Let's see if Sorenstam can close career with a bang
Thu, May 15, 2008
A lot of men who are golfers might not keep up with the LPGA Tour like they do the PGA Tour, if they keep up with it at all.But you can't call yourself a serious golfer or fan if you don't know the name Annika Sorenstam.One of the most dominant golfers of all time, the women's star announced her retirement earlier this week, making it effective at the end of the 2008 season. I was shocked by her announcement, but also somewhat saddened.Hampered by injuries in the recent past, Sorenstam has already won three times this season, including her victory just this past Sunday at the Michelob Ultra Open.It was the first tournament she had won that included Lorena Ochoa, the current No. 1 player in the women's game.
Like a lot of people, I'm sure, I was hoping to see Sorenstam and Ochoa battle for tournament championships and the No. 1 ranking for the next several years.Now, it appears we'll only get to see them square off for the next several months, which means we'll be lucky if they go head-to-head down the stretch of a tournament even a couple of times.It crossed my mind that Sorenstam might be getting out of the game before she is surpassed entirely by Ochoa and some of the other talented young stars making their way onto the LPGA Tour in recent years.
By no means is the LPGA Tour as deep in talent as the PGA Tour, but it's safe to say there are a lot more really good players out there now than there ever have been.But really, I don't think Sorenstam would shy away from the challenge. After all, she's only 37, and she's proving this season that she still has a good enough game when healthy to take on all comers, including Ochoa.When she says the time has just come to step away from the constant competition, count me among those who believe her.She apparently really wants to devote more of her time to other things, including a business and eventually starting a family with her soon-to-be husband Mike McGee, son of former touring professional Jerry McGee.And who could blame her? Not that she couldn't get a lot more out of competitive golf, but what else really does she need to accomplish?Sorenstam has practically done it all already. Among her accomplishments are 72 wins to date, including 10 majors. She is among a group of six women to complete the career Grand Slam. Perhaps she could try playing against the men again, which she did in 2003 when she missed the cut at the Colonial. But she said back then that was a one-time thing, and I admire her for that, too.Sorenstam will be missed by the LPGA because she has brought so much to the tour and to the women's game in general.At the same time, I'm sure she'll continue to be a great ambassador for the game even though she won't be competing after this season.In the meantime, it'll be interesting to see if she goes out with a bang, making a strong final push and challenging for the No. 1 ranking presently owned by Ochoa.That would be about the only way her career could really get much better at this point.It's been a pleasure for golf fans to watch her career unfold. Now, all that is left is the final chapter.
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