BELLEAIR, Fla. - Just over 24 hours removed from a longhaul flight from Japan, a jet-lagged Melanie Green met with the media in her adopted hometown.

The LPGA Tour rookie shared a glimpse into her return trip, from the tour’s swing through Asia. She posted a video on Instagram stories of her rolling up the seat divider on the plane while giving a friendly wave as her face and her hand disappeared from view, presumably for a nap on her journey back to Tampa.

The commute to this week’s The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican will be significantly shorter than the one she made to last week’s TOTO Japan Classic, as she’ll get a chance to sleep in her own bed while making her debut this week at Pelican Golf Club.

“I’m super excited,” Green said on Tuesday while meeting with the media in Belleair. “I'm very grateful for the fact that I left my house this morning to come here and I didn't have to leave a hotel room or anything like that.”

Green is a 24-year old rookie on the LPGA Tour and is beginning to assume a new role as the next rising star for women’s golf in the Tampa Bay area. The opportunity for Green comes on the heels of veterans and neighbors, Brittany Lincicome and new mom Brittany Altomare who are both taking a step back from competitive golf. Green headlined the public relations efforts for The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican at the tournament’s media day and threw out the first pitch at the Tampa Bay Rays game on September 17th, which was a role that Lincicome fulfilled in years past.

“My agent reached out and was like, ‘Hey, would this be something you're interested in?’ I was like, ‘Heck yeah, let's do it,’” Green recalled about the media day experience. “I love sports in general so it was an easy yes. You know, being able to chat with some of the players and just get to see their world a little bit was definitely an experience for sure.”

Green grew up in Medina, New York, a 50-minute drive north of Buffalo, and just 10 miles from Lake Ontario, which is not exactly an ideal climate for playing golf. Green took her talents to the University of South Florida, where she was a WGCA All-American and named the 2024 AAC Women’s Golf Player of the Year. Green parlayed her college success into a successful stint on the Epson Tour, where she earned both Player and Rookie of the Year honors in 2025. She went on to top the Race for the Card to earn status on the LPGA Tour for 2026. Following graduation, Green remained in the Tampa area and has called the city home for six years.

“Just moving from Medina, New York, to USF you just realize there is such a bigger world out there. Just I guess to round out the edges of maybe thought processes and how you do things or how cultures are,” Green said about expanding her horizons through golf. “So it's good to have a broader range of how people think and their customs.”

Green became the first American to win the Women’s British Amateur in 28 years, when she hoisted the trophy in 2024. It’s just one of countless opportunities golf and a career on the LPGA Tour have given Green to travel the globe.

“I think the highlight is seeing the world. Not a lot of people get to do what I've had the opportunity to do, and so I'm very grateful and blessed, and I don't ever want to take what I do right now for granted,” Green said about her first year on tour. “It’s awesome. Even just going to Mexico, Canada and seeing different countries and even different towns and cities across the U.S. and going to Europe and seeing different cultures, it just opens your eyes.”

But perhaps there’s no greater thrill than getting a chance to tee it up at home, even if it’s an adopted one. This week, Green will wrap-up her first full season competing on the LPGA Tour at The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican - less than an hour drive from her home in Riverview.

“Parents are flying in today. Let's see, best friend will be on the bag this week,” Green said about the support she's expecting for the tournament. “I'll have some friends make it out as well. Some people from out of town that will come. I'm definitely going to have a few people cheering me on, so I'm excited about that.”

Because no matter where this game has taken Green, or where she’s found success, there’s no experience quite like competing at home.

Melanie Green is Excited to Compete in Adopted Hometown

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