The Tribune

FOURTH-year LPGA player Brooke Pancake, a member of the Pure Silk promotional team, accepted a sponsor invitation to compete in the fourth annual Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic, tournament officials have announced.

Pancake, 24, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, joins Bahamas native Georgette Rolle in receiving a sponsor exemption into the $1.4 million purse tournament scheduled for January 25-31 at the Ocean Club Golf Course at the Atlantis resort.

Rolle, 30, earned her exemption by winning the Bahamas Golf Federation qualifier in December. She competed in the 2014 Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic.

“It’s a great feeling knowing that I will be playing in the first tournament of the new season,” said Pancake, who will be looking to break through for her first career victory. She finished tied for 38th place last year at the Ocean Club with rounds of 67-71-76-75—289.

“I’m looking forward to a great event. I love the golf course, and Pure Silk-Bahamas puts on a quality tournament. They treat us so well. I can’t wait to get there.”

An All-American in 2012 at the University of Alabama, Pancake has recorded five top-25 finishes in her career, though none last year as she underwent a series of changes in her game. She is ready to get her 2016 season started right.

“I made some tweaks, improved on a few things, but also worked on the things that got me out there on tour,” she said.

Pancake and Rolle will be among 108 professionals in the field that already includes 14 of the top 25 in the world. Included are five top-10 players in the Rolex Rankings: No. 2 Inbee Park, No. 3 Stacy Lewis, No. 4 Lexi Thompson, No. 7 Sei Young Kim, the defending champion, and No. 9 Hyo-Joo Kim.

This year’s Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic is the season-opening event on the LPGA’s 2016 calendar. Golf Channel will provide 10 hours of live coverage beginning 11:30am to 2:30pm ESTJanuary 28.

Live second-round coverage on January 29 also is 11:30am to 2:30pm, while live coverage of the final two rounds on Saturday and Sunday will air 3-5pm. Winner of the 2015 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year Award, Kim defeated Ariya Jutanugarn and Sun Young Yoo in a sudden-death playoff last year.