ANNIKA Invitational coming to New Zealand

Golf Hall-of-Famer Annika Sorenstams charitable organization will host the first-annual ANNIKA Invitational Australasia from December 13-16, 2018 at Royal Wellington Golf Club.

The ANNIKA Invitational Australasia will extend the Foundations global tournament circuit to a fifth continent, joining ANNIKA events in North America, South America, Asia and Europe.

72 of the regions top girls will compete in a 54-hole stroke play event consisting of 25 players from New Zealand, 25 from Australia and 22 from surrounding countries.

The top-three finishers will earn exemptions into the 2019 ANNIKA Invitational USA presented by Rolex at the World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Fla.

As with other ANNIKA Invitationals, the Foundations "More Than Golf" mission will be front and centre in the form of expert-led seminars, gala dinners and an Annika-led clinic for competitors.

Founded in 1895, Royal Wellington is widely regarded as one of the finest members golf clubs in the Southern Hemisphere. Women have played a strong role in the clubs history - it was co-founded by a woman, its founding committee featured equal numbers of men and women, and the womens committee selected the club colours. This progressive atmosphere continues to this day.

Royal Wellingtons proud tournament heritage was most recently on display again when it hosted the 2017 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in conjunction with the Masters Tournament, the R&A and the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation.

"Royal Wellington is delighted to host Australasias first ANNIKA Invitational golf tournament and partner with Annika who is a golf legend," says Barry Brown, Captain of Royal Wellington Golf Club.

"The event fits extremely well with our focus on women and youth in golf, and is a fabulous opportunity to showcase our club and city when we welcome Annika and the regions best junior women."

New Zealand Golf is a non-profit charitable trust established in 1910 as the games in-country governing body. It provides a wide range of services such as overseeing the rules, running the national handicapping system and managing 20 elite golf tournaments, including the New Zealands Mens and Womens Open Championships.

"Hosting the ANNIKA Invitational Australasia in New Zealand is an enormous opportunity and we are looking forward to Decembers inaugural event," says Dean Murphy, chief executive of New Zealand Golf. "Our organization is committed to growing the number of women and girls engaged in the game, and we see the ANNIKA Invitational Australasia as an ideal tournament to help us achieve this goal."

"This is an exciting time for the ANNIKA Foundation as we welcome yet another girls tournament to our global calendar of events," says Annika. "Royal Wellingtons rich history and New Zealands exceptional beauty will combine to set a shining example for future editions to follow. I cant wait to visit this December."

This video gives a glimpse of what awaits competitors.

ANNIKA Foundation tournaments complementing the ANNIKA Invitational Australasia are the ANNIKA Invitational USA presented by Rolex, the ANNIKA Invitational Europe (Sweden), ANNIKA Invitational Mission Hills (China) and, in association with the R&A, ANNIKA Invitational Latin America (Argentina). The Foundation also runs the ANNIKA Cup, ANNIKA Intercollegiate presented by 3M and bestows the prestigious ANNIKA Award presented by 3M to NCAA Division Is best female golfer.

Since the inaugural Foundation tournament - the 2009 ANNIKA Invitational USA - 32 ANNIKA event alumnae have earned LPGA cards. Twenty-four alumnae competed in the 2018 ANA Inspiration.

For more information, please visit www.annikafoundation.org.

- This story has been automatically published using a media release from Golf NZ