Golf icon Annika Sorenstam coming to Wichita for Heritage Classic finale
When the final putt drops on championship Sunday at Rolling Hills Country Club, the winner of the Heritage Classic will be handed a $20,000 check, the largest payday of the ANNIKA Women’s All Pro Tour season.
But the spotlight won’t shine only on the players.
Annika Sorenstam, one of the greatest golfers in history, will be on hand for the final round of the season-ending tournament — a rare opportunity for Wichita to host a living legend. The World Golf Hall of Famer, winner of 72 LPGA titles and 10 major championships, is scheduled to greet every competitor before they tee off and then speak at the awards ceremony afterward.
“Annika’s presence in the game of golf is remarkable,” Heritage Classic tournament director David Guy said. “She has had an amazing hall-of-fame career and has inspired so many young women to play golf, and many of those have gone on to play the LPGA Tour and realize their own dreams.”
Her appearance coincides with a milestone year in women’s golf. This fall marks the 75th anniversary of the LPGA’s founding, a history that began in Wichita. In 1950, 13 women gathered at Rolling Hills following the U.S. Women’s Open to draw up the bylaws for what became the LPGA Tour.
That legacy remains central to the club’s identity. Just last month, Rolling Hills unveiled the Annika Founders Exhibit plaques, a permanent tribute to the trailblazing group that set the course for generations of women golfers.
“We love to brag about the history here,” Guy said. “We’re the only ones with this piece of history, so we take a lot of pride and a lot of joy in it. I like seeing people’s reactions when they find out about it and see just what it means. Your mind wanders to what all has happened here since and what is going to happen in the future.”
For Katherine Kirk, a three-time winner on the LPGA Tour who now lives in Wichita, that connection is deeply personal.
“I feel inspired and in awe of what they did,” she said. “They were really amazing women, and the more we tell their stories and share our experiences, the more people can learn and hopefully jump on board and grow the game even more.”
At LPGA headquarters in Florida, Kirk noted, there’s a phrase on the wall that reads: Act like a founder. It’s a daily reminder of the resolve and vision that started in Wichita 75 years ago.
Steve Eubanks, an LPGA historian, framed it another way during the plaque unveiling.
“Does anybody remember who the last person was who walked on the moon?” After silence, he followed with: “Who remembers the first person to walk on the moon? Being first matters. It matters a lot and it matters throughout history. Whether it’s the 50th anniversary or 75th anniversary or 100th anniversary, Rolling Hills will always be first and I hope Wichita takes pride in that.”
The Heritage Classic has become the marquee event on the WAPT, this year boasting a record $100,000 purse and, for the first time, a sellout of sponsorships.
Hailey Jones, the only player with multiple wins on tour this season, opened the tournament with a 5-under 67 to seize the first-round lead on Thursday.
But the lasting memory of this week won’t just be who hoists the trophy. It will be that Sorenstam, the player who defined excellence in women’s golf for more than a decade, stood on the same grounds where the sport itself took root.
This story was originally published September 5, 2025 at 6:34 AM.
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