Most sponsor invites on the LPGAcome and go with little fanfare. Occasionally, there's one that breaks out and makes national news, like when Rose Zhang won in her pro debut or when Lydia Ko won as a 15-year-old amateur.
Mostly though, they're building blocks. Opportunities for young players to test their game and for sponsors to build interest.
The Annika driven by Gainbridge at Pelican, the penultimate event on the LPGA's schedule, gets three invitations, and each major stakeholder gets to pick one.
Last year, The Annika drew unprecedented attention when the club invited President Donald Trump's granddaughter, Kai Trump, to play. That was in addition to Caitlin Clark's presence in the pro-am. Kai held her own with rounds of 83-75, a success given
the thinness of her resume.
It has already been confirmed that Clark won't be in the pro-am this year, but will Kai return?
Today, Gainbridge announced that Annabelle Pancake-Webb, a former Clemson player who only four days ago earned her LPGA card for 2027, will receive its exemption into the 108-player field, held Nov. 12-15 in Belleair, Florida. Pancake-Webb grew up in Zionsville, Indiana, where Gainbridge is headquartered. Mom Libby (Akers) Pancake is a member of the Indiana High School Golf Hall of Fame and her father, Tony, is director of golf at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, host of the 2005 Solheim Cup, 1993 U.S. Women's Open and 1991 PGA Championship, to name a few.
Pancake-Webb, 24, actually made her LPGA debut back in high school at the Indy Women in Tech Championship at the Brickyard Crossing Golf Course. She finished fourth on the Epson Tour's Race for the Card list this season, winning the Greater Toledo Classic along with seven additional top 10s.
"I’m super thankful to Gainbridge for believing in me," said Pancake-Webb in a release, "and I can’t wait to play against the world’s best at The Annika in November.”
The first sponsor invite that was announced came from the tournament host, LPGA great Annika Sorenstam. After Wake Forest senior Macy Pate won the 2026 Annika Intercollegiate presented by 3M by 10 strokes earlier this month, head coach Kim Lewellen selected Pate as the recipient for the sponsor invitation.
Pate will make her LPGA debut at The Annika. She called Sorenstam, the 10-time major winner who shot the only 59 in LPGA history, an idol. Back in high school, Pate made nationwide headlines when she shot 14-under 57 at a conference championship.
The final, yet-to-be-announced invitation comes from the club, which is owned by the Doyle family. The Tampa Bay Area event launched in 2020 as the Pelican Women’s Championship and was backed by the club. Dan Doyle Jr., CEO of DEX Imaging, met with the LPGA about hosting a tournament at Pelican before the club even opened its doors.
Kai, who now plays collegiate golf at the University of Miami, underwent left wrist surgery earlier this year and returned to competition last month at the Golfweek Fall Classic, playing as an individual. After the event, the 19-year-old revealed that she had re-injured her wrist when she unexpectedly hit hard ground while taking a swing near a cart path. The injury wasn't as bad as she initially feared, however, and she was back in action this week at Golfweek's Put Me In Coach Invitational, another individual-only event.
Kai improved her play reach round, shooting 86-80 on the 36-hole day and a closing 77 on Tuesday. The Hurricanes end fall play next week at the Ruth Chris Tar Hell Invitational.
With a clear competitive schedule and a wrist that's healthy enough to play 36 in one day, at this point, it would be more surprising if she didn't return to the LPGA.
Beth Ann Nichols is a senior writer for Golfweek covering the LPGA and all things women's golf. Follow her on X/Twitter (@GolfweekNichols).
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: The Annika announces another sponsor invite, will Kai Trump be next?
