BELLEAIR, Fla., Jan. 30, 2023 – The Pelican Women’s Championship donated $47,900 from the 2022 edition of the championship to help families in need as part of its “Birdies for Babies” charitable program in partnership with BayCare Health System. Tampa Bay’s annual LPGA Tour event, the Pelican Women’s Championship took place Nov. 11-13 at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Fla., where Nelly Korda captured her second consecutive title at 14-under par, elevating her to World No. 1.
To give back to the local community, The Pelican Women’s Championship pledged to donate $50 for every birdie scored during all four rounds of the championship – which was reduced to three due to Hurricane Nicole – to BayCare’s Morton Plant Mease Health Care Foundation. The 120-player field carded a total of 958 birdies during the three days of competition.
These donations will help fund the AngelEye Health System for families of infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) at Mease Countryside Hospital and Morton Plant Hospital.
During the 2022 Pelican Women’s Championship, LPGA professionals Ryann O’Toole and Lauren Stephenson visited the NICU and Operating Room (OR) at the Morton Plant Hospital in Clearwater. The players spoke with attending doctors and nurses in both the OR and NICU, learning about the different programs offered at BayCare and where the funds from the ‘Birdies for Babies’ program will go towards.
The Birdies for Babies charitable program launched with the inaugural Pelican Women’s Championship in 2020 and now has donated more than $160,000 to families in need from the tournament’s first three years. In 2020, the 108-player field carded 932 total birdies for a $46,600 donation; and in 2021, 1,369 birdies were recorded from the 120-player field, for a $68,450 charitable donation.
BayCare is a founding partner of the Pelican Women’s Championship and the tournament’s Official and Exclusive Health Care System. BayCare also supports the tournament’s volunteer program that recruits and deploys hundreds of individuals to assist in managing the event.
BayCare is a leading not-for-profit health care system that provides a wide range of services at 15 hospitals and hundreds of other convenient locations for patients and their families throughout Tampa Bay and the Central Florida regions.
Starting in 2023, the Pelican Women’s Championship will be renamed THE ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican and will feature a $3.25 million purse – the largest on the LPGA Tour outside of the major championships and the CME Group Tour Championship. A new multi-year partnership with World Golf and LPGA Hall-of-Fame member Annika Sorenstam and LPGA Tour partners Gainbridge and Pelican Golf Club, THE ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican will take place Nov. 6-12, 2023.
For more information on the 2022 Pelican Women’s Championship and the 2023 THE ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican, visit www.TheAnnika.com and on social media: @theANNIKALPGA on Twitter, @theannikalpga on Instagram and The Annika driven by Gainbridge at Pelican on Facebook.
About Morton Plant Hospital
Since 1916, Morton Plant Hospital has been committed to improving the health of all we serve through community-owned health care services that set the standard for high-quality, compassionate care. Our 599-bed hospital is proud to offer nationally recognized care delivered in more than 50 specialty areas. Morton Plant Hospital offers innovative, accessible, and quality services to provide our community with a lifetime of compassionate, convenient care. For more information, call (727) 953-6877, or visit us on Facebook or at 300 Pinellas St., Clearwater, Fla.
About Mease Countryside Hospital
Mease Countryside Hospital is a 387-bed facility committed to improving the health of the community. Mease Countryside has been awarded a total of 12 Top 100 Hospital designations in the areas of stroke, orthopedic, intensive care and overall care by the Fortune/IBM Watson Health™ 100 Top Hospitals list. Mease Countryside Hospital has also been designated as a “Baby-Friendly” Hospital by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in recognition of its ability to offer breastfeeding mothers the information, skills and support needed to successfully initiate and continue breastfeeding their babies. Mease Countryside Hospital is located at 3231 McMullen Booth Road, Safety Harbor, Fla. For more information about Mease Countryside Hospital, go to www.BayCare.org/mch.
About Morton Plant Mease Health Care Foundation
For nearly 50 years, Morton Plant Mease Health Care Foundation has provided philanthropic support to the not-for-profit hospitals of Morton Plant Mease, including Morton Plant, Clearwater; Mease Dunedin; Mease Countryside, Safety Harbor and Morton Plant North Bay, New Port Richey. The close connection between the hospitals of Morton Plant Mease and their neighbors reveal a unique spirit of giving – a relationship characterized by people caring for the hospitals that care for them. Thanks to the community’s philanthropic support, the Foundation granted the not-for-profit hospitals of Morton Plant Mease $16.4 million in 2022 - significantly the most in its history. Morton Plant Mease Health Care Foundation’s strong financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency have earned a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent charity evaluator.
About BayCare Health System
BayCare is a leading not-for-profit health care system that connects individuals and families to a wide range of services at 15 hospitals and hundreds of other convenient locations throughout the Tampa Bay and central Florida regions. Inpatient and outpatient services include acute care, primary care, imaging, laboratory, behavioral health, home care, and wellness. Our mission is to improve the health of all we serve through community-owned, health care services that set the standard for high-quality, compassionate care. For more information, visit www.BayCare.org
About the LPGA
The LPGA is the world’s leading professional golf organization for women, with a goal to change the face of golf by making the sport more accessible and inclusive.
Created in 1950 by 13 Founders, the Association celebrates a diverse and storied history. The LPGA Tour competes across the globe, reaching television audiences in more than 220 countries. The Epson Tour, the LPGA’s official qualifying tour, consistently produces a pipeline of talent ready for the world stage. The LPGA also holds a joint-venture collaboration with the Ladies European Tour (LET), increasing playing opportunities for female golfers in Europe. Across the three Tours, the LPGA represents players in more than 60 countries.
Additionally, the LPGA Foundation has empowered and supported girls and women since 1991, most notably through LPGA*USGA Girls Golf, the only national program of its kind, which annually engages with nearly 100,000 girls. The LPGA Amateur Golf Association and LPGA Women’s Network provide virtual and in-person connections to female golfers around the world, while LPGA Professionals are educators, business leaders and game-changers dedicated to growing the game of golf for everyone.
Follow the LPGA on its U.S. television home, Golf Channel, online at www.LPGA.com and on its mobile apps. Join the social conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
Media Contact:
Jeremy Friedman
Pelican Women’s Championship
Outlyr
407-721-9752
jfriedman@outlyr.com