NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / December 13, 2024 / Southern Company
The ANNIKA Women's All Pro Tour has rapidly established itself as a springboard for emerging stars in women's professional golf. In 2024, legendary golfer Annika Sörenstam and the ANNIKA Foundation forged a strategic partnership with the Tour, aiming to develop, empower, and advance the careers of the next generation of women's professional golfers.
Southern Company and the ANNIKA Foundation are proud to unveil the ANNIKA 20 presented by Southern Company. This program reinforces the collaborative efforts of the Tour and Annika to cultivate and nurture the future generation of highly skilled women's professional golfers.
"The work Annika and the ANNIKA Foundation are doing to further the game of golf and lift up women golfers around the world speaks directly to and aligns with our values at Southern Company," said Chris Womack, chairman, president and CEO of Southern Company. "We are proud to partner with Annika to help grow that impact by expanding our partnership with the ANNIKA 20 initiative. This new initiative will help support and remove barriers for more prospective professional women's golfers from around the world to pursue and live their dreams."
The ANNIKA 20 presented by Southern Company program will recognize the top 20 athletes based on the 2025 Callaway Race to Qualifying points standings. These athletes will receive an LPGA Qualifying Series scholarship to offset the full expense of qualifying fees. The cumulative cost of LPGA Qualifying in 2024 was $5,500 per player if they advanced all the way to finals.
This partnership extends Southern Company's involvement in golf, a sport that has long provided opportunities for the company to make an impact in the communities we are privileged to serve.
"With unwavering dedication, Annika and her Foundation lead the charge in empowering and nurturing the future of women's golf," stated Gary DeSerrano, president and CEO of the ANNIKA WAPT. "Our profound gratitude goes to Southern Company for their support of women's golf, and in particular, their support of the ANNIKA 20 program. We anticipate seeing a lot of smiles next September."
Annika said, "We are excited about our partnership with the WAPT, but we are especially thrilled to introduce such a special program to help these talented women pursue their dreams. I know it is hard starting out as a young professional golfer, and we are happy to help them reduce some of their costs. Our Foundation tries to develop, empower, and advance young women around the world, so this program fits perfectly with our mission. We are grateful to Southern Company for their continued support and desire to help expand access within women's golf."
The 2025 ANNIKA WAPT season kicks off in Alexandria, La., April 2-5 at the Coca-Cola Open, marking the first event on the 13-event schedule. The season concludes at the Heritage Classic in Wichita, Kan., September 3-6, where the ANNIKA 20 presented by Southern Company, will be honored for their outstanding achievements of the year.
About Southern Company
Southern Company (NYSE:SO) is a leading energy provider serving 9 million customers across the Southeast and beyond through its family of companies. Providing clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy with excellent service is our mission. The company has electric operating companies in three states, natural gas distribution companies in four states, a competitive generation company, a leading distributed energy distribution company with national capabilities, a fiber optics network and telecommunications services. Through an industry-leading commitment to innovation, resilience and sustainability, we are taking action to meet customers' and communities' needs while advancing our goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Our uncompromising values ensure we put the needs of those we serve at the center of everything we do and are the key to our sustained success. We are transforming energy into economic, environmental and social progress for tomorrow. Our corporate culture and hiring practices have earned the company national awards and recognition from numerous organizations, including Forbes, The Military Times, Fair360, Black Enterprise, J.D. Power, Fortune, Human Rights Campaign and more. To learn more, visit www.southerncompany.com.
About the ANNIKA Women's All Pro Tour
The ANNIKA Women's All Pro Tour (WAPT) was established in 2019 to provide a premier developmental opportunity for female golf professionals to hone their competitive skills while preparing for a life on the Epson and LPGA Tours. Through its partnership with the LPGA's Epson Tour, the ANNIKA WAPT provides weekly opportunities for players to earn exemptions to select Epson Tour events. At the end of each season, the top five points winners on the Callaway Race To Q2 earn advancement directly to Stage II of LPGA qualifying and the top 20 on the ANNIKA 20 presented by Southern Company will be awarded an LPGA Qualifying Scholarship.
Follow the WAPT online at www.wapt.golf, on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.??
Media Contact
Marissa McCardell, Communications Director, ANNIKA WAPT marissa@kgsportsco.com 559-862-6850 cell
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SOURCE: Southern Company
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