Golf Channel to Air Live Announcement of Winner of ANNIKA Award

Golf Channel announced today a new partnership with 3M, the Fred Haskins Commission and the ANNIKA Foundation to elevate exposure for one of the most prestigious awards in all of women's golf, the ANNIKA Award Presented by 3M.

New for 2015, the ANNIKA Award Presented by 3M winner announcement will take place Monday, May 25 during Golf Channel's live coverage of the 2015 NCAA Women's Golf Championships, with the recipient appearing on-set as part of the network's Golf Central news program.

Named after World Golf Hall-of-Famer and 1991 NCAA Individual Champion Annika Sorenstam, the ANNIKA Award Presented by 3M honors the nation's most outstanding female Division I collegiate golfer as selected by her peers, coaches and the golf media. UCLA's Alison Lee won the inaugural award in 2014 after winning three times, and was named first team All-American, Pac-12 Women's Golfer of the Year and Freshman of the Year. She is now competing full time on the LPGA Tour.

The live announcement will take place during Golf Central at 7 p.m. ET on Monday, May 25, with the winner appearing on-set immediately following the conclusion of the individual stroke play at the NCAA Women's Golf Championships. Taking place at The Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Fla., the NCAA Women's Golf Championships will air live on Golf Channel Monday-Wednesday, May 25-27, crowning the individual national champion followed by all three rounds of the team match-play tournament.

"We are thrilled about this new partnership with Golf Channel and its increased commitment to showcasing collegiate golf," said Annika. "This is the next generation of great players and I am honored to have my name on this award with 3M. We look forward to growing this initiative, along with others championed by my foundation."

"3M is delighted to join forces again this year with the ANNIKA Foundation to celebrate the inspirational support that Annika and the foundation provide for young women athletes everywhere," said Jesse Singh, senior vice president for marketing and sales at 3M. "We hope the 2015 ANNIKA Award Presented by 3M will encourage another young athlete on her path to success, and we look forward to announcing this year's winner."

"Annika is undoubtedly the greatest female golfer in history and has done so much to bring women's golf to the forefront, both on and off the golf course," said Tom Knapp, senior vice president of programming for Golf Channel. "We are excited to partner with the ANNIKA Foundation, the Fred Haskins Commission and 3M in growing increased awareness for the ANNIKA Award."

Players, coaches and members of the golf media can vote at www.AnnikaAward.com through Sunday, May 24 at 9 p.m. ET. After the votes are collected, the Fred Haskins Commission will verify the votes and determine the winner. Throughout the NCAA golf season, the Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings are used to identify the top female collegiate golfers throughout the year. Golfweek is the founding media partner for the ANNIKA Award.

The Fred Haskins Commission, which for the past 44 years has overseen the Fred Haskins Award presented by Stifelin recognizing the most outstanding male collegiate golfer, also oversees the ANNIKA Award. Winners of the Haskins Award have captured 28 Majors and nearly 300 professional tournaments around the world. For the first time in 2015, the Haskins Award winner will receive his award live on Golf Channel, airing Monday, June 1 on Golf Central following the conclusion of the final round of men's individual stroke play.

Golf Channel is building upon the success of its 2014 coverage of the NCAA Men's Golf Championships and is expanding in 2015 to include live news and tournament coverage of both the NCAA Men's and Women's Golf Championships, contested in back-to-back weeks at Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Fla., May 22-June 3. Coverage of the Women's Golf Championships will air Monday-Wednesday, May 25-27, followed be coverage of the Men's Golf Championships Monday-Wednesday, June 1-3.

About Golf Channel

Golf Channel is a multimedia, golf entertainment and services company based in Orlando, Fla. Serving the most-affluent audience in all of television, Golf Channel - co-founded by Arnold Palmer in 1995 and now part of NBC Sports Group - is available in more than 200 million homes in 84 countries and 13 languages around the world. Exclusive partnerships with the world's top tours allow Golf Channel to feature more live golf coverage than all other networks combined, as well as a programming schedule distinguished by golf's highest-quality news, instruction and original content. Golf Channel's digital platforms, headed by GolfChannel.com, are the leading golf destinations on the Internet, delivering unmatched coverage of the world of golf. Fans are able to enjoy 24/7 live streaming of Golf Channel content through Golf Live Extra and select programming is simulcast via SiriusXM's PGA TOUR Radio. In addition, Golf Channel connects the world to golf through a wide array of digital and lifestyle services including Golf Channel Mobile, a comprehensive app covering golf's latest headlines, scores and analysis; GolfNow, the world's largest online tee time booking platform and golf course technology partner, which includes the GolfNow Mobile App, featuring on-course GPS tracking, in-round scoring and game tracking; GolfAdvisor.com, a golf course ratings and review portal for golfers, by golfers; a North American network of Golf Channel Academy instructional facilities; andGolf Channel Am Tour, the world's largest amateur golf tour.

About the ANNIKA Foundation

Annika created the ANNIKA Foundation (www.annikafoundation.org) as a way to teach children the importance of living a healthy, active lifestyle through fitness and nutrition, and offer aspiring junior golfers opportunities to pursue their dreams. The Foundation has partnered with key organizations to promote healthy, active lifestyles for children, including SPARK, Florida Hospital for Children in support of its Healthy 100 Kids initiative and The First Tee in development of the Nine Healthy Habits curriculum for children.

The Foundation annually conducts four major golf events for aspiring junior girls: the AJGA ANNIKA Invitational at Reunion Resort in Orlando, Fla.; ANNIKA Invitational at Mission Hills in China; ANNIKA Invitational Europe in Sweden; and ANNIKA Cup, a team event for Swedish juniors. In 2013, its reach extended to the collegiate ranks with the ANNIKA Award Presented by 3M (awarded to most outstanding female NCAA Division I golfer) and ANNIKA Intercollegiate presented by 3M (12-team, 54-hole event at Reunion Resort). SPARK grants to schools, financial support of Healthy 100 Kids, endowment of an AJGA ACE scholarship, ANNIKA Junior Day, and scholarships for aspiring Swedish juniors and other key initiatives.

About 3M

3M captures the spark of new ideas and transforms them into thousands of ingenious products. Our culture of creative collaboration inspires a never-ending stream of powerful technologies that make life better. 3M is the innovation company that never stops inventing. With $30 billion in sales, 3M employs 88,000 people worldwide and has operations in more than 70 countries. For more information, visit www.3M.com or follow @3MNews on Twitter.

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