Annika Foundation – golf Hall-of-Famer Annika Sorenstam’s charitable organization – has hired golf industry veteran Rob Ohno as its first president and CEO.
Ohno joins the Foundation from the PGA Tour, where for nearly 25 years he helped spur its worldwide growth. In 2017, Ohno was named Senior Vice President, Head of International Tours. In that role he oversaw all aspects of the Tour’s international tours in China.
“Rob’s a true global citizen of golf, having worked with people and companies around the world that share a common passion for the game,” Soresntan said “Since starting the Foundation back in 2007, we’ve established annual events on five continents and made incredible progress toward our goals. I feel that Rob’s just the right person to build on those successes and help us make an even greater impact. We’re so excited to add him to our team.”
“I’m humbled and honored to join the Annika Foundation; for years I’ve admired the exceptional work it’s done on behalf of junior golfers around the world,” says Ohno. “I’m a huge believer in its ‘More Than Golf’ mission and the power our great game has to shape lives on and off the course. While I loved my many years at the TOUR and have nothing but the utmost respect for everyone there, I felt that this opportunity to work closely with Annika and help the Foundation reach new heights was simply too good to pass up.”
A graduate of Harvard University (B.A.) and the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University (MBA), Ohno sits on the board of Vicar’s Landing, a premier senior living community, and holds volunteer leadership roles with the U.S.-Japan Council and Asian Executive Network.
The Annika Foundation is devoted to growing the game of golf around the world. It hosts six girls-only invitational tournaments: the Hilton Grand Vacations Annnika Invitational presented by Rolex (United States), ANNIKA Invitational Europe and Annika Cup (Sweden), Annika Invitational Mission Hills (China), Annika Invitational Australasia (New Zealand) and the Women’s Amateur Latin America Championship presented by The R&A and ANNIKA Foundation (Argentina). They are complemented by the Annika Intercollegiate presented by 3M, a 12-team college tournament, and the Annika Award presented by Stifel, which is annually bestowed to the most outstanding female NCAA Division I golfer.
The Foundation will also be the main beneficiary of The Annika driven by Gainbridge at Pelican, a new tournament tradition that will begin on the LPGA Tour Nov. 6-12, 2023.