World’s Largest Golf Resort Welcomes Deepest Field to Date with Winner Receiving

Exemptions to EFG Hong Kong Ladies Open and CLPGA’s Zhangjiagang Shuangshan Challenge

(ORLANDO, Fla.) – The ANNIKA Foundation – golf Hall-of-Famer Annika Sorenstam’s charitable organization – will once again bring its ANNIKA Invitational at Mission Hills to the Annika Course at China’s Mission Hills Resort, February 27 to March 1.

More than 90 girls hailing from eight different countries and territories (Canada, China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, Singapore and the United States) will compete over 54 holes of stroke play. They will be broken into three age groups (8-9, 10-12, 13-18). The overall champion will receive invitations to compete in the EFG Hong Kong Ladies Open, May 10-12, 2019, and CLPGA’s Zhangjiagang Shuangshan Challenge, June 6-8, both professional events.

Top-three overall finishers will earn exemptions into the prestigious 2020 ANNIKA Invitational USA presented by Rolex at the World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Florida. World Amateur Golf and China Golf Association ranking points are also up for grabs.

“The ANNIKA Invitational is one of the highlights of our annual junior golf program at Mission Hills, which features more than 50 tournaments for tens of thousands of young Chinese golfers each year,” says Tenniel Chu, Group Vice-Chairman of Mission Hills. “We look forward to welcoming Annika back and continuing our mission together to grow girls’ golf in China and across the region.”

“We’re excited to return to Mission Hills and welcome our strongest field to date,” adds Annika, who designed the host Annika Course and will be onsite for the tournament. “The ANNIKA Foundation is proud of its partnership with Mission Hills and role in helping to launch China’s first all-girls international tournament back in 2011.”

Japan’s Nanako Inagaki will return to defend her title. She will once again be challenged by Chinese Taipei’s Yi Ting Chou, who will be playing in her fourth ANNIKA Invitational at Mission Hills and finished T-3 in 2018. Three Americans (Ella Peiwei Han, Obi Chan and Yiyun Zou) are also scheduled to compete.

Following the ANNIKA Foundation’s “More Than Golf” mantra, Annika will spend time with the players both on and off the course, sharing the knowledge and experiences that have made her incredibly successful in both the LPGA and post-LPGA phases of her life. Activities will include a clinic, tournament dinner and talent show.

Each year, the ANNIKA Foundation conducts five other major golf events for juniors: the ANNIKA Invitational USA presented by Rolex, ANNIKA Invitational Europe, ANNIKA Cup, ANNIKA Invitational Latin America and ANNIKA Invitational Australasia. They are complemented by the ANNIKA Intercollegiate presented by 3M and the ANNIKA Award presented by 3M, which is annually bestowed to the most outstanding female Division I golfer.

Since the inaugural Foundation tournament – the 2009 ANNIKA Invitational USA – 45 ANNIKA event alumnae have earned LPGA cards, with more than 600 playing golf at the collegiate level.

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