Melanie Green hits from the fairway on the No. 16 hole during the final round of the LPGA’s JM Eagle LA Championship at El Caballero Country Club in April in Los Angeles. She finished in a tie for ninth place. [ JESSIE ALCHEH | AP ]
By Hannah Walls
This article was first published in the Tampa Bay Times on November 11th.
Scarlett Schremmer was sitting in a physics class at the University of Miami when a text message from a teammate changed her plans for the evening.
The 20-year-old sophomore had received a sponsor invitation to compete in her first LPGA Tour event, The Annika. She grabbed her backpack, rushed out of class and made a phone call to confirm the news.
Instead of returning to class, she headed to the golf course to practice.
“I was so happy,” Schremmer said.
For Melanie Green, 24, competing at the same tournament represents a different milestone. The former University of South Florida standout once attended The Annika as a spectator during college. Now, she is returning to Tampa Bay as an LPGA Tour rookie.
Their paths have been different, but both will compete in The Annika that starts Thursday at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, taking another step in their developing careers.
“To now have the opportunity to compete in an event I used to attend as a spectator during college will definitely be a little pinch-me moment,” Green said.
Schremmer’s journey began thousands of miles from Florida. Growing up in Hawaii, she spent much of her childhood surfing alongside her sisters, Mason and Lola, who went on to pursue professional surfing careers.
A three-time under-18 national shortboard champion, Schremmer was an accomplished surfer before she began seriously pursuing golf around age 12.
Her mother, Patricia Ehrhart, previously competed on the LPGA Tour and became the biggest influence on her transition between sports.
“Without my mom, I would not be playing golf,” Schremmer said. “I don’t know what I would be doing, but definitely not golf.”
Although Schremmer started later than many competitive junior golfers, she believes her surfing background helped her develop the discipline and independence necessary to succeed.
She eventually became one of the country’s top junior golfers, earning three Rolex Junior All-America honors and representing the United States on the winning 2024 Junior Solheim Cup team.
Green followed a different route, developing her game in Medina, New York, before arriving at USF in 2020.
In the summer of 2024, Green won the Women’s Amateur Championship at Portmarnock in Ireland, becoming the first American to capture the title since 1996.
Despite their early success, neither golfer experienced a straightforward transition into the next stage of her career.
After beginning college at Texas A&M in fall 2025, Schremmer transferred to Miami, where she sat out the spring 2026 collegiate season because of transfer rules.
“I really wasn’t happy at A&M,” Schremmer said. “I didn’t really feel like I had a family there.”
The time away from collegiate competition allowed her to adjust aspects of her golf swing and build relationships with her new teammates.
At Miami, she found the sense of belonging she had been looking for.
Schremmer opened the 2026-27 season by winning two of her first three individual tournaments, including the Boilermaker Classic and Golfweek Red Sky Classic.
At Red Sky, she finished 17-under-par 199, recording the second-lowest 54-hole individual score in Miami women’s golf history. Her performance earned her Atlantic Coast Conference Golfer of the Month honors for September.
Green experienced her own period of uncertainty after completing her college career.
Following her decision to turn professional in 2024, Green missed earning her 2025 LPGA Tour card through Q-Series by four strokes, forcing her to take another route to the sport’s highest level.
“I wouldn’t necessarily say ‘handle’ is the best word to describe dealing with that disappointment,” Green said. “You just take things day by day. I trust God’s plan for my life, so I really tried to make the most of my time on the Epson Tour, and I feel like I did that.”
Green made the most of the opportunity.
During the 2025 Epson Tour season, she won the Island Resort Championship and Guardian Championship, recording 10 top-10 finishes in 19 starts.
She finished first in the Race for the Card standings, earning both Epson Tour Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year honors and securing LPGA Tour membership for 2026.
Her rookie season has included two top-10 finishes, tying for ninth at the JM Eagle LA Championship and Riviera Maya Open.
For Schremmer, Green’s experience offers a glimpse of the challenges that come with trying to establish a professional career.
Schremmer described her LPGA debut as something similar to an internship, offering an opportunity to learn from established players while preparing for her own future.
The tournament carries additional significance because her mother will serve as her caddie.
“Sometimes I feel like I don’t even have to talk to her,” Schremmer said. “She just knows what I’m thinking and what I’m feeling.”
Both golfers also share connections to the tournament’s namesake, Hall of Famer Annika Sörenstam.
Green’s longtime golf instructor, Nick Semuta, often referenced Sörenstam during lessons when Green was growing up, telling her, “Annika does it right.”
Schremmer has her own memory of Sörenstam. During her first Augusta National Women’s Amateur appearance, she spotted the Hall of Famer watching from the first tee. Already nervous, Schremmer felt her heart race until Sörenstam offered a small wave and nod of encouragement.
“Annika is amazing. She’s the GOAT,” Schremmer said. “To be able to play her event is really special.”
For Green, competing at The Annika also means returning to the community that helped shape her collegiate career.
Although she grew up in New York, her four years at USF helped establish Tampa Bay as a second home.
“I loved my time at USF, and I was always happy to come back to Tampa,” Green said. “But honestly, the best part for me has always been the people. I’m incredibly grateful for the community Tampa has given me.”
While Schremmer hopes to use the tournament to better understand what it takes to compete professionally, Green is working to build on the opportunity she earned after her breakthrough Epson Tour season.
Schremmer dreams of one day winning the U.S. Open and becoming the world’s top-ranked golfer, but for now she remains focused on her college career.
Green has already reached the LPGA Tour, though she views that accomplishment as another step rather than a final destination.
“I think it’s a dangerous mentality to think you ‘belong’ anywhere because, for me, I think that can breed complacency,” Green said. “That’s one thing I’m continuing to learn and maybe even relearn. I always want to keep pushing myself, stay hungry and never get too comfortable.”
The Annika
LPGA TOURNAMENT
7 a.m. (gates open at 6:45) Thursday-Sunday, Pelican Golf Club, Belleair TV: 11 a.m. Thursday Golf Channel More info: theannika.com