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The LPGA Tour hosts many longstanding events, like the NW Arkansas Championship established in 2007. In contrast, The ANNIKA joined more recently, debuting in 2020, yet it has quickly become a prestigious tournament thanks to the legendary 72-time LPGA winner Annika Sorenstam. What made the 2024 event truly exceptional was the crossover magic when basketball phenom Caitlin Clark joined Nelly Korda and Annika Sorenstam on the golf course. Fans can look forward to seeing Clark return for The ANNIKA 2025 Pro-Am. Reflecting on her 2024 experience, Clark said, “Yeah, it was. I mean, two people that I’ve loved watching get to play golf. And Annika is obviously just a legend in the sport, and everything that she’s done for the sport has been absolutely tremendous. But also getting to see their game up close and how easy golf is for them. It makes me incredibly jealous. I was trying to learn a few tips from them the best I can, but honestly, just a really fun and unique experience for myself.” ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad As a Gainbridge ambassador, the primary sponsor of The ANNIKA, Clark embraced the chance to play golf, a game she loves, and will participate again in 2025. In 2024, she played the first 9 holes with Korda before switching to the LPGA legend. Clark’s involvement drew substantial spectator interest, exceeding attendance typical even for major LPGA events. For three-time ANNIKA winner Korda, this crossover was a boon for women’s sports. “At the end of the day, it’s just great for women’s sports. I love that she has a love for the game of golf,” Korda remarked. The mutual admiration was clear. Despite her LPGA Tour experience, Sorenstam expressed eagerness to learn from Clark. “I like to know her practice routine, her gym, what she does in the gym, but then also the correlation with golf and her sport and kind of her — some of her thoughts on girls and women’s sport and some of the things that she wants to do,” said the 72-time LPGA winner. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad Nelly Korda will play at The ANNIKA 2025 for a record 4th title Korda is already a three-time champion of this event. So she will be trying to become the first player since Annika Sorenstam in 2005 to win the same LPGA Tour event four times. Nelly Korda has won The ANNIKA in 2021, 2022, and 2024. The only other two winners are Sei Young Kim (2020) and Lilia Vu (2023). However, Sei Young Kim is not on the field for the 2025 event. The only past winner to play The ANNIKA besides Korda will be Lilia Vu. However, there are many others on the field who can hinder Korda’s path to her first title win for 2025. One of them will be the World No. 5, Charley Hull. Unlike Korda, who will be coming from a break, Hull is consistently playing golf. The 2024 Chevron Championship winner’s hiatus from golf due to injury can reduce her chances of winning The ANNIKA. Read Top Stories First From EssentiallySports Click here and check box next to EssentiallySports Besides Lilia Vu and Charley Hull, Lexi Thompson can also be a significant competition for Korda. Although Thompson has remained winless in 2025 like Korda, she still has good skills to make a strong comeback. Hye-Jin Choi has also been playing well recently. At the ongoing 2025 Maybank Championship, Choi is leading after Round 3 with 19 under par. There are also new names who are joining the field through sponsor invitations. Donald Trump’s granddaughter, Kai Trump, will also make her debut at The ANNIKA. It will be exciting to see how the new talent performs at the professional level and if she poses any challenge for the defending champion, Nelly Korda.
