BRITTANY BENVENUTO WINS ANNIKA ACADEMY ELITE ATHLETE AWARD

Benvenuto wins $5,000 from ANNIKA Academy for demonstrating “Winning Approach”

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., (October 20, 2015) – The Symetra Tour, Road to the LPGA, in conjunction with the ANNIKA Academy is excited to announce that Brittany Benvenuto (Langhorne, Pa.) is the recipient of the second annual Symetra Tour ANNIKA Academy ELITE Athlete Award. Benvenuto best demonstrated the same “Winning Approach” philosophy, which Annika Sorenstam used during her playing days.

“I was really excited when I found out,” Benvenuto said. “It was something that I thought I probably could obtain when I went to the first session. I really enjoy going to the sessions with the team from the ANNIKA Academy.”

Annika, who founded the academy in 2007, presented Benvenuto, a fellow former University of Arizona golfer, with the ANNIKA Academy ELITE Athlete Award during the LPGA Tour card ceremony following the Symetra Tour Championship presented by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

“I would always hear a lot about Annika in Tucson when I was playing for the University of Arizona,” Benvenuto said. “I still hear about her work ethic and dedication from all of the pros in town and it’s a really cool tie in with us both having played there.”

Benvenuto, who attended all four sessions, had her best season yet on the Symetra Tour with four top-10 finishes and 18 cuts made in 22 events played.  She finished the year ranked 21st on the Volvik Race for the Card money list. 

“Congratulations to Brittany for winning the ANNIKA Academy ELITE Athlete Award,” Annika said. “She played very well this year and shared our “Winning Approach” by attending our Academy educational sessions. We wish her continued success.” 

Symetra Tour players had the opportunity to take part in four professional development sessions delivered by the ANNIKA Academy throughout the 2015 season. Sessions focused on various aspects of the “winning approach” including fitness, nutrition, club fitting and more.

In January of 2014, the ANNIKA Academy became the official elite golf-training academy for the Symetra Tour. Last year, Casey Grice (College Station, Texas) captured the inaugural ANNIKA Academy ELITE Athlete Award

Annika is widely regarded as one of the greatest women’s golfers of all-time. She won 72 LPGA Tour titles including 10 majors.