22 May 2024 The 9th tournament in the ANNIKA Women’s All Pro Tour will be played July 10-13 in Conway
DALLAS, Texas — The ANNIKA Women’s All Pro Tour (formally the WAPT) continues expanding its partnerships and providing the best support, development, and opportunities for women golf professionals dreaming of playing on the LPGA Tour. Today, the ANNIKA WAPT announces a five-year umbrella partnership with Callaway Golf to provide ANNIKA athletes support on many fronts.
“We are excited to work with the Annika Women’s All Pro Tour, their outstanding team, as well as Annika herself on this long-term partnership that provides more opportunities for women in the professional arena,” said Bjoern Kreutzer, Sr. Manager of Sports Marketing at Callaway Golf. “We’re passionate about driving growth in women’s golf, which is the fastest-growing segment in the game. We look forward to working with Annika on expanding this Tour and seeing more women achieve their goal of competing on the LPGA.”
The 5th Annual Central Arkansas Open Professional Women’s golf tournament is scheduled to be played July 10-13 at Centennial Valley Country Club in Conway (Faulkner County). It is the ninth tournament in the 2024 ANNIKA Women’s All Pro Tour, the Road to the LPGA for aspiring women golfers, organized by K&G Sports. The tournament was established and is presented by Rock Pond Pros with Genesis of Conway as the title sponsor.
The 2024 Genesis of Conway Central Arkansas Open is more than a four-day professional golf tournament. It is a week where Conway families open their homes to professional golfers from around the world competing for $55,000 in prize money with the hopes of making it to the LPGA and a life of professional golf. In 2023 over 100 women from 22 countries played in the event. It is one of a few professional athletic events played in Central Arkansas and the only one ever to be played in Faulkner County. “The tournament provides an opportunity to meet the pros, play with the pros and talk with the pros for aspiring junior golfers and people of any age who love the game of golf,” said Pete Tanguay, board member and tournament chair. “And of course, it is a wonderful opportunity to watch the pros as they compete against one another as they pursue their dreams.”
Beginning in 2024, the five-year commitment to the ANNIKA Women’s All Pro Tour provides Callaway Golf exclusive rights as the tour’s presenting sponsor, the “Official Range Ball,” and the lead role for the “Callaway Race To Stage II.”
Gary DeSerrano, president of the ANNIKA WAPT, said, “Interest in the ANNIKA Women’s All Pro Tour is high right now. Our long-term partnerships with the ANNIKA Foundation, the LPGA, and now Callaway Golf ensure that the ANNIKA Women’s All Pro Tour’s future is bright. We will continue to provide our professionals with the best experience, support, and opportunity in the women’s game. We are grateful to the Callaway team for supporting the women’s game and joining us in our mission for years to come.”
The new tour logo will feature the words “Driven By Callaway,” which accurately reflects their support and involvement with the new ANNIKA WAPT. Additionally, Callaway Golf will provide the latest tour model balls for the athletes to practice with each week on the range.
Lastly, the Race To Stage II program has been expanded with Callaway’s support. Starting in 2024, the Callaway Race to Stage II will provide support to the top ten players at the end of the season. The program will continue to provide the top five (5) players with advancement to Stage II and an entry fee scholarship, but now, players six (6) through ten (10) will have their Stage I entry fees paid as well.
Annika said, “I’m thrilled to see Callaway stepping up to support the ANNIKA Women’s All Pro Tour. This partnership is a game-changer, fostering growth and opportunity for aspiring female golfers. Together, we’re driving progress in the world of women’s golf and ensuring a brighter future for the next generation.”
About Callaway Golf
Callaway Golf is a leading global golf equipment company that designs, manufactures, markets and sells golf clubs, balls, bags, and other golf-related accessories. The company was founded in 1982 by Ely Callaway and is headquartered in Carlsbad, California. Callaway Golf has a long history of innovation in the golf equipment industry and is credited with developing some of the most iconic golf clubs in history, including the Big Bertha driver and the Callaway X-Series irons. The company also has a strong commitment to supporting the growth of the women’s golf game and is a major sponsor of the ANNIKA Women’s All Pro Tour.
ABOUT THE ANNIKA FOUNDATION
Annika created the ANNIKA Foundation (www.annikafoundation.org) to develop and empower the next generation of women around the world through the game of golf. More specifically, it provides opportunities in women’s golf at the junior, collegiate and professional levels while teaching young people the importance of personal development, including living a healthy, active lifestyle through fitness and nutrition.
The ANNIKA Foundation annually conducts several “Share My Passion” grassroots clinics designed to introduce kids to the game. It also conducts six major golf events for aspiring junior girls: the Hilton Grand Vacations ANNIKA Invitational presented by Rolex in the U.S.; ANNIKA Invitational Asia; ANNIKA Invitational Europe and ANNIKA Cup in Sweden; the Women’s Amateur Latin America with The R&A in Argentina; and the ANNIKA Invitational Australasia in New Zealand. Since 2014, the Foundation has annually hosted the ANNIKA Intercollegiate presented by 3M, a women’s college tournament featuring 12 top Division I schools. Moreover, with the support of the Haskins Foundation, the Foundation created the ANNIKA Award presented by Stifel, which is given annually to the best collegiate female golfer. In 2022, the ANNIKA Development Program was created to support recent college graduates pursuing their dreams of playing professional golf. The Foundation will also be the main beneficiary of The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican, a new tournament tradition that will begin on the LPGA Tour November 6-12, 2023.
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 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 Stage II earn advancement directly to Stage II of LPGA qualifying.
Follow the WAPT online at wapt.golf, on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
