Annika Sorenstam – Page 2 – Syndication Server

Annika Foundation announces More Than Golf Invitational featuring mid-major conference champions

The tournament course, Old Barnwell Golf Club, is also the site of the Annika Development Program.

The Annika Foundation announced a new women’s college golf tournament for mid-major programs, the More Than Golf Invitational, co-hosted by Augusta University and Columbia University. The event will take place March 27-30, 2025, at Old Barnwell Golf Club in Aiken, South Carolina.

The individual medalist will receive up to three complimentary starts on the Annika Women’s All Pro Tour throughout the summer.

“The More Than Golf Invitational speaks to the heart of our mission — to develop, empower and advance young women through golf and in life — and we are very excited to kick things off next year at Old Barnwell,” said Annika Sorenstam. “We’re grateful to our partners at Old Barnwell and our host universities, Augusta and Columbia, for helping us make this dream a reality. This tournament will give the student-athletes a chance to test themselves at a premier golf venue, while providing memorable experiences, life, and career advice.”

Planned programming at the More Than Golf Invitational will include relationship building opportunities through a college-am to be held before the tournament, as well as an executive women’s reception and dinner where players will have the chance to meet and develop relationships with successful women across a variety of industries.

The More Than Golf Invitational will host 12 teams, including those from Augusta and Columbia. Each year, 10 conference champions from selected mid-major conferences will receive invitations to participate. The following year, 10 other mid-major conferences will receive invitations to play. The 2024 team champions from the following conferences will receive invitations to play in the inaugural More Than Golf Invitational: ASUN, Big East, Big Sky, Conference USA, Horizon League, Metro Atlantic Athletic, Mountain West, Patriot League, Southern and Summit League.

“The missions of The Annika Foundation and Old Barnwell synergize perfectly with the More Than Golf Invitational — creating a once in a lifetime competitive experience that hopefully impacts its participants far beyond the course of play,” said Augusta coach Caroline Haase-Hegg. “We’re thrilled to co-host this event with Columbia University and create a deserved opportunity for these student athletes to take center stage.”

The tournament course, Old Barnwell Golf Club, is also the site of the Annika Development Program, which launched in 2023. Through the program, the Annika Foundation provides four ambassadors each year with the opportunity to continue their pursuit of a professional golf career. Old Barnwell, which opened in 2023, is a mission-driven club focused on bringing people together through golf.

10 things to know about the women’s Rolex Rankings, which debuted on this day in 2006

Get to know the Rolex Rankings.

The Rolex Rankings debuted less than 20 years ago on Feb. 21, 2006. For context, the men’s Official World Golf Ranking has been around since 1986.

In that time, 18 different women from nine different countries have risen to the top, giving fans from all over the world reason to celebrate.

The rankings are used to fill fields at the majors, determine teams like the Solheim Cup and International Crown and decide which top players qualify for the Olympics.

Both amateurs and professionals are eligible and the rankings are updated every Monday.

Here are 10 interesting things to note about the Rolex Rankings, which are now 18 years old:

Is LPGA dominance a thing of the past? Here’s the history of the most wins by players in a single season

It’s tough to see how these numbers get matched.

True dominance on the LPGA might be a thing of the past. There was a time when Mickey Wright won a staggering 10 times or more over the course of four consecutive seasons.

It’s been a decade since a player has won more than five times in a single season. Yani Tseng was the last player to win seven times in 2011.

Compare that to Annika Sorenstam’s double-digit years or when Lorena Ochoa won six, eight and seven times from 2006 to 2008.

Is anyone capable of matching those efforts in the modern game?

As the tour gets deeper by the decade, here’s a closer look at most wins by year on the LPGA:

Lake Nona’s own Lydia Ko leads by two at LPGA TOC; Annika Sorenstam trails by one in celebrity division

Ko moved to Lake Nona in 2019.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Lydia Ko moved inside the gates at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club Christmas of 2019. Her mom got the place fixed up while Ko competed in the Asian swing that year. It turned out to be a great time to move as the world shut down not long after Ko set up shop in the tony community and never left.

“It was great that I could be inside the gates and I remember not being in a car for like three months,” said Ko of the 2020 pandemic. “I stayed in here, drove the cart around, and that’s it.

With one round to go in the season-opening Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, Ko holds a two-stroke lead over LPGA sophomore Alexa Pano, the former Netflix star who won in her rookie year on the LPGA in Northern Ireland.

The Kiwi shot 4-under 68 on a frigid day in central Florida, her last bogey coming on the 17th hole of the first round. Ko sits at 12 under for the tournament with another chilly day on the horizon.

Tournament of Champions: Photos

Pano, meanwhile, carded the first bogey-free round of her LPGA career on Saturday, a 5-under 67, noting that her father/caddie, Rick, is particularly enjoying the celebrity portion of the event. Pano, a Massachusetts native, played alongside former Celtics player Ray Allen in the opening round and former Red Sox pitcher Roger Clemens in the second round.

“It’s really nice to have him with me this week and let him fan-girl a little bit,” said Pano.

Longtime Nona resident Annika Sorenstam stumbled in with a back-nine 43 to fall one point back of former NHL player Jeremy Roenick, who leads with 107 points in the Modified Stableford format. Sorenstam sits tied with former MLB All-Star Derek Lowe, who beat her in a playoff two years ago at this event.

“Very disappointed with the back nine,” said Sorenstam, “especially because I like the back nine. I don’t know why. Just didn’t happen.”

Now only two points shy of the 27 required to qualify for the LPGA Hall of Fame, Ko could move one point closer with a victory at her home club. After a shockingly poor 2023 LPGA season, Ko sought the guidance of a new swing instructor in Si Woo Lee, who came to Lake Nona ahead of the Grant Thornton Invitational. Ko, of course, went on to win alongside partner Jason Day at Tiburon Golf Club, giving her a much-needed boost as she entered a relatively short offseason.

Lydia Ko of New Zealand and Jason Day of Australia celebrate with the trophy after winning the 2023 Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida. (Photo: Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)

When asked if this felt like a continuation from an event she won just over a month ago, Ko said every day she feels like a new person. But there’s no denying it helped.

“I think he gave me like confidence in myself when I felt like I was letting the team down a little bit,” she said. “To see the things that I worked with my coach kind of work out, and for me to hit some of those really good shots coming down the stretch when it like meant the most, I think it gave me a little bit of assurance to say, hey, what I’m doing is good.”

Lydia Ko, determined to bounce back from dismal 2023, tied for lead after 36 holes in LPGA opener

A win this week would provide a much-needed bounce-back for the former world No. 1.

A little more than a month ago, Lydia Ko teamed with Jason Day to win the inaugural Grant Thornton Invitational, a new mixed team event for LPGA and PGA Tour players.

But a win this week would be a much bigger deal for Ko.

The 2022 champion of the CME Group Tour Championship didn’t qualify in 2023 and therefore couldn’t defend her title in the season-ender, putting a cap on a most disappointing season, her 10th on the LPGA.

But it appears that GTI win sparked something in her game.

Ko has opened 69-67 at her home course at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions and will head to the weekend tied for the lead with Ayaka Furue, who shot 65-71.

“I think Grant Thornton helped a lot,” she said Friday afternoon. “We did a lot of good work the week before with my coach flying over and spending some time here at Lake Nona. I think even though you do good work, at the end of the day you got to pull it off and make that work when you’re playing and playing competitive rounds.

“Even though it was a unique format at Grant Thornton, I think it just was really beneficial week for me to kind of be in positions where I was uncomfortable and still be able to commit to my shots.”

So far this week she has eight birdies and eagle and just two bogeys. She had eight straight pars before a closing birdie in Friday’s round even as the weather turned a bit sour.

Ko, who is committed to a more aggressive schedule this season, has the comforts of home right around the corner as she seeks her 20th career victory but admits she has to make sure she’s not too comfortable.

“I have forgotten to set my alarm once and I turned up to the golf course later than I normally do because I was so used to being at home, sleeping in my own bed, so I’m trying to not make that mistake this year.”

The tournament also features a celebrity division, made up of pro golfers, former pro athletes from baseball, basketball and hockey as well as actors and comedians. Tied atop that leaderboard is Annika Sorenstam and former NHL standout Jeremy Roenick. They each have 75 points using the Modified Stableford scoring system.

Annika Sorenstam acknowledges the crowd on the 18th green during the second round of the 2023 Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in Orlando. (Photo: Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

“The weather in the end got a little iffy,” Sorenstam said. “I would say today was a good scramble day. Really scrambled out there. Didn’t hit as many good shots as yesterday. Just didn’t give up. Kept on fighting. Missed few more greens. Had to do some more chipping today. Just hung in there.”

Roenick sounded more than pleased with his round.

“I played well today. I think I shot 69 or 70 today, which was amazing. Didn’t make any mistakes. Just kept it on board,” he said.

Back on the main leaderboard, Gemma Dryburgh and Gaby Lopez are tied for third after 36 holes. Tied for fifth is defending tournament champ Brooke Henderson and Alexa Pano, in her second year on the LPGA.

“I was kind of a mess when I first started as a rookie last year, and I feel a lot more comfortable and got a good hang on things,” she said. “I worked really hard this off-season to be ready for this. I think this is the fun part. This is getting to see it all come to fruition.”

Other notables in the field of 35 include: Nelly Korda (4 under, T-7), Rose Zhang (4 under, T-7), world No. 1 Lilia Vu (2 under, T-16) and Danielle Kang (T-31, 3 over).

2023 Golfweek Awards: On-Course Moment of the Year

There were almost too many on-course moments to chose from in golf over the last year.

As the month of December winds down and January approaches, it’s time to look back on 2023 and reward some of the best moments the game of golf provided fans over the last year.

The staff at Golfweek originally had plans for a “Moment of the Year” but there was too much that happened both on and off the course to pick just one, so we’ve split the honor into two different awards.

From the Solheim Cup to the Masters to the PNC Championship and the World Wide Technology Championship, here are the Golfweek staff’s favorite on-course moments of the year in 2023.

Annika Sorenstam’s son Will McGee once again steals show on Sunday at PNC Championship

On the 18th fairway Sunday, the 12-year-old said: “I don’t want this moment to end.”

ORLANDO — While Tiger Woods and son Charlie dominate many of the headlines at the PNC Championship, Will McGee once again won plenty of hearts. Walking down the 18th fairway on Sunday, the 12-year-old turned to his mother, Annika Sorenstam, and said, “Slow down, Mommy, I don’t want this moment to end.”

No one loves the PNC more than young McGee, who doffed his cap for the crowd around the 18th green after hitting a beautiful bunker shot. He’d caught it thin out of another bunker on the last hole during Saturday’s round and wanted revenge.

McGee shed many tears on that final hole. When asked why he felt so emotional, McGee said, “Probably because I have to wait a year to do this again.”

"Slow down, Mommy. I want to enjoy this moment." 🥹pic.twitter.com/VK3l87i3lw

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) December 17, 2023

McGee and his Hall of Fame mom shot 67 in the scramble format to finish in a share of 11th in the 20-team event. The duo will split $43,750 from the prize fund.

After beginning the week with an ace during a practice round at Ritz-Carlton Golf Club with his father, McGee then drained a lengthy eagle putt during Saturday’s first round.

Annika Sorenstam of Sweden poses for a photograph with her son Will McGee on the first tee during the final round of the 2023 PNC Championship at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando. (Photo: David Cannon/Getty Images)

A bona fide golf lover, McGee was stoked to talk to Tiger Woods several times, noting that he was “super nice.” Justin Thomas even offered a tip on playing in windy conditions. It gusted over 30 mph during Sunday’s final round.

“He keeps telling me I need to weigh more,” said McGee, the youngest player in the field. “So he put some golf balls in my pocket so I don’t fly away.”

The game doesn’t get more wholesome than that.

Annika Sorenstam’s son Will McGee follows early-week ace with an eagle at PNC Championship

Will McGee is having an incredible week.

ORLANDO — Will McGee rated his debut at the PNC Championship last year with mom Annika Sorenstam a 10 out of 10. It’s hard to go up from there, but the 12-year-old, a fan favorite at last year’s event, already has quite the highlight reel at the Ritz Carlton Golf Club. First came the ace during a practice round after school alongside his father, Mike McGee, on the fourth hole. Will hit a 7-iron into the wind from 128 yards.

Then, on Saturday during the PNC’s opening round, Will drained a 40-foot eagle putt on the par-5 third hole.

“At the start it was downhill,” said Will, “and then like towards the middle you could see it was going to break right. Right as I it had it, I thought it was a couple feet short and my mom was like, get some legs, get some legs. And it kept on slowly going and eventually it dropped, and it felt nice.”

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Team Annika holds a share of seventh in the scramble format after carding a 10-under 62. They trail leaders Matt Kuchar and Cameron Kuchar by eight strokes. Tiger Woods and his son Charlie opened with a 64.

Photos: 2023 PNC Championship

Sorenstam, a 72-time winner on the LPGA, including 10 majors, is the only mother playing in the field. To be invited to the PNC, a member of each team must have won at least one major (PGA Tour, LPGA or PGA Tour Champions) or The Players Championship, while the partner must not hold any playing status on a professional tour.

“Last year we just didn’t really know what to expect,” said Sorenstam of their debut, “and I thought we did quite well last year, and then so now this year, the expectations rise for someone, so therefore, we were a little nervous just for that reason.”

When asked how many aces he now has, Will said it’s up for debate. He doesn’t count the one he made last year at Pinehurst Resort’s par-3 course, The Cradle, while mom was competing in the U.S. Women’s Open.

“I say one,” said Will, “my dad says two.”

Meet the 20 teams of PGA Tour, LPGA players and their families competing in the 2023 PNC Championship

The defending champions lead 18 returning teams who will tee it up this week in Orlando.

Golf’s silly season continues this week with the 2023 PNC Championship, the annual hit-and-giggle that features major champions and their family members.

This year’s event will run Dec. 14-17 at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando and feature 20 teams, including 18 from last year’s competition, where Vijay Singh and Qass Singh claimed a two-shot win. Out of the field this year are Gary Player and his son, Jordan, as well as Jordan Spieth and his father, Shawn. Replacing them will be Steve Stricker and his daughter, Izzi, and Retief Goosen and his son, Leo.

Get to know all 20 teams comprised of LPGA and PGA Tour players below.

Photos: Lexi Thompson, Lilia Vu, Annika Sorenstam and more LPGA stars walk green carpet at Rolex Awards

The annual event is one of the highlights of the week at the CME, which is held in Naples, Florida.

With the season-ending 2023 CME Group Tour Championship winner upon us, LPGA stars walked the green carpet at the annual Rolex Awards banquet at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort.

Among those in attendance were world No. 1 Lilia Vu and No. 2 Ruoning Yin, 2023 U.S. Women’s Open champ Allisen Corpuz, LPGA stars Lexi Thompson and Brooke Henderson as well as World Golf Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam.

The annual event is one of the highlights of the week at the CME, which is held in Naples, Florida, at Tiburon Golf Club. The top 60 golfers in the season-long standings compete for a $7 million purse. Celine Boutier and Vu entered the tournament at 1 and 2 in the standings.

Here’s a look at some of those who walked the green carpet (all photos provided by Jonah Hinebaugh for Naples Daily News):