THE GIG
The term GOAT is passed around a lot in the sports world. In women’s professional golf though, there is truly only one: Annika Sorenstam, who won over 90 international tournaments in her career. I was asked to photograph Annika’s press day for the annual namesake tournament, The Annika Driven by Gainbridge at the Pelican Golf tournament in Belleair, Florida. Local media, politicians and hosts attended this multi-faceted event.
THE CLIENT
OUTLYR is an events management company, and they’ve perfected branding and client relationships to include major celebrity and sports figures. I was called in for photography because I’ve worked with Annika before, and the event needed a variety of photography.
OUTLYR has worked with clients like AIG, Acer, Servpro, Mutual of Omaha and Gulf States Toyota. In addition to The Annika, they’ve presented the DIO Implant LA Open, the JM Eagle LA Championship, the Meijer LPGA Classic and the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational. Their roots are in the golf community, and they pride themselves on great experiences for clients, athletes and spectators.
THE TASK AT HAND
As it happens with many outdoor events, nature had its own agenda on the day of. Thunderstorms moved through the area and that created some issues. I had to get creative and fast. I set up a hitting bay on the driving range that let me protect the golfers and my equipment from the deluge.
HIGHLIGHTS
In addition to Annika herself, I also covered the press conference with champion Louise Rydqvist and Elizabeth Szokol who will be playing this week. After the event, which included lunch, Annika answered questions from the media, including from co-host Todd Lewis from the Golf Channel. It's not often you get to work with a GOAT, so I took the opportunity for a photos with Annika too.
MORE TO COME…
I’ve returned to Bellair to shoot the actual tournament this week, which runs from November 6-12. The Annika is a world-renowned women’s golf tournament with five days of professional and amateur competitions that culminates in a final round on Sunday.
This job included advertising, still, editorial and white screen photography. The photos will be used online and in future ads.