Oct 21, 2008 - Annika Sörenstam, 38 years old, received a champion’s applause at the Kapalua LPGA Classic despite landing on 25th place.
Sörenstam’s performance is not exactly how she would have had it, or not what others would have thought, especially with her announcement last May 13 that the current season would be her last run on the LPGA Tour.
After failing to reach top 10 in nine of her last eleven events, Sörenstam simply boarded a plane and headed to China while her retirement countdown continued to tick.
When asked why she was going to stop playing, the 38-year old said, “I have other priorities in my life. I have a lot of dreams that I want to follow. I think I’ve achieved more than I ever thought I could. I have given it all, and it’s been fun.”
Now with her current performance, people just have to ask why she did not stop then. But of course, golf is a hard sport to retire from. Even Arnold Palmer was fueled to play by the hoards of adoration that came his way. Jack Nicklaus, St. Andrews, and Ben Hogan played past their prime, and somehow their retirements did not come too easy.
Sörenstam can still end her year with a bit of a BANG if she wins the LPGA Tour money title. This can only be accomplished if she does well in Mexico and China, as well as win the ADT Championship. If she does land on top, it would definitely be the ideal way to seal the cap of a great career.