’s Mark H. McCormack Medal for the second time. She has played in three major championships this year, with her best finish (T-11) at the ANA Inspiration where she received low amateur honors and broke the 72-hole amateur score record. She comes in hot, as she won the U.S. Girls Junior Championship last month. Wake Forest junior Lauren Walsh is competing in her first major championship this week and will have her sister on the bag. The Ireland native finished T-6 in the ANNIKA Intercollegiate presented by 3M in 2019 where she helped lead the Demon Deacons to victory. Rounding out the amateurs is Aline Krauter of Germany who gained entry into this week’s major with her win at the 2020 Women’s Amateur Championship. She also competed in the ANA Inspiration, U.S. Women’s Open and Evian Championship this year, so she’s certainly gotten some solid major reps.
As for some of our professional alumnae to watch this week, World No. 1 Nelly Korda is enjoying a career year. Straight off a gold medal at the Summer Olympics, Nelly has had an incredible season with six top-3 finishes and three wins, including her first major title at the KPMG PGA Championship.
Other notable ANNIKA alumnae are Patty Tavatanakit and Yuka Saso who both collected their first major titles this year. Twenty-one-year-old Tavatanakit was the first rookie champion of the ANA Inspiration since Juli Inkster in 1984. The 19-year-old Saso became the first player from the Philippines – male or female – to win a major when she captured this year’s U.S. Women’s Open at Olympic. In doing so she also tied the record for the youngest player to ever win a U.S. Women’s Open.
Among other ANNIKA alumnae who will be competing this week in Scotland are Pia Babnik, Ana Belac, Celine Boutier, Olivia Cowan, Austin Ernst, Ayaka Furue, Kristen Gillman, Jaye Marie Green, Leonie Harm, Esther Henseleit, Alice Hewson, Nuria Itturioz, Danielle Kang, Megan Khang, Cheyenne Knight, Jessica Korda, Stephanie Kyriacou, Bronte Law, Alison Lee, Andrea Lee, Yu Liu, Gaby Lopez, Nanna Koerstz Madsen, Leona Maguire, Lucie Malchirand, Yealimi Noh, Emily K. Pedersen, Madelene Sagstrom, Sarah Schmelzel, Luna Sobron Galmes, Lauren Stephenson, Emma Talley, Albane Valenzuela, Angel Yin, Muni He, Cloe Frankish, Lindsey Weaver, Aditi Ashok and Nicole Broch Larsen.
We wish the best of luck to all our former ANNIKA competitors playing this week and will be cheering everyone on from this side of the pond!
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