The final full-field event of the 2023 season begins on Thursday, and it’s crunch time on the LPGA Tour, which means this should be one of the most exciting weeks on the schedule. In addition to competing for a spot in the field at the CME Group Tour Championship and maintaining 2024 LPGA Tour membership, there is still a trophy to be won and a number of season-long awards up for grabs at The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican.
The Namesake
Just three years into its existence, the Pelican Women’s Championship got a bit of a facelift and a brand-new name. Now known as The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican and boasting a $3.25 million purse – the largest of any LPGA event outside of the majors and the CME Group Tour Championship – the penultimate tournament of the regular season has a new and deeper meaning. There have been a few namesake events throughout LPGA Tour history, including tournaments like the Lorena Ochoa Invitational, but The ANNIKA is the sole namesake event currently on the schedule. Named for 72-time LPGA winner and 10-time major champion Annika Sorenstam, the proceeds of the event will benefit the ANNIKA Foundation. Founded by Sorenstam in 2007, the ANNIKA Foundation hosts seven global events with over 600 juniors competing annually and 57 ANNIKA alumni are set to tee it up this week. Many of the records Sorenstam set in her 15-year career are still standing. Most notably, she remains the only LPGA player to shoot a 59 and is still the all-time money leader with over $22 million in earnings, an impressive feat consider today’s increased purse sizes. Not to mention, she has earned Rolex Player of the Year honors a record eight times. The Hall of Famer also lends her name to one of the LPGA Tour’s most prestigious awards – the Rolex ANNIKA Major Award – which will be presented to Lilia Vu at the CME Group Tour Championship. Vu won both The Chevron Championship and AIG Women’s Open this year.
A Two-Time Defender
There’s just something about Nelly Korda on Florida courses, particularly Pelican Golf Club. The Bradenton native first won the event in 2021, prevailing in a grueling four-way playoff against major champions Sei Young Kim, Lydia Ko and Lexi Thompson. Though that first win in 2021 may have been more thrilling, her title defense in 2022 was much more fulfilling. After missing nearly four months of the season to recover from having a blood clot in her arm, Korda was struggling to find her first win of the 2022 season after an explosive 2021. Starting the day two shots behind, a final-round 64 led Korda to a one-stroke victory over Thompson, putting her back in the winner’s circle after what was a strenuous season both mentally and physically. The 25-year-old now finds herself in a similar position returning to The ANNIKA in 2023 – searching for her first win of the season. Korda started the season strong, carding six top-10 results in her first seven starts, including a solo second at the HSBC Women’s World Championship. But once the summer heat wave rolled through, Korda cooled off and struggled to play her way into contention. From May to October, Korda picked up just two additional top 10s, a T9 at The Amundi Evian Championship and a T6 in her last start at the Maybank Championship. Luckily, Korda’s game is trending in the right direction, and she’s definitely got more than a fighting chance to complete the three-peat this week and etch her name in the annals of LPGA history alongside greats like Sorenstam.
Getting Into the Top 60
But there’s far more on the line this week than just a trophy. Only the top 60 in the Race to CME Globe point standings will have the opportunity to compete for the $2 million winner’s check at the CME Group Tour Championship next week, meaning The ANNIKA is the last chance for players to move inside the cutoff; otherwise, it will be their last start of the 2023 season. In short, there’s nothing to lose this week, and it’s time to go big or go home – quite literally. After a T3 finish at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G and a T2 finish at The Ascendant LPGA benefiting Volunteers of America, Bianca Pagdanganan jumped from No. 129 in the season standings to No. 48. But missing the Asia swing knocked her back down to No. 60, and though she is just inside qualifying for the season-ending tournament at the moment, the 26-year-old will need another strong finish to secure a tee time next week. At No. 55 and 57, respectively, Sarah Kemp and Madelene Sagstrom are facing the same problem as Pagdanganan and are looking to finish high enough to maintain their spot within the top 60. On the outside looking in are No. 61 Patty Tavatanakit and No. 63 Lauren Coughlin, who also hope to play well enough to move inside the top 60. Coughlin’s tie for 10th at the BMW Ladies Championship went a long way toward helping her move up the rankings, but she may need another top 10 to go all the way.
Maintaining Status
Further down the Race to CME Globe rankings, some players are fighting for the opportunity to maintain full LPGA Tour status in 2024. Only the top 100 in the Race to the CME Globe standings will retain their LPGA Tour cards for 2024, and the rest will have to head to LPGA Q-Series to once again battle to play next season. At Nos. 97, 98, 99 and 100, respectively, Dani Holmqvist, Mina Harigae, Maddie Szeryk and Azahara Munoz are just inside the cutoff and will be working to maintain their status for 2024 at Pelican Golf Club. Holmqvist has struggled this season, making just five cuts in 18 starts. But the 35-year-old did finish in a tie for fourth at the ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer, which has kept her in the mix late in the season. Munoz is in a similar position, with just nine cuts made in 18 starts and a single top 10 keeping her afloat – a T6 at the ISPS Handa World Invitational. Meanwhile, highly touted rookie Lucy Li currently sits at No. 106 in the rankings and is hoping to card a high finish this week to maintain her LPGA Tour status earned through the 2022 Race for the Card on the Epson Tour. In 20 starts, Li has made 12 cuts but has been unable to break the top 15. Last season, even though she was competing on the Epson Tour full-time, Li made eight LPGA starts, finding two top 10s. The 21-year-old is more than capable of contending on Tour and hasn’t found her footing just yet, but Li could turn things around this week at The ANNIKA.
Award Updates
Most of the end-of-season awards are still up for grabs and won’t be decided until the conclusion of the CME Group Tour Championship, but two highly coveted honors – the Rolex Player of the Year Award and the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year Award – could be clinched this week. Running away with a 255-point lead, Hae Ran Ryu is a shoo-in for the Rookie of the Year award. Her closest competitor is LOTTE Championship presented by Hoakalei winner Grace Kim, who would need a win this week to have a chance at taking home the award instead of Ryu. If Kim doesn’t stand in the winner’s circle come Sunday, Ryu will become the Rookie of the Year. The Rolex Player of the Year Award competition is much closer and that much more exciting. A four-time winner this season, Celine Boutier currently leads the race by just three points over two-time 2023 major champion Lilia Vu. A win would go a long way toward clinching the award for both of them and though it might seem crazy to say, a Boutier or Vu victory this week wouldn’t be much of a stretch. But, as long as Boutier doesn’t win again, Vu needs just an eighth-place finish or better to stay in the running.
By Nadeem Faisal Baiga
