2024 The ANNIKA Driven by Gainbridge: 5 Best Bets for the $3.25 Million LPGA Tour Event
The biggest stars in women’s golf will take center stage at the penultimate event of the LPGA Tour season, The ANNIKA, driven by Gainbridge at Pelican. Hosted by World Golf Hall of Fame member Annika Sörenstam, this event has become one of the year’s most anticipated stops in Belleair, Florida.
With a $3.25 million purse on the line, players are eager to secure their status for next season, make moves in critical season-long points races, and, of course, claim the prestigious trophy. This week’s Tour stop at Pelican Golf Club also welcomes WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark. The championship before the entire season comes to an end at the CME Group Tour Championship is scheduled to take place from November 14 to November 17. Here are the top five players in the field:
1. Nelly Korda
Nelly Korda is a two-time champion at The ANNIKA (2021 and 2022). She chose just the right place to make a comeback. After the Kroger Queen City Championship in September, she took a break and was meant to make a comeback at the Maybank Championship last month. But due to a neck injury, it has been almost two months since she has played in the field.
The Rolex Rankings No. 1 player will now finally be headed to bag another victory for the season. She is also leading at the Race to CME Globe standings, having won a total of six events in just one season. She missed her cuts in only three of the fourteen tournaments that she appeared in and managed to win $3.7 million. She was also awarded the 2024 Player of the Year accolade over Lydia Ko.
2. Lilia Vu
Last year, Lilia Vu defeated Alison Lee and Azahara Muñoz in the Sunday round to win The ANNIKA by three strokes. She is currently ranked No. 3 on the Rolex Golf Rankings and tenth on the Race to CME Globe Standings. Vu has had an exceptional run this year.
Having appeared in sixteen events, she managed to make the cut at fourteen of them. She bagged a total of $2 million and a victory at the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give. She will be looking forward to her second victory of the season this weekend. Vu said while looking back on her victory that it was the most important win of her season because she felt her game had fallen off after her major victory at the AIG Women’s Open that summer.
