Gainbridge℠ Awards Sponsor Invitation to Zionsville, Ind., Native Pancake-Webb, Who Earned Full LPGA Tour Status for 2027 at the Epson Tour Championship on Sunday
BELLEAIR, Fla. – Epson Tour winner Annabelle Pancake-Webb, who earned her LPGA Tour card for 2027 this past week at the Epson Tour Championship at Indian Wells, will kickstart her LPGA Tour career in November when she competes against the world’s best professional golfers as a Gainbridge℠ sponsor invitation to The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican. The penultimate event on the 2026 LPGA Tour schedule, The ANNIKA takes place Nov. 11-15 at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Fla.
Pancake-Webb finished 4th in the season-long “Race for the Card” standings following the conclusion of the Epson Tour Championship on Sunday, earning full LPGA Tour status for the 2027 season. In 19 starts on the Epson Tour in 2026, she recorded eight top-10 finishes, including her first Epson Tour win at the Greater Toledo Classic in July.
Pancake-Webb’s sponsor invitation has a hometown connection: she grew up in Zionsville, Ind., where Gainbridge is headquartered. Golf also runs in her family. Her mother, Libby (Akers) Pancake, is a member of the Indiana High School Golf Hall of Fame. Her father, Tony Pancake, is Director of Golf at famed Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Ind.
Pancake-Webb is a two-time winner (2019 and 2021) of the Indiana Women’s State Amateur Championship, the same tournament her mother won in 1985. She made her LPGA Tour debut as a high-school senior at the Indy Women in Tech Championship at the Brickyard Crossing Golf Course before enrolling at Clemson University. She was a two-time All-ACC selection and holds the season stroke average record (71.27), which she accomplished her senior year.
“I’m honored to tee it up at The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican in November as I prepare for the LPGA Tour in 2027,” said Pancake-Webb. “Growing up in Zionsville, this feels full circle to participate in The ANNIKA. I’m super thankful to Gainbridge for believing in me, and I can’t wait to play against the world’s best at The ANNIKA in November.”
“Annabelle grew up in the same city as our corporate headquarters, and her family has helped shape Indiana golf for decades, so this means a lot to all of us at Gainbridge,” said Mike Nichols, Chief of Sponsorship Strategy and Activation at Group1001, parent company of Gainbridge. “We look forward to welcoming her to the LPGA Tour with a sponsor invitation to The ANNIKA, and we’ll be cheering her on throughout the LPGA Tour season.”
Leading into tournament week, Pancake-Webb is scheduled to join Gainbridge at the Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday, Nov. 8 for the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race. The ANNIKA, Gainbridge and Spire Motorsports are teaming up on a special livery for Michael McDowell’s No. 71 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, with a decklid showing many of the LPGA Tour’s “Race to the CME Globe” players eligible for The ANNIKA. McDowell will appear at The ANNIKA to spend time with LPGA Tour players and participate as a celebrity caddie in the Nov. 11 Pro-Am.
Pancake-Webb joins the tournament’s first sponsor invitation previously announced in September – Wake Forest Senior All-American Macy Pate – as the first two sponsor invites for The ANNIKA. Pate will compete as a result of Wake Forest capturing The ANNIKA Intercollegiate in September, where a member of the winning team receives a sponsor invite.
The ANNIKA, Tampa Bay’s annual LPGA Tour event and the penultimate event on the 2026 LPGA Tour schedule, is hosted by World Golf and LPGA Hall-of-Fame member Annika Sörenstam and takes place Nov. 11-15 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 benefiting the ANNIKA Foundation.
For more information on The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican, visit www.TheAnnika.com and on social media: @TheAnnikaLPGA on X, @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, one of the largest on the LPGA Tour. The tournament is contested at the Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Fla., a Donald Ross original design and a Beau Welling redesign. The sole namesake event on the LPGA Tour, Annika Sörenstam 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.
About Gainbridge℠
Gainbridge Insurance Agency, LLC (“Gainbridge”) was founded in 2018 as part of Group 1001 with a simple belief: people work hard for their money, and their money should work hard for them. We offer a simple, safe way to save for the future – with clear annuity products, no hidden fees, and support from licensed teammates whenever you need it. Gainbridge is headquartered in Zionsville, Indiana. Learn more at gainbridge.com or connect with us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and X.
About Group 1001
Group 1001 Insurance Holdings, LLC (“Group 1001 Insurance” or “Group 1001”) is a collective that empowers companies to create positive growth. Our insurance and annuities are easy to understand and accessible to all. Our online investing platform gives individuals control over their savings. Our technology and innovation help companies succeed. And our strategic partnerships bring people together through education and sports.
As of June 30, 2026, Group 1001 Insurance had more than 1,500 employees and combined assets under management of $87.1 billion and provides over 540,000 active annuity contracts and life insurance policies. It comprises the following brands: Delaware Life, Gainbridge℠, Clear Spring Life and Annuity Company, Clear Spring Property and Casualty Group, and the RVI Group, among others.
About Pelican Golf Club
Pelican Golf Club is a Donald Ross design and a Beau Welling redesign that offers world-class amenities and an unmatched golf experience. The 18-hole golf course, which celebrated its centennial in 2025, plays to a par-70, stretches to 7,000 yards and features lush greenery, undulating terrain, and crushed quartz sand. Pelican Golf Club is the first location on the west coast of Florida to have Latitude 36 Bermudagrass on all Fairways, ensuring gorgeous grounds all season long. Pelican Golf Club is host site for the LPGA Tour’s annual stop in Tampa Bay, The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican.
About Outlyr
Outlyr is a global event management, sponsorship consulting and activation agency that specializes in the development and execution of engaging events and experiences. Outlyr believes in the power of relationships – driving connectivity through sports and culture – to create strategic marketing platforms and high-quality activations, enhancing affinity for its clients and brands. Outlyr manages a number of professional golf tournaments, sporting, hospitality and lifestyle events, as well as the sponsorship portfolio for several blue-chip clients. For additional information on Outlyr, visit www.Outlyr.com.
About ANNIKA
During her 15-year, Hall-of-Fame career, Annika rewrote the LPGA and Ladies European Tour record books, won countless awards, and changed the way women’s golf was played, viewed and covered. She amassed over 95 worldwide wins, 72 on the LPGA Tour, 10 Major Championships, and the 2021 US Senior Women’s Open. She won a record eight Rolex Player of the Year awards, in 2003 was the first woman in 58 years to play a PGA TOUR event, is the only LPGA player to shoot 59, and is still the LPGA’s All-Time money leader with over $22 Million in earnings despite stepping away from competition in 2008.
In 2007, she created the ANNIKA Foundation, which has reached more than 8,000 girls since its inception and will be impacting another 1,300 females this year. In 2014 it started the ANNIKA Intercollegiate presented by 3M, featuring 12 of the top DI schools in the country. The winner gets an invite into The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican, the only signature event on the LPGA schedule.
In 2014 the Rolex ANNIKA Major Award was established to recognize the player who, during a current LPGA Tour season, has the most outstanding record in all five major championships. In 2020, Annika was elected the President of the International Golf Federation which oversees golf in the Olympic Games. In 2021, she became the first female golfer to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
In 2022, the ANNIKA Development Program was established in partnership with Old Barnwell, a private golf club near Aiken, South Carolina to support college graduates who are pursuing professional golf careers. Four ANNIKA Ambassadors are selected per year, and they receive access for three years to Old Barnwell, housing, financial assistance, training, and mentorship from Annika.
The ANNIKA Women’s All Pro Tour was launched in 2024 to provide a better pathway for women to the Epson and LPGA Tours. In 2025, the Foundation launched the More Than Golf Invitational for women’s Mid-Major Conference Champions. The college player of the year wins the ANNIKA Award Presented by Stifel.
About the LPGA
The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) is the world’s premier women’s professional golf organization. Created in 1950 by 13 pioneering female Founders, the LPGA, whose Members now represent nearly 40 countries, is the longest-standing professional women’s sports organization. Through the LPGA Tour, the Epson Tour, the LPGA Professionals, and a joint venture with the Ladies European Tour, the LPGA provides female professionals the opportunity to pursue their dreams in the game of golf at the highest level. In addition to its professional tours and teaching accreditation programs, the LPGA features a fully integrated Foundation, which provides best-in-class programming for female golfers through its junior golf programming, LPGA*USGA Girls Golf, and its LPGA Amateurs division, which offers its members playing and learning opportunities around the world. The LPGA aims to use its unique platform to inspire, transform and advance opportunities for girls and women, on and off the golf course. Follow the LPGA online at www.LPGA.com and download its mobile apps on Apple or Google Play. Join the social conversation on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), Instagram and YouTube.
About the LPGA Tour
The LPGA Tour is the world’s leading competitive destination for the best female professional golfers in the world. The Tour hosts 33 annual events across 13 countries for over 200 athletes, awarding total prize funds exceeding $132 million and reaching television audiences in more than 150 countries and territories. Follow the LPGA Tour on its U.S. television home, Golf Channel.
Media Contacts:
Jeremy Friedman
The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican
Outlyr
407-721-9752
jfriedman@outlyr.com
