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ANNIKA Foundation welcomes PGA of America Vice President Suzy Whaley among new board members

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ANNIKA Foundation welcomes PGA of America Vice President Suzy Whaley among new board members

ORLANDO, Fla. – The ANNIKA Foundation – golf Hall-of-Famer Annika Sorenstam’s charitable organization – has added PGA of America Vice President Suzy Whaley, AHEAD CEO Anne Broholm, Global Golf Post Founder & Publisher Jim Nugent, and Wasserman Executive Vice President Barry Hyde to its Board of Directors.

Founded just over a decade ago, the ANNIKA Foundation provides opportunities in women’s golf at the junior, collegiate and professional levels while teaching young people the importance of living a healthy, active lifestyle through fitness and nutrition. Whaley, Broholm, Nugent and Hyde will provide mission-based leadership and strategic governance to the Foundation team, including approval of the annual budget and material business decisions.

They join Annika, Jay Brennan (Partner at GrayRobinson), Angela Iacone-Radaelli (CFO of Club 59 Global), Charlie Mechem, Jr. (Commissioner Emeritus of the LPGA), Dan Dutton (Chairman of Stimson Lumber Company), The Hon. Tom Ridge (Ridge Global), Dave Bockorny (Chairman of The Bockorny Group), and Mike McGee (Managing Director of ANNIKA) on the board.

“Suzy, Anne, Jim and Barry are passionate about golf and the Foundation’s mission, making them exceptional additions to our board,” says Annika. “Their natural affinity for cultivating relationships and building consensus will serve the Foundation very well in our next 10 years.”

The first woman ever elected to serve as an Officer of the PGA of America, Whaley is the PGA Director of Instruction at Suzy Whaley Golf in Cromwell, Conn. After serving two years as PGA Secretary, Whaley became the Association’s Vice President at the PGA Annual Meeting in November 2016.

“I am so honored to represent the ANNIKA Foundation as a board member,” says Whaley, who, like Annika, played in a PGA Tour event in 2003. “Annika’s commitment to offering opportunities for women and girls in the game, coupled with a focus on wellness, is a passion we both share. I look forward to helping her empower the next generation of women golfers around the world.”

Broholm has been the CEO of AHEAD, LLC, the Massachusetts-based headwear and apparel company, since 2012. Prior to that, she enjoyed more than 25 years of progressive management experience in the apparel industry with companies like Ocean Pacific, Liz Claiborne, Imperial Headwear and, most recently, Cutter & Buck.

Says Broholm: “AHEAD has been a partner of Annika’s and a supporter of the Foundation for many years. I am as impressed with the work that Annika has done through her Foundation to promote women’s golf as I am with her success in professional golf and business. It is an honor to help her further its mission.”

Founded by Nugent in 2010, Global Golf Post is the world’s first designed-for-digital weekly golf news publication. It presents an online experience much like reading a magazine or newspaper, but requiring no special applications, downloads or plug-ins. Mobile friendly and fully interactive, it can incorporate all rich media applications to offer what serious golfers want – news, results and commentary delivered to their inboxes overnight on Sunday, 48 weeks a year.

“I was a great admirer of Annika during her playing days, and that admiration has only increased after she stepped away from the professional game in 2008,” says Nugent. “After watching her give back to the game from afar, I’m honored to be asked to play a more central role in supporting her efforts.”

A 25-year golf industry veteran, Hyde is Wasserman’s Executive Vice President for Business Development, driving a range of revenue opportunities to grow the business. Prior to joining in 2012, he was the first Chief Marketing Officer for the United States Golf Association (USGA), launching its Corporate Partner program and negotiating the venerable organization’s initial corporate deals.

“I have long been impressed with Annika and what she is doing with her Foundation,” says Hyde. “I look forward to helping them expand their initiatives and corporate sponsorhips.”

Each year, the ANNIKA Foundation conducts five major golf events for juniors on four continents: the ANNIKA Invitational USA presented by Rolex, ANNIKA Invitational at Mission Hills in China, ANNIKA Invitational Europe, ANNIKA Cup in Sweden and ANNIKA Invitational Latin America in Argentina. They are complemented by the ANNIKA Intercollegiate presented by 3M and the ANNIKA Award presented by 3M, which is annually bestowed to the most outstanding female Division I golfer.

Since the inaugural Foundation tournament – the 2009 ANNIKA Invitational USA – 32 ANNIKA event alumnae have earned LPGA cards, with 500-plus playing at the collegiate level. And while the on-course action is important, off-course lessons pertaining to nutrition, fitness, the college application process and more are integral to tournaments’ “More than Golf” experiences.

For more information, please visit the Foundation’s just-redesigned website: www.annikafoundation.org

About the ANNIKA Foundation

Annika created the ANNIKA Foundation (www.annikafoundation.org) to provide opportunities in women’s golf at the junior, collegiate and professional levels while teaching young people the importance of living a healthy, active lifestyle through fitness and nutrition. The Foundation has partnered with key organizations to promote healthy, active lifestyles for children, including SPARK, Florida Hospital for Children in support of its Healthy 100 Kids initiative and The First Tee in development of the Nine Healthy Habits curriculum for children.

It annually conducts five major golf events for aspiring junior girls: the ANNIKA Invitational USA presented by Rolex at the World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Fla.; ANNIKA Invitational at Mission Hills in China; ANNIKA Invitational Europe and ANNIKA Cup in Sweden; and, in association with The R&A, the ANNIKA Invitational Latin America in Argentina. In 2013, the Foundation’s reach extended to the collegiate ranks with the ANNIKA Award presented by 3M (awarded to most outstanding female NCAA Division I golfer) and ANNIKA Intercollegiate presented by 3M (12 team, 54-hole event in Minnesota). SPARK grants to schools, financial support of Healthy 100 Kids, endowing an AJGA ACE Grant, and the “Share My Passion” Golf Clinics are other areas of emphasis.