It wasn’t all that long ago that several of the greens at Pelican Golf Club were underwater. That the course managed to open only one week after Hurricane Milton roared through the Belleair, Florida, club is somewhat of a miracle.
Soon, Pelican will be hopping with fans looking to catch a glimpse of superstar Caitlin Clark as the WNBA player joins the pro-am at The Annika driven by Gainbridge at Pelican. Clark will play alongside Nelly Korda and host Annika Sorenstam on Nov. 13 at the penultimate event on the LPGA’s 2024 calendar.
And while the event will no doubt be a respite for members and fans, there’s still so much need after Hurricanes Helene and Milton slammed into the Tampa Bay area. To that end, the tournament and club have teamed up to create special “Florida Strong” T-shirts and sweatshirts that will benefit the Florida Disaster Fund, managed by the Volunteer Florida Foundation.
Multiple shirt designs are available online and in the Pelican Golf Club pro shop during tournament week. The t-shirts sell for $40 and sweatshirts are $65.
Tampa’s local TV station, WFLA, reported the damage assessment of Pinellas County included 28,350 homes sustaining damage from Helene and 12,560 damaged homes from Milton. In addition, 307 businesses were damaged by Milton and 585 were impacted by Helene.
Director of Golf/COO Justin Sheehan told Golfweek earlier this month Pelican lost 20 to 25 substantial trees as 100 mph winds ripped through the state. The area is estimated to have received 15 to 20 inches of rain.
“Hopefully, a once-in-a-lifetime deal,” he said.
In addition to the charity tees, the tournament is also offering free tickets to all first responders and one guest. First responders will have access to an exclusive hospitality venue, the First Responders Outpost presented by Servpro, located on the par-4 16th green.
The 72-hole tournament, which takes place Nov. 14-17, has also announced all military personnel (active, reserve, retired and veterans) and a plus-one will receive complimentary access to the championship, including access to a special exclusive hospitality venue – the Hero Outpost presented by FedData – overlooking the tournament’s signature par-3 12th hole.
Children 17 and under also will be admitted free with a paid adult.
This will be the fifth edition of The Annika, which serves as the cutoff for finalizing status for the 2025 season as well as the field for the lucrative CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Florida.
Eight of the top 10 players in the world have committed to the field, including defending champion Lilia Vu and the LPGA’s newest Hall of Fame member, Lydia Ko. Top-ranked Korda is a two-time champion.