ANNIKA Intercollegiate to Determine First Sponsor Exemption for The ANNIKA Driven by Gainbridge

Photo Credit: Golfweek

Member of the Winning Team at the ANNIKA Intercollegiate will be Awarded with Sponsor Exemption to ‘The ANNIKA,’ Tampa Bay’s Signature LPGA Tour Event Nov. 6-12

Twelve NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Teams to Compete at Royal Golf Club (Lake Elmo, Minn.), Sept. 10-13

BELLEAIR, Fla., July 31, 2023 – The 2023 ANNIKA Intercollegiate, a premier event on the NCAA Division I women’s golf fall schedule that is taking place Sept. 10-13 at Royal Golf Club in Lake Elmo, Minn., is raising the stakes in its ninth year with the addition of awarding a sponsor exemption to a player from this year’s winning team to The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican.

The ANNIKA, Tampa Bay’s signature LPGA Tour event and the penultimate event on the 2023 LPGA Tour schedule, will be hosted by World Golf and LPGA Hall-of-Fame member Annika Sorenstam, taking place Nov. 6-12 at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Fla. The tournament will offer a $3.25 million purse – one of the largest outside the major championships – with proceeds from the tournament benefiting the ANNIKA Foundation.

This year’s ANNIKA Intercollegiate will see 12 top NCAA Division I women’s golf programs compete in a 54-hole stroke-play event, including defending champions Wake Forest University.

The tournament field includes:

Baylor University

Duke University

Florida State University

Mississippi State University

San Jose State University

Texas A&M University

University of Minnesota Twin Cities (host program)

University of Oregon

University of South Carolina

University of Texas at Austin

University of Virginia

Wake Forest University

“This is one of the tournaments I look forward to most each year. It allows the ANNIKA Foundation to advance its mission by providing an opportunity for talented golfers to compete and make connections,” said Annika, founder of the ANNIKA Foundation and host of The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican. “We are thrilled to raise the stakes this year by extending the winning team an LPGA tournament exemption, further cementing our event as a launch pad for the nation’s top programs and players.”

The Royal Golf Club features The Queen’s Nine, a front nine designed by Annika herself. The back nine, named The King’s Nine, was designed by Arnold Palmer. The tournament also will feature a junior day at the Royal Golf Club Par 3 course and College-Am with Minneapolis-based fortune 500 companies, offering ample playing and networking opportunities to both college and junior players.

Nelly Korda is the two-time defending champion of The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican (formerly the Pelican Women’s Championship). She defeated Lexi Thompson by one stroke at 14-under par, solidifying her comeback in 2022 after missing four months early in the year due to injury. The win also elevated Korda back to World No. 1 at the time. In 2021, Korda defeated Thompson, Lydia Ko and 2020 champion Sei Young Kim via a one-hole playoff. The Pelican Women’s Championship made its debut in 2020, with Kim capturing the inaugural title.

For more information on The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican, visit www.TheAnnika.com and on social media: @TheAnnikaLPGA on Twitter, @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, the largest purse on the LPGA Tour outside of major championships and the season-ending event. The tournament is contested at the Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Fla., a Donald Ross design 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.