Charleston, South Carolina, United States: The National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA) has announced Annika Sorenstam as the recipient of its 2022 Award of Merit, the organisation’s most prestigious award, which recognises long-term and significant contributions to the game of golf.

Sorenstam will accept the award, and then sit down with NGCOA CEO Jay Karen for a conversation and audience Q&A, on January 26, during the NGCOA’s Golf Business Conference in Orlando.

Sorenstam started playing golf at the age of 12 and went on to amass more than 90 worldwide victories, including 72 on the LPGA Tour and 11 Major championships.

During her 15-year, Hall-of-Fame career, she rewrote the LPGA and Ladies European Tour record books, won countless awards, and changed the way women’s golf was played, viewed and covered.

Sorenstam stepped away from professional golf after the 2008 season to focus on starting a family and the ANNIKA brand of businesses.

In 2007, she started the ANNIKA Foundation, which provides golf opportunities 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 conducts seven global events where more than 600 girls from 60-plus countries compete annually.

In 2020, Sorenstam was elected President of the International Golf Federation, which oversees golf in the Olympic Games. In 2021, she became the first female golfer and only the third female in sport to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Karen said: “We are thrilled to present the 2022 Award of Merit to Annika Sorenstam. Like so many champions before, Annika’s long-term success and contributions to the game have fuelled an enormous interest and engagement in our game worldwide.

“The cascading effect of this has only served to benefit the golf course owners and operators around our industry. On behalf of the industry, we are simply delighted to recognise her.”

The NGCOA Award of Merit and other NGCOA annual awards will be presented throughout the Golf Business Conference in Orlando from January 24-26.