Top Women’s Programs, Including No. 2 Oregon, No. 3 South Carolina and No. 4 Wake Forest, Set to Battle Next Month at Lake Elmo’s Royal Golf Club
(ORLANDO, Fla.) – The ANNIKA Foundation – golf Hall-of-Famer Annika Sorenstam’s charitable organization – is excited to host the eighth edition of the ANNIKA Intercollegiate presented by 3M at Lake Elmo, Minnesota’s Royal Golf Club, September 11-14.
The elite field features 12 of the best NCAA Division I women’s golf programs, led by No. 2 Oregon, No. 3 and defending ANNIKA Intercollegiate champion South Carolina, and No. 4 and 2019 champion Wake Forest.
They are joined by eight more top teams in the current Golfweek/Sagarin rankings: No. 7 Arizona State, No. 12 Alabama, No. 13 Virginia, No. 14 Auburn, No. 15 Texas, No. 16 Florida, No. 20 Michigan and No. 21 Duke. Host program Minnesota rounds out the 12-school field.
“Our Foundation team and partners at 3M are excited to leadoff what promises to be another exceptional college golf season,” says Annika, who as an Arizona Wildcat in 1991 became the first freshman to win an individual NCAA women’s championship. “With each passing year, the ANNIKA Intercollegiate presented by 3M grows in stature as a key proving ground for the LPGA’s stars of tomorrow.”
The ANNIKA Intercollegiate has been played in the St. Paul area, where 3M is headquartered, since 2017.
The host course Royal Golf Club features a front nine (The Queen’s Nine) designed by Annika, and a back nine (The King’s Nine) designed by Arnold Palmer. It was Annika’s first U.S. golf course design project. Rolling hills, mature trees and abundant wildlife provide a scenic backdrop for what has become a wonderful home for the event.
Annika’s involvement with NCAA women’s golf extends to the ANNIKA Award presented by Stifel. Now in its 10th year, it is presented to the nation’s most outstanding female collegiate player as voted on by players, coaches and members of the golf media.
Stanford’s Rose Zhang, the 2022 ANNIKA Award winner, will be honored during tournament week and throw out the first pitch at a Minnesota Twins game. The California native won the first three events of her college career before ending her epic 2021-22 season as the 2022 NCAA individual women’s champion. Her on-course accolades before enrolling at Stanford include a victory at the 2020 U.S. Women’s Amateur.
The ANNIKA Foundation is devoted to growing the game of golf around the world. In addition to its involvement with the ANNIKA Intercollegiate and ANNIKA Award, it hosts six girls-only invitational tournaments on five continents: the Diamond Resorts ANNIKA Invitational presented by Rolex, ANNIKA Invitational Europe and ANNIKA Cup (Sweden), ANNIKA Invitational Mission Hills (China), ANNIKA Invitational Australasia (New Zealand) and the Women’s Amateur Latin America Championship presented by The R&A and ANNIKA Foundation.
Since the inaugural Foundation tournament – the 2009 ANNIKA Invitational USA – 87 ANNIKA event alumnae have earned LPGA cards. Three of the five 2021 major champions – Patty Tavatanakit, Yuka Saso and Nelly Korda – are ANNIKA alumnae.
For more information, please visit www.annikafoundation.org, @ANNIKA_Fdn & ANNIKA59 (Twitter), and @ANNIKA_Fdn & annikas59 (Instagram).
About the ANNIKA Foundation
Annika created the ANNIKA Foundation (www.annikafoundation.org) to provide opportunities in women’s golf at the junior, collegiate and professional levels while teaching young people the importance of living a healthy, active lifestyle through fitness and nutrition. The Foundation has partnered with key organizations to promote healthy, active lifestyles for children, including SPARK, Florida Hospital for Children in support of its Healthy 100 Kids initiative and The First Tee in development of the Nine Healthy Habits curriculum for children, and an endowment of the AJGA’s ACE Grant.
It annually conducts six major golf events for aspiring junior girls: the Hilton Grand Vacations ANNIKA Invitational presented by Rolex; ANNIKA Invitational at Mission Hills in China; ANNIKA Invitational Europe and ANNIKA Cup in Sweden; the Women’s Amateur Latin America with The R&A in Argentina and the ANNIKA Invitational Australasia in New Zealand. Moreover, with the support of the Haskins Commission, the Foundation created the ANNIKA Award presented by Stifel, which is given annually to the best collegiate female golfer. Since 2014, the Foundation has also annually hosted the ANNIKA Intercollegiate presented by 3M, a college tournament featuring 12 top Division I schools. Each year, the Foundation also conducts several “Share My Passion” grass roots clinics designed to introduce kids to the game.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Stephen Reynolds
Buffalo Agency
703.344.6031
sreynolds@buffalo.agency
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