Annika Sorenstam will be on The Best Ever You Show on Thursday, April 12, 2018 at 1:30 pm eastern. To join us, call 646-787-8537 or click on the show link for live access or free replays.
The Best Ever You Show is also broadcast on iHeart Radio, iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM and more.
Annika is the greatest female golfer of our generation, and often regarded as the best of all-time. During her 15 year, Hall-of-Fame career, she rewrote the LPGA and Ladies European Tour record books, won countless awards, and changed the way women’s golf was played, viewed and covered.
She amassed 89 worldwide victories, including 72 on the LPGA and 10 Major Championships. Annika holds a record number of Rolex Player of the Year awards (eight) and Vare Trophies for the lowest scoring average in a season (six). As the only female to break 60 in an official event, she has been nicknamed “Ms. 59.” Perhaps most notably, Annika received worldwide media attention when she became the first woman to play in a PGA TOUR event since 1945, joining the men at the 2003 Colonial Invitational in Fort Worth, Texas.
Annika was the first female to cross the $20 million mark for LPGA career earnings. Her $22 million-plus still tops the All Time Money List despite not competing since the 2008 season. Annika was the recipient of the Patty Berg award in 2003 for her contributions to women’s golf. She was the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year from 2003-2005, and the Golf Writers Association of America Female Athlete of the Year in 1995, 1997 and from 2000-2005. She has represented Europe as a player in eight Solheim Cups, as a vice-captain three times and Captained the European team in 2017.
Annika stepped away from professional golf after the 2008 season to focus on her family and the ANNIKA brand of businesses.
The ANNIKA Collection of high-end women’s golf apparel embodies the spirit of Annika. It combines cutting-edge technology with ingenious details for stylish performance pieces perfect for enjoying a beautiful day on the greens.
ANNIKA Course Design has completed three courses globally: the ANNIKA Course at Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen, China; Euphoria Golf Estate & Hydro in the Waterberg region of South Africa’s Limpopo Province; and Golden Bay Golf Resort in TaeAn, South Korea. Annika’s credits also include The 27 Club in Tianjin, China, where each hole is designed by a different major champion; Estonian Golf & Country Club in Tallinn, Estonia, which will be her first design in Europe; and Olivion in Belek, Turkey, which is slated to follow. She also redesigned Tartan Park in Lake Elmo, Minn. with Arnold Palmer Design. The new course will aptly be named Royal Golf Club after the “King and the Queen” of golf.
Annika also appears at times as an Analyst for NBC Golf’s broadcast of LPGA Major Championships.
In 2007, Annika created the ANNIKA Foundation, which provides golf opportunities at the junior, collegiate and professional levels while teaching young people the importance of living a healthy, active lifestyle through fitness and nutrition. It has partnered with key organizations to promote healthy, active lifestyles for children. Some initiatives are SPARK, the Florida Hospital for Children in support of its Healthy 100 Kids initiative and The First Tee in development of the Nine Healthy Habits curriculum for children.
The Foundation annually conducts five major golf events for aspiring junior girls. They are the award-winning AJGA tournament, the ANNIKA Invitational presented by Rolex at the World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Fla.; the ANNIKA Invitational at Mission Hills, the first all-girls junior tournament in China; the ANNIKA Invitational in Europe; and the ANNIKA Cup, a team event for the top juniors in Sweden. In partnership with The R&A, the ANNIKA Invitational Latin America takes place in Argentina.
With the support of 3M, the Haskins Commission and Golfweek, the Foundation created the ANNIKA Award Presented By 3M in 2014. It is given annually to the best collegiate female golfer. In concert with the award, the Foundation launched the ANNIKA Intercollegiate Presented By 3M, a college tournament featuring 12 of the top Division I schools.
In 2008, Annika joined Arnold Palmer as only the second Ambassador of the United States Golf Association. She and Jack Nicklaus were named Global Ambassadors by the International Golf Federation to help with golf’s successful bid for inclusion in the 2016 Olympic Games. Annika won the USGA’s prestigious Bob Jones Award in 2011, which is presented annually to someone with distinct character on and off the course. In 2013, she was named the First Lady of Golf by the PGA of America. The following year the LPGA, in partnership with Rolex, created the Rolex ANNIKA Major Award. It recognizes the player who, during a current LPGA Tour season, has the most outstanding record in all five major championships. In 2015, Annika was named the top female athlete of all-time in her home country of Sweden. In early 2018, Annika was ranked the No. 6 “Most Dominant” athlete of last 20 years (No. 1 woman) by ESPN The Magazine.
In addition to expanding her brand and growing the game, Annika and her husband Mike McGee have two children, Ava (9/1/09) and Will (3/21/11). Annika represents world- class companies like 3M, AHEAD, Callaway, Cutter & Buck, Golfing World, Lexus, Mastercard, Pacific Links International and Rolex. Her Twitter handle is @Annika59. For more information: www.annikasorenstam.com.
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