Philanthropy matters — Predictions for HGVLPGA — Must-click women’s golf links
By Addie Parker
The IX: Golf Thursday with Addie Parker, January 20, 2022
You’re back with me, on another Golf Thursday, and I’m so happy about it.
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Let’s catch up…
I was doing my usual daily Twitter scroll the other day when I saw this tweet:
Former LPGA player turned financial planner, Missie Berteotti, is sharing her expertise with a group of young women. How. Freaking. Cool. Is. That!
This captured my attention for two reasons.
The first: how incredibly important it is to have ‘finance 101’ before you go to college. And the second: how amazing it is that The ANNIKA Foundation does things like this pretty frequently.
I’ve mentioned in a previous Golf Thursday article that Annika Sorenstam is one of my heroes, and surely I’m not alone in my thinking. You could write a book on her golf career accomplishments alone, with 72 LPGA tour wins, 17 Ladies European tour wins, including 10 major wins and winning POTY a whopping eight times.
I met Annika one time, when I was seven years old at Kingsmill in Williamsburg, Virginia. I was a participant in Girls Golf growing up and my dad took me and some of my friends down to see our favorite LPGA players. At seven, she was this larger than life figure to me and if you would’ve said she was 12 feet tall I would’ve believed you.
But Annika was always more than just a great golfer (let’s be real…she’s the GOAT) — and her foundation reflects that.
The ANNIKA Foundation was established one year before her retirement in 2008. Their mission is to provide opportunities in women’s golf at the junior, collegiate and professional levels while teaching the importance of health.
In the way that Tiger earns a lot of credit for revolutionizing golf and becoming an ‘athlete’, Annika has had the focus on health and fitness for a long time.
In this Sacramento Magazine article from 2007, Annika said “as a professional golfer, you can’t go hard in the off-season and then quit for nine months. That’s not going to do it. You have to stay consistent and that’s how you get better.”
But the foundation is more than health and wellness, which is extremely necessary to teach young women, the work doesn’t stop there.
At the heart of it, the foundation has always been about ‘More than Golf‘. The impact of the ANNIKA Foundation reaches all corners of the globe, the college circuit, and the LPGA.
The concept behind philanthropy is an ancient practice, but modern philanthropy began in the 19th century. As the world industrialized, the need for improving social conditions and work environments grew. Charities and foundations were a way to improve quality of life, rally a nation during a time of war (The Red Cross), and for the wealthy to save face and money. But at the end of the day, there’s always a receiving end to the giving.
Whether if a charity is genuine or not, there are still people in need of opportunity — of access.
The ANNIKA Foundation has a global outreach that has granted opportunities to young women for the last 15 years.
It’s amazing what one person can do if they are just given the avenue to fulfill their purpose.
What Annika and her foundation have done and are continuing to do is special and even more proof that there’s no one else quite like her.
Annika’s work somehow brings us into our next topic…the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions! In closing out the first ANNIKA event of the season, Yana Wilson, captures the victory in a playoff, and a chance to be apart of the HGVLPGA amateur field this week! Congrats, Yana!!
Switching gears!
The week kicked off last night with music from Sheryl Crow and LeAnn Rimes and from all the posts, it seems like the “Party on Tour” is living up to its name.
Taking a page out of the Tennis Tuesday book, let’s get into some Top-5 predictions for this week.
I’m not a betting woman but if I were, I’d be putting my money on world No.1 Nelly Korda. The youngest Korda sister had a big year in 2021 and I’m only hoping that the momentum follows her into the new year and the first event of the season. I have Nelly winning at the end of this week.
At the number two spot in this prediction list, I have world No.3 Lydia Ko. Lydia was in a bit of a drought prior to the 2021 season, but she’s a competitor. She’s not new to the winner’s circle and I think she will have another big year. Her swing is the best I’ve seen it and I think this week will be good for her, she’ll give Nelly a run for her money for sure.
Let’s not count out big sis Jessica Korda (ranked 21 in the world), she’s the defending champ where she fired a third round 60!!!!! It’s times like this when I wish there was a way to capitalize numbers. Make no mistake about it, Jessica sits in the top 10 for driving distance, GIRs, and overall scoring average. If her flatstick is hot this week, the field better watch out! I have the older Korda sister sitting in third.
Taking the fourth spot is Brooke Henderson. Brooke is another quietly consistent player that at any moment can make something happen. She’s similar in stats with Jessica Korda. She had a successful 2021 season, earning her 10th tour win at the Hugel-Air Premia LA Open, and she finished the season 10th in the Rolex rankings.
To round off my Top-5 predictions, we have another hot player — Danielle Kang! Kang was another star that had a lot of success last season and she’s been fighting her way to the top for a long time. When Danielle is hot, she’s hot, but she also has her moments of inconsistency. She said earlier this week that her game depends on the climate she’s in (I linked this article below in the next section), so let’s hope that Florida sunshine is in her favor this week.
I’m excited to kick back and let golf take over my life this weekend as we face another bout of snowfall in Virginia.
See you next week golf fans!
“Life’s persistent and most urgent question is “What are you doing for others?” – Martin Luther King Jr.
This week in women’s golf
If you have links you wish to share, sources for golf news, or want to talk about anything at all, you can email me at addieparker25@gmail.com ! Discussion of any kind is always welcomed…I mean it…MESSAGE ME!
LPGA News
From one of my heroes to another…Michelle Wie West opens up about what this new chapter of her life means and that being a mom is at the forefront.
It’s an exciting time for women’s golf and so much is happening at what seems like all at once! It makes my job fun and challenging because so much is happening and I can’t simply mention it all in one go…I wouldn’t do the news justice. This SI article does just that, it’s your one-stop shop for what’s to come on the LPGA tour this season.
This week’s links are a bit diversified with a podcast featuring the USGA’s CEO Mike Whan. In this conversation he touches on just about everything, give it a listen.
How to Watch 2022 Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.
Danielle Kang gets real about her body, her swing, and how temperature impacts the way she plays ahead of the Tour of Champions.
Let’s all follow in the footsteps of Lorena Ochoa and now Gaby Lopez when it comes to showing appreciation to ground and green-keepers everywhere!
“Our time is now.” The LPGA is ready to step into the light and shine bright! It’s important to emphasize this, read NOW!
It’s crazy to think that world rankings haven’t always existed. I mean how was success measured before 2006? That’s right, the Rolex rankings for the LPGA has only existed since 2006. Here’s a list of every player who has ever been ranked No.1.
Forbes has entered the chat…and Nelly Korda…and Jin Young Ko. These two have made the list for highest paid female athletes!
LPGA rule change makes it easier for young stars to ride a hot streak and potentially earn a card.
Here are 10 questions, answers, and explanations that every golf fan should talk about.
LET News
College Golf
Rachel Heck is one of the most dominate collegiate golfers and she’s only 20! In this video she talks about winning the National Championship by one-stroke in her first season of college golf, and what advice Tiger Woods gave her.
Other News
Attention Callaway Rogue fans or for those who want more distance and more forgiveness…this one’s for you!
Five at The IX: Introducing “Golf, Interrupted”
Golf is a global game. That being said, unfortunately, the same kind of issues that we discuss on Golf Thursdays like accessibility, lack of representation, and finances play a role across the pond.
Insert my new friend — Amaya Athill.
In the spring of 2021, Amaya re-entered the golf space with a goal — to expose the challenges she faces as a Black woman playing golf in the UK and to start a dialogue. Her existence, and the existence of other women of color, in the golf space is disrupting the status quo of golf.
Amaya and I have been in correspondence since my Lee Elder piece (she wrote a similar piece that you should check out) from December and we have something exciting planned on the horizon and another Five at The IX feature with an official conversation soon!
But for now, I want to highlight the conversation she had last week via Instagram Live with a member of the African Caribbean Golf Association, Lynette Mapp.
Now, it’s a lengthy conversation, sitting at about 43 minutes, but an eye-opening one! I encourage you all to sit and watch just five minutes of their conversation. I’ll link it here for easy access.
Let me know what you all think about their conversation, and if there’s anything you would like Amaya and I to cover in our conversation next month!
| Mondays: Soccer |
| By: Annie Peterson, @AnnieMPeterson, AP Women’s Soccer |
| Tuesdays: Tennis |
| By: Joey Dillon, @JoeyDillon, Freelance Tennis Writer |
| Wednesdays: Basketball |
| By: Howard Megdal, @HowardMegdal, The Next |
| Thursdays: Golf |
| By: Addie Parker, @addie_parker, The IX |
| Fridays: Hockey |
| By: Anne Tokarski, @annetokarski, The Ice Garden |
| Saturdays: Gymnastics |
| By: Jessica Taylor Price, @jesstaylorprice, Freelance Gymnastics Writer |
