The Heritage Classic Presentation Recognizes Twenty Athletes
WICHITA, Kan. – The ANNIKA Foundation and Southern Company, who partnered last December to launch the ANNIKA 20 program, are proud to announce this year’s class of athletes. The ANNIKA 20 program is designed to develop and support the next generation of top women’s professional golfers by awarding LPGA qualifying school scholarships to the top 20 athletes on the ANNIKA Women’s All Pro Tour (WAPT).
The ANNIKA 20 presented by Southern Company recognizes these athletes based on their performance in the 2025 Callaway Race to Qualifying points standings. The graduating class was honored September 7th at the Heritage Classic, the ANNIKA WAPT Tour Championship, where Emily O’Brien, Brand Director for Southern Company, presented the awards.
“We are big fans of the opportunities the ANNIKA Foundation and the ANNIKA WAPT are creating for young women in professional golf,” O’Brien said. “Southern Company shares their dedication to growing the game and is proud to help these athletes advance their careers.”
Gary DeSerrano, co-founder of the ANNIKA WAPT, emphasized the program’s significance: “This program is incredibly important to these athletes. Pursuing a dream in golf can be very expensive; a successful LPGA Qualifying campaign alone can cost $6,500 just to attend. Southern Company’s support allows these athletes to concentrate on their game without the burden of financial concerns.”
The inaugural class of the ANNIKA 20 presented by Southern Company includes:
- Hailey Jones (Dallas, TX)
- Megan Osland (BC, Canada)
- Ellie Slama (Solana Beach, CA)
- Jean Reynolds (Newnan, GA)
- Jacqueline Lucena (Jacksonville, FL)
- Sophie Guo (China)
- Annie Kim (Korea)
- Rylee Suttor (Shelbyville, KY)
- Jieni Li (China)
- Michaela Morard (Huntsville, AL)
- Sadie Englemann (Austin, TX)
- Mal Fobes (East Bend, NC)
- Siyan Chen (China)
- Claire Vermette (St Pete, FL)
- Anna Morgan (Spartanburg, SC)
- Jennifer Elliott (Australia)
- Angelina Kim (Los Angeles, CA)
- Ellie Vorster (South Africa)
- Amanda Kim (Houston, TX)
- Hollie Muse (United Kingdom)
“Seeing these 20 incredible athletes reminds me of my own journey from amateur golf to the LPGA Tour. I know firsthand how challenging and expensive that path can be, which is why programs like the ANNIKA 20 presented by Southern Company are so meaningful,” said Annika. “These young women have worked tirelessly to earn their spot, and I’m thrilled we can provide the support they need to focus on their game and chase their dreams. They represent the future of women’s golf, and I can’t wait to see what they accomplish next.”
“Since joining the ANNIKA Foundation board, I have been able to experience the passion Annika has for creating opportunities for the next generation of female golfers,” said Tom Reilly, ANNIKA Foundation Board Member and ANNIKA 20 supporter. “The ANNIKA 20 program perfectly aligns with the Foundation mission to provide young women with the resources they need to succeed at the highest levels of the game so seeing these players recognized today is incredibly rewarding.”
The 2025 ANNIKA 20 presented by Southern Company program commenced on April 2-5 at the Coca-Cola Open in Alexandria, La., and concluded on September 3-6 at the Heritage Classic in Wichita, Kansas.
About Southern Company
Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is a leading energy provider serving 9 million customers across the Southeast and beyond through its family of companies. Providing clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy with excellent service is our mission. The company has electric operating companies in three states, natural gas distribution companies in four states, a competitive generation company, a leading distributed energy solutions provider with national capabilities, a fiber optics network and telecommunications services. Through an industry-leading commitment to innovation, resilience and sustainability, we are taking action to meet customers’ and communities’ needs while advancing our goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Our uncompromising values ensure we put the needs of those we serve at the center of everything we do and are the key to our sustained success. We are transforming energy into economic, environmental and social progress for tomorrow. Our corporate culture has been recognized by a variety of organizations, earning the company awards and recognitions that reflect Our Values and dedication to service. To learn more, visit www.southerncompany.com.
About the ANNIKA FOUNDATION
Annika created the ANNIKA Foundation to develop, empower and advance young women around the world through golf and in life. More specifically, it provides opportunities in women’s golf at the junior, collegiate and professional levels while teaching young people the importance of personal development, including living a healthy, active lifestyle through fitness and nutrition. Throughout the junior and collegiate tournament circuit, the Foundation hosts “More Than Golf” activities and sessions that aim to educate and promote successful performance on and off the course covering topics such as mental health, college recruitment, career development, financial literacy and more.
The ANNIKA Foundation annually conducts several “Share My Passion” grassroots clinics designed to introduce girls to the game. It also conducts seven major golf events around the world for aspiring junior girls. In addition, the Foundation annually hosts two major collegiate events, the ANNIKA Intercollegiate presented by 3M for top Division I programs and the More Than Golf Invitational for top Mid-Major Conference teams. With the support of the Haskins Foundation, the Foundation created the ANNIKA Award presented by Stifel, which is given annually to the best collegiate female golfer. The ANNIKA Development Program supports recent college graduates pursuing their dreams of playing professional golf. The Foundation partnered with the ANNIKA Women’s All Pro Tour to provide development and advancement opportunities for young professionals looking to one day play on the LPGA Tour. The Foundation also is the main beneficiary of the LPGA’s The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican. Most recently, the ANNIKA Inspiration Award was created to recognize past ANNIKA players who are giving back to their communities and making an impact off the course.
Visit annikafoundation.org to learn more.
About the ANNIKA Women’s All Pro Tour
The ANNIKA Women’s All Pro Tour (WAPT) was established in 2019 to provide a premier developmental opportunity for female golf professionals to hone their competitive skills while preparing for a life on the Epson and LPGA Tours. Through its partnership with the LPGA’s Epson Tour, the ANNIKA WAPT provides weekly opportunities for players to earn exemptions to select Epson Tour events. At the end of each season, the top five points winners on the Callaway Race To Q2 earn advancement directly to Stage II of LPGA qualifying and the top 20 on the ANNIKA 20 presented by Southern Company will be awarded an LPGA Qualifying Scholarship.
Follow the WAPT online at www.wapt.golf, on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Media Contact
Marissa McCardell, Communications Director, ANNIKA WAPT
marissa@kgsportsco.com
559-862-6850 cell
