BELLEAIR, Fla. - As tournaments across the LPGA Tour schedule fight to boost attention and grow the fan base surrounding the longest-running organization in women’s sports, few tour stops have been able to expand their tournament’s exposure quite like The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican. That’s due in large part to Gainbridge’s involvement as a title sponsor, and a crucial partner who integrates their relationships with legendary figures across the sports spectrum with their commitment to women’s golf.

“This really is a magical partnership for this event, for Gainbridge, and what we're trying to do. We very much believe in just sports, really sports and education and the role it plays across communities,” said Dan Towriss, CEO of Gainbridge and Group 1001. “But then we think about elevating women's sports, which for us is investing in that, creating opportunities.”

Gainbridge touts ambassadors like WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark, tennis legend Billie Jean King, and World Golf Hall of Fame member Annika Sorenstam. Clark’s love of golf made her a natural fit for the pro-am at The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican, where she competed the past two years. Clark’s attendance led to increased ticket sales, with fans packing Pelican Golf Club for a glimpse of the basketball star playing alongside Nelly Korda, which created a buzz across the property and beyond.

Although Clark’s schedule prevents her from being a part of this year’s tournament, Gainbridge isn’t letting that stop them from finding other ways to bring about a buzz for this year’s tournament by, once again, exposing its golf tournament to a broader sports audience.

The tournament week kicked-off on Sunday with a unique partnership between NASCAR driver Michael McDowell and Spire Motorsports, who along with Gainbridge and Sorenstam to create a branded No. 71 Chevrolet that was driven in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. In full synergy with this week's tournament, McDowell will also be a celebrity guest caddie during the pro-am on Wednesday and the No. 71 Chevy is also on-site. The car featured the names of the top-ranked players in the field along with Sorenstam’s logo.

“It's great for the LPGA to be part of being in the NASCAR scene because they have so many wonderful fans,” said Sorenstam about the racing experience. “Thank you to Gainbridge.

Again, can I just echo how good they are for sports and women's sports. They're just fantastic. I love the cross-promotion.”

In another tournament integration with a Gainbridge ambassador and member of the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame, Briana Scurry played in Monday’s Pro-Am. Scurry’s participation was filmed as part of ‘Breaking 99,’ a new instructional series created in partnership with LPGA Teaching Professional Trillium Rose, who is working with Scurry to break 99 before the FIFA Women’s World Cup in June 2027.

“We love the crossover, to be able to shine a spotlight so everybody knows what's happening at this golf course this week,” said Towriss about uniting athletes of varying sports. “Yeah, it's really important to us. I think we don't have to have sponsorships that are just siloed to have, so we love to do the cross-promotion.”

That crossover also includes the youngest members of the community.

This week, Kicks for a Cause will return to the tournament and offer the opportunity for pediatric patients at AdventHealth to design a pair of golf shoes that will be worn by players and tournament staff during the pro-am on Monday and Wednesday. The shoes are designed to not just bring attention to the tournament, but also to the young artists and their stories of resilience while undergoing treatment.

Sorenstam, along with Korda, a three-time winner of The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican, are amongst the nine participants who will wear the shoes and meet with the patients and their families.

“It's an inspiration to watch these kids. They're having a bad enough time right now going through some medical, a lot of them are cancer and things like that they're battling. This gives them some limelight,” said Dan Doyle Jr, the owner of Pelican Golf Club, who will be wearing a pair of custom-designed shoes during tournament week. “It's like a goal and an accomplishment for them. It gives them a little bright spot in their day.”

It’s just one of the many ways that The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican integrates itself with the local community and sports icons, in an effort to gain exposure and grow the fan base of the LPGA. In doing so, the partnership between Sorenstam, Pelican Golf Club, and Gainbridge has turned into a must-play event on the LPGA Tour schedule.

“I looked at the other tournaments and I said, all right, how are they beating us and was it prize money? Dan helped out tremendously. Was it the venue? I've looked at it and said, we're going to have the best venue. Then how do we take care of the athletes, the ladies?” Doyle said about the tournament’s success. “It's just a very competitive nature and how do we rise to it. To have two extremely competitive people as partners really helps a lot.”

Gainbridge Again Delivers Major Buzz for Seventh Edition of The ANNIKA

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