Girls Invited to Tell Annika Why They Love Golf for Chance to Attend Clinic
(ORLANDO, Fla.) – The United States Golf Association (USGA) and the ANNIKA Foundation – three-time U.S. Women’s Open champion Annika Sorenstam’s charitable organization – announce they will host a “Share My Passion” clinic during U.S. Senior Women’s Open week at Brooklawn Country Club in Fairfield, Conn.
The clinic will take place on Tuesday, July 27. To participate, girls between the ages of six and 14 who live in the New York City metropolitan area are invited to write an open letter to Annika telling her why they love golf, and why other girls should learn how to play. Annika and her team will then invite the authors of the 40 most-compelling notes to attend the event.
Winners will rotate through stations taught by Annika and other instructors covering the fundamentals of driving, putting and the importance of fitness. After that, Annika will conduct her clinic and discuss topics ranging from course management to shot execution. Participants and a parent / guardian will also receive complimentary admission to watch that day’s practice round action.
Entry forms can be accessed here.
Annika, who turned 50 in October 2020, recently applied to play as a fully exempt competitor into this year’s U.S. Senior Women’s Open, the first of which she is age eligible. It will be her first appearance in a USGA championship since the 2008 U.S. Women’s Open when she holed out her final shot – a 6-iron from 199 yards – to cap her illustrious U.S. Women’s Open career.
“I look forward to welcoming girls to what promises to be a very memorable ‘Share My Passion’ event at the U.S. Senior Women’s Open,” says Annika. “USGA championships hold a special place in my heart and I’m excited to share their special atmosphere with clinic participants.”
“As a former USGA champion, we’re honored to have Annika making her debut in the U.S. Senior Women’s Open,” says Craig Annis, Chief Brand Officer, USGA. “The USGA’s establishment of the U.S. Senior Women’s Open in 2018 is yet another example of our long history of promoting women’s golf going all the way back to the 1895 U.S. Women’s Amateur, and to pair that with a junior event that engages local golfers is a perfect fit for our mission.”
The ANNIKA Foundation launched the “Share My Passion” series in 2018 to connect with girls who are just getting introduced to the game. It complements the Foundation’s global circuit of girls-only invitational tournaments that seeks to identify and develop the next generation of champions, on and off the course. Since the inaugural ANNIKA Foundation tournament – the 2009 ANNIKA Invitational USA – 60 ANNIKA event alumnae have earned LPGA cards. Fifty-seven alumnae competed in the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open, including the champion, Yuka Saso.