On 7 November 2013, the PGA of America announces Annika Sörenstam as the 2013 PGA First Lady of Golf.
On 7 November 2013, the PGA of America announced that Annika Sörenstam had been named the 2013 PGA First Lady of Golf, an honor recognizing her extraordinary contributions to the game.[6] The award, created to acknowledge influential women in golf, had previously been bestowed on figures such as Patty Berg and Dinah Shore; Sörenstam joined this distinguished lineage.
The announcement highlighted not only her competitive record—over 90 worldwide wins, 72 LPGA titles, and 10 majors—but also her work off the course, including the founding of the ANNIKA Foundation and her role in promoting junior and women’s golf globally.[5][6] By 2013, she had transitioned from full‑time competition to leadership, mentoring, and business, using her platform to create playing opportunities for girls and young women.
The PGA First Lady of Golf designation is significant because it came from a historically male‑dominated organization, signaling institutional recognition of the transformative impact a woman golfer could have on the sport’s culture, economics, and visibility.[6] Sörenstam’s selection underscored a broader shift toward honoring women not only for competitive success but also for their strategic and philanthropic roles in golf’s development.
In the context of women’s sports history, the 7 November 2013 announcement marks an important moment when one of the LPGA’s greatest champions was formally celebrated by the PGA of America as a leader and ambassador, further cementing her legacy as a barrier‑breaking figure whose influence extends well beyond her own scorecards.[5][6]