Pelican Golf Club in Belleair is gearing up to host one of the LPGA Tour's richest regular-season stops, as The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican returns November 9-15 with a 108-player field chasing a $3.25 million purse. World No. 1 Nelly Korda, a Bradenton native who has won the event three times, is set to return to the championship, joining a field that includes Lydia Ko, Brooke Henderson and Charley Hull. Defending champion Linn Grant will also be back to defend her title.
The tournament, described by organizers as the LPGA Tour's annual premier event in the Tampa Bay region, is contested at Pelican Golf Club and operated by Outlyr, a global sports, event management and lifestyle marketing agency, according to the Tampa Bay Business Journal. Kyle Draper, the event's SVP of partnerships, handles partnership opportunities and information requests for the tournament, per the same report. The event is billed as a premier LPGA Tour stop that benefits local and regional charitable organizations throughout the Tampa Bay region, along with the ANNIKA Foundation.
A Tournament Built Around Its Host
Tournament host Annika Sörenstam continues her legacy through the ANNIKA Foundation, which the Hall of Famer established in 2007 to develop women's golf around the world, according to ANNIKA Women's All Pro Tour. The foundation expanded in 2024 to partner with the Women's All Pro Tour, creating developmental pathways to the LPGA for junior and collegiate players. Sörenstam herself is no small credential to lend her name to an event — she owns 72 LPGA Tour wins, more than 90 worldwide golf victories, and 10 major championships, per the tournament article.
Established in 2020 as the Pelican Women's Championship, the event was officially rebranded as The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican in 2023 when Sörenstam joined as tournament host, according to Wikipedia. Sörenstam also remains the LPGA Tour's all-time career money leader with $22,583,693 in official earnings, though active contenders Lydia Ko, at $22.34 million, and Korda, at $22.28 million, are closing in on that record, per Golf Compendium.
Stakes Rise as the Season Winds Down
The ANNIKA falls as the penultimate event on the LPGA Tour schedule, giving players one last chance to earn Race to the CME Globe points before the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, according to Golf Monthly. That timing turns the Belleair stop into a pressure cooker for golfers on the qualification bubble. Last year, Sweden's Linn Grant captured the title by shooting a 19-under-par 261, playing 52 consecutive holes without a bogey to claim her second LPGA Tour victory and $487,500, as reported by the Associated Press.
Korda's history at Pelican Golf Club only adds to the intrigue of her return. The Bradenton native won three of the tournament's first five editions, in 2021, 2022 and 2024, making the Belleair course one of her most successful Tour venues, according to Visit St. Petersburg Clearwater. The tournament has also drawn crossover attention beyond the golf world: WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark participated in the tournament's Wednesday Pro-Am in both 2024 and 2025, pulling in non-traditional sports audiences to the Belleair event, per Australian Golf Digest.
Pro-Ams, Hospitality and Fan Access
Tournament week features three pro-am experiences, according to the Tampa Bay Business Journal: the Monday Pro-Am on November 9, the Peli Pro Am on November 8, and the Wednesday Pro-Am on November 11, all at Pelican Golf Club. Fans looking for a closer look at the action can access the Champion's Club, which provides entry to the Pelican Golf Club clubhouse and multiple golf-course venues. The Lightning Lounge, another hospitality option stationed at the tournament's signature par-3 12th hole, provides complimentary food and beverages throughout the week.
Beyond spectator amenities, The ANNIKA offers hospitality experiences, pro-ams and partnership opportunities for companies looking to get involved with the event. The tournament's growing footprint in women's golf extends beyond its own week on the calendar — Pelican Golf Club also hosted the 2026 SEC crown, where the University of Tennessee won its first Southeastern Conference women's golf title.
Weather a Wildcard on the Gulf Coast
Late-autumn tournament dates come with real risk on Florida's Gulf Coast. In November 2022, Hurricane Nicole forced tournament officials to shorten the event from 72 to 54 holes after 70 mph winds and nearly 4.7 inches of rain soaked the Tampa Bay area on opening day, according to Wikipedia. It's a reminder that even a tournament built around some of the sport's biggest purses and biggest names still has to contend with the unpredictability of a Gulf Coast autumn.
