On 29 October, organisers of The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican announced another wave of player commitments for the LPGA Tour's penultimate tournament. The significance lies in the depth of the field rather than a single headline name: five players ranked inside the world top 10 at the time of the announcement joined an already formidable list. A commitment, however, is not the same as a guaranteed start.
Five top-10 names, every former champion
The newly announced players are Haeran Ryu (No. 3) of South Korea, Ruoning Yin (No. 5) of China, Lottie Woad (No. 7) of England, Charley Hull (No. 8) and Sei Young Kim (No. 9) of South Korea. Rankings are those quoted in the 29 October organisers' announcement, not projections for the event itself. World No. 1 Nelly Korda and Brooke Henderson (No. 12) had already committed.
All four players to have won the tournament are now on the entry list. Kim claimed the inaugural title in 2020; Korda won in 2021, 2022 and 2024; Lilia Vu prevailed in 2023; and defending champion Linn Grant won in 2025. A fourth victory would give Korda another important milestone. That is a genuine possibility, not an outcome that has already been achieved.
Why this week matters beyond the trophy
The four competitive rounds are scheduled for 12–15 November 2026 at Florida's Pelican Golf Club, within a broader event week of 9–15 November. The event is a 72-hole stroke-play championship on a par-70 course with an announced 108-player field, a $3.25 million purse and 500 Race to the CME Globe points for the winner. As the penultimate stop, it offers one of the last opportunities to improve a season-long position before the CME Group Tour Championship. For players around the top-60 qualification boundary, the difference between a solid finish and a missed opportunity can define the season.
The invitations also make room for the next generation: incoming LPGA rookie Annabelle Pancake-Webb and amateurs Scarlett Schremmer and Macy Pate have sponsor places. Placing newcomers alongside multiple major champions shows the dual role of the tournament: elite competition and a gateway to the tour's next cohort.
Haeran Ryu's commitment needs a qualification
Ryu withdrew before the first round of the Maybank Championship on 29 October. Korean reporting on 30 October linked the decision to a finger injury suffered during the pre-tournament pro-am. Her inclusion in The ANNIKA announcement is not proof of recovery or confirmation that she will tee off in Florida. No withdrawal from The ANNIKA itself had been officially reported at the time of writing, and it would be premature to predict her medical readiness.
The organisers set 3 November as the entry deadline. The final field can still change. The verified story is the unusually strong group of commitments, with the distinction between an entry and an actual competitive start kept clear.
Sources: The ANNIKA official announcement, 29 October; LPGA tournament overview; earlier report on Ryu's Maybank withdrawal.
