Annika Sorenstam, possibly the greatest female golfer of all time, retired yesterday. She shot a 75 in her final competitve round to miss the cut by 2 shots. A very unceremonious ending to a great career.
Nicknamed Ms. 59, because she is the only woman ever to shoot 59 in competition, Annika ends her career with 72 LPGA Victories and 10 major championships. She won 17 other worldwide events in a career that started with a US Women's Open title in 1995. Her best years were from 2001 to 2005, when she won a remarkable 43 tournaments out of 104 she entered. That kind of win percentage is unheard of in golf...even for Tiger Woods. People have said that Annika was the Tiger of the LPGA Tour. It may be more appropriate to say Tiger is the Annika of the PGA Tour.
Beyond all her accolades in golf, I credit her for increasing interest in the LPGA Tour. Like Tiger Woods on the PGA Tour, Annika forced a whole generation of players to get better to compete with her. She made the LPGA Tour relevant in a way that it hadn't been since Nancy Lopez was a rising star. Heck, before Annika went on her tear, I couldn't tell you, from week to week who was winning the LPGA Tour events. Now, I follow the LPGA Tour every week, right along with the PGA Tour.
At 38 years old, she could still make a comeback. Right now, she is going to focus on starting a family and expanding her off the course businesses, like her golf academy, her golf course design and her charities. She will be missed, but her legacy will be felt for years to come.
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