Annika Tour makes first stop in Peoria, Metamora in 2024

METAMORA — Annika Sorenstam wants to help women make a name for themselves in the developmental ranks of professional golf.

One of the greatest players in football has therefore written her name throughout the Women’s All Pro Tour. The WAPT is now called Annika Tour in 2024.

And golfers like Krista Junkkari are proud to be a part of it. She was among the Annika Tour event competitors who joined the men’s team for the 2024 OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois Championships Tuesday in Metamora.

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The 72-hole tournament runs Wednesday through Saturday at Metamora Fields Golf Club and in Peoria at WeaverRidge Golf Club.

“It puts us all on a bigger stage,” Junkkari, 24, said during the pro-am at Metamora. “Annika Sorenstam is, in my opinion, the greatest golfer in history. Many of us dream of having a career like his.

“I first met her when I was in my final year of university and attended a Q&A session for her. She was an inspiration. »

Sorenstam agreed to partner with WAPT last summer for a marquee tour beginning this season. She put her name on the tour, invested her inheritance in the Annika Foundation and is dedicated to helping women develop in golf.

“I am thrilled to embark on this adventure with the Women’s All Pro Tour,” Sorenstam said in a statement from the Annika Foundation last July. “I firmly believe that the best way to improve your game and prepare yourself for the next level is to compete on a tour with great competition.

“By joining forces with WAPT, we have a unique opportunity to further solidify an incredibly important platform that has already advanced the professional careers of so many talented players.”

Ambassador Krista Junkkari

Junkkari is from Kouvola, Finland, and was a golf star for the University of North Carolina. She finished her career following the 2022-23 season as UNC’s fourth-best all-time scoring average with 73.89.

She joined the Annika Foundation when she was named one of its first four Annika Development Program Ambassadors in May 2023.

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The mission of the program is to support aspiring female golfers who are no longer eligible for college and provide them with opportunities to develop into professional careers. As an ambassador, Junkkari has access to practice and play at Old Barnwell Golf Club in Aiken, South Carolina, while being trained by its professional staff. Ambassadors receive housing for their first year and a $10,000 stipend each year to cover tournament fees and travel expenses. Sorenstam is their mentor and the women must play with club members and participate in clinics for young girls.

“Getting into the program is a huge deal for me,” Junkkari said in 2023. “It feels like the perfect next step in my career and a smoother transition to a professional career than I had imagined possible.

“Becoming a professional has always been described to me as a period of uncertainty, and coming into the (Annika) program has given me a good sense of direction and a foundation on which I can begin to build for the next couple of years .”

Building a professional future in Metamora

Junkkari begins chasing a $30,000 first-place prize Wednesday, when she tees off at 12:52 p.m. on the No. 1 at Metamora. The tournament schedule rotates players between Metamora Fields and WeaverRidge in Peoria each day to provide different challenges.

The Annika Tour sets the bar high via its namesake, but helps developing players achieve it.

Sorenstam has won 97 events as a professional, including 72 on the LPGA Tour. She won the US Women’s Open in 1995, 1996 and 2006. As well as the Women’s British Open in 2004 and the Women’s PGA Championship in 2003, 2004 and 2005. She is part of the World Golf Hall of Fame and last October the first LPGA player to become a member of the Augusta National Golf Club.

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“It’s exciting to be here, I think being part of the Annika Tour, and what her name is attached to it means to all of us, and to compete on this circuit at this level is awesome,” Junkkari said after warming up on the Metamora course on Tuesday. “It’s very comfortable here. I’m a little bit of a country girl at heart, I had a lot of fun last night with my host family here in Metamora, the cornfields and chasing fireflies in the backyard.”

Dave Eminian is the Journal Star’s sports columnist and covers Bradley men’s basketball, the Rivermen and the Chiefs. He writes the sports column Cleve In The Eve for pjstar.com. He can be reached at 686-3206 or [email protected]. Follow him on X.com @icetimecleve.