Continuing its award-winning tradition, the ANNIKA Invitational was awarded the American Junior Golf Association’s Social Media Award. The all-girls Invitational, which is in its seventh year, has continued to grow and evolve under the innovative and hands-on approach taken by golf legend and international businesswoman Annika Sorenstam, now connecting players, coaches, families and golf media from around the world via social media.
Each year, the AJGA presents awards to the tournaments with the best individual hospitality, Junior-Am Fundraising Tournament, charitable giving and volunteer base. Awards are also given to the events with the highest media and social media participation. Finally, the AJGA recognizes the year’s most outstanding golf professional, superintendent and general manager, as well as the most improved event, best new event, best Junior All-Star tournament, best Invitational and overall tournament of the year. Tournament awards for the 2014 season will be presented on-site at the 2015 tournament.
"We are honored to receive the Social Media Award for the ANNIKA Invitational this past year,” Sorenstam said. “We work hard to try and utilize social media and various digital marketing channels to promote our events, our sponsors and our participants, and we appreciate our efforts being recognized.”
The 2014 tournament garnered more than 3.6 million impressions on Twitter, totaling 570 tweets among 161 contributors throughout the week. Accounts from Annika, Golf Channel’s Morning Drive, Golf Channel host Damon Hack, and the AJGA led the social media conversation with a combined 200,000 followers on Twitter.
Hack boosted the event’s social media presence, using the hashtag #trackahack to live tweet his round during the Callaway Golf Junior-Am Fundraising Tournament. Because of the interaction and following, an AJGA tweet was featured on the following day’s Morning Drive social media wrap-up.
Annika and the tournament committee focused on integrating social media into the tournament experience. A social media station was featured at the Welcome Reception where players could dress up with costumes and props. Annika posed with tournament participants and their families and photos were posted on Twitter and Instagram, and the AJGA Facebook page featured an album that specifically featured the social media station, in addition to a tournament album.
Social media provided a way to further share the ANNIKA Foundation’s mission of “more than golf.” Players, parents, coaches, media and guests live tweeted seminars and clinics where Annika and her staff shared health, nutrition and mental tips.
Each year, the AJGA presents awards to the tournaments with the best individual hospitality, Junior-Am Fundraising Tournament, charitable giving and volunteer base. Awards are also given to the events with the highest media and social media participation. Finally, the AJGA recognizes the year’s most outstanding golf professional, superintendent and general manager, as well as the most improved event, best new event, best Junior All-Star tournament, best Invitational and overall tournament of the year. Tournament awards for the 2014 season will be presented on-site at the 2015 tournament.
"We are honored to receive the Social Media Award for the ANNIKA Invitational this past year,” Sorenstam said. “We work hard to try and utilize social media and various digital marketing channels to promote our events, our sponsors and our participants, and we appreciate our efforts being recognized.”
The 2014 tournament garnered more than 3.6 million impressions on Twitter, totaling 570 tweets among 161 contributors throughout the week. Accounts from Annika, Golf Channel’s Morning Drive, Golf Channel host Damon Hack, and the AJGA led the social media conversation with a combined 200,000 followers on Twitter.
Hack boosted the event’s social media presence, using the hashtag #trackahack to live tweet his round during the Callaway Golf Junior-Am Fundraising Tournament. Because of the interaction and following, an AJGA tweet was featured on the following day’s Morning Drive social media wrap-up.
Annika and the tournament committee focused on integrating social media into the tournament experience. A social media station was featured at the Welcome Reception where players could dress up with costumes and props. Annika posed with tournament participants and their families and photos were posted on Twitter and Instagram, and the AJGA Facebook page featured an album that specifically featured the social media station, in addition to a tournament album.
Social media provided a way to further share the ANNIKA Foundation’s mission of “more than golf.” Players, parents, coaches, media and guests live tweeted seminars and clinics where Annika and her staff shared health, nutrition and mental tips.
This is the fifth tournament award the ANNIKA Invitational has received. The tournament was previously recognized as Newcomer of the Year in 2009 and Invitational of the Year in 2010, and was the recipient of the Media Award in both 2011 and 2013.
The tournament will return to Reunion Resort, Feb. 13-16.