Heathrow Country Club set to host the 17th ANNIKA Invitational

The Hilton Grand Vacations ANNIKA Invitational presented by Rolex is set to return for its 17th year. This prestigious 54-hole stroke-play event will bring together 72 of the world’s top female junior golfers to compete at Heathrow Country Club in Lake Mary, Florida. Hosted by the ANNIKA Foundation and the AJGA, the tournament celebrates its 17th anniversary in 2025.

The weekend will include a special clinic led by golf legend Annika Sörenstam for the competitors on Sunday.

The champion of this event will earn two coveted exemptions:

• LPGA: Entry into the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club.

• Epson Tour: A spot in the Otter Creek Championship in June.

  
  

About the Field

• 29 college commitments

• 16 countries represented

• 16 U.S. states represented

• 40 past AJGA Champions

• 24 Rolex Junior All-Americans

About the Course

Heathrow Country Club, located in Lake Mary, Florida, is hosting an AJGA event for the first time. Designed by renowned architect Ron Garl, the course offers a blend of strategic challenges and natural beauty, making it a favorite among golfers of all skill levels.

AJGA Champion Highlights

Of the 40 players who’ve won an AJGA event, a few highlights:

• Asterisk Talley of Chowchilla, California, is No. 1 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings. The three-time Rolex Junior All-American won The PING Invitational last October to close out an outstanding year. The California native won the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley and earned runner-up finishes at the U.S. Women's Amateur and the U.S. Girls' Junior. The four-time AJGA Champion represented United States at the 2023 and 2024 PING Junior Solheim Cup.

• Gianna Clemente of Estero, Florida, is the 2024 Rolex Junior Player of the Year and currently ranked No. 2 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings. The five-time Rolex Junior All-American won the Mizuho Americas Open and earned a runner-up finish at The PING Invitational in 2024. Clemente represented the United States at the 2023 and 2024 PING Junior Solheim Cup.

• Elizabeth Rudisill of Charlotte, North Carolina, is ranked No. 3 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings. The Vanderbilt University commit won the Rolex Girls Junior Championship last year and earned an exemption into the LPGA Tour's FM Global Championship. The three-time Rolex Junior All-American also represented the United States at the 2023 and 2024 PING Junior Solheim Cup.

Tournament History

Since its debut in 2009, the Hilton Grand Vacations ANNIKA Invitational presented by Rolex has become one of the most prestigious events in junior golf. Past champions include:

• Céline Boutier (2011)

• Alison Lee (2012)

• Angel Yin (2015)

• Brooke Seay (2017)

• Angelina Ye (2018)

• Ingrid Lindblad (2019)

Noteworthy host courses have included:

• World Golf Village - Slammer & Squire Course

• Reunion Resort - Watson Course

Field Notables

The field includes 11 of the top 25 players in the Rolex AJGA Rankings:

1 Asterisk Talley2 Gianna Clemente3 Elizabeth Rudisill4 Natalie Yen of West Linn, Oregon9 Amelie Zalsman of Saint Petersburg, Florida14 Clara Ding of White Rock, British Columbia, Canada15 Anna Fang of San Diego, California19 Alice Ziyi Zhao of Irvine, California20 Clairey Lin of Palos Verdes Estates, California23 Shauna Liu of Maple, Ontario, Canada25 Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada

Future College Teammates

As a part of the 29 total players committed to play college golf, four sets of future college teammates are in the field:

• University of Virginia - Zoe Cusack of Potomac, Maryland and Remi Bacardi of Miami, Florida

• University of California, Los Angeles - Kacey Ly of Temple City, California, Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada and GaEun Athena Yoo of Alpharetta, Georgia

• Texas A&M University - Brynn Kort of Henderson, Nevada and Natalie Yen

• Louisiana State University - Ryleigh Knaub of Debary, Florida and Victoria Kristensen of Thisted, Denmark

Social

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