Annika "Stepping Away" Stories

Golfweek's Evan Rothman paints a picture for us of the press conference scene while his colleague Beth Ann Baldry talks to Suzann Pettersen about her disappointment in hearing the news. Meanwhile Brian Hewitt offers a few predictions about how this may play out.

Steve Elling catches up with Kathy Whitworth about Annika's decision to go out while she's at the top. Golf For Women's Dave Allen gets Lorena's "surprise" reaction to the news and also explains how the timing of the announcement came about.

Golf.com (here) and GolfDigest.com (here) offer career retrospectives while Ron Sirak learned of the news Sunday and therefore had a little more time to file this career obit.

Sorenstam's mastery of emotional balance was so complete she gave no hint of inner turmoil. In 2004 she won eight LPGA events and twice more overseas as her marriage to David Esch was crumbling. Divorce papers were filed the following February. She similarly kept her father Tom's prostate cancer battle the last few years private, never using that distraction as an excuse.

And, of course, there was the transformation she made in dealing with the attention that came with being so dominant. As a rookie Sorenstam was so shy she took a month off after winning her first U.S. Open because she wanted to avoid the media. In 2003, the year she played in the PGA Tour's Bank of America Colonial, she handled the nearly four-month buildup to her appearance with aplomb.

Dan Jenkins, the Golf Digest writer who has witnessed virtually every significant event in golf for nearly 60 years, has said Annika's opening tee shot at Colonial -- a 257-yard 4-wood off the 10th tee -- might have had more pressure on it than any single shot in the game's history. It was perhaps the most important shot in the history of women's golf and her superb execution in an opening-round 71, combined with the classy way she handled the attention, earned women's golf new fans and enhanced respect.

"Colonial was my mission," Sorenstam said Sunday as she looked back over her career. "It was my path, my journey and I felt like people accepted that, 'Hey she's an athlete, and she wants to get better.' I've always let my clubs do the talking. And I felt like people accepted me for that."

Comments

[Todd Sentell]

She's wonderful ... and has been wonderful for the game.

[Gerald Waters]

I think the world of Annika. She is one of the few professional athletes I have time for but would someone please explain to me why athletes need to announce they are going to retire. Just keep playing until you don't want to play any longer. Then stop.

What is the reason for a press conference and an official announcement?

[Steve Wozeniak PGA]

We will be waiting for Annika's kids to hit the College/Tour ranks starting in about 20 year's..........

I am sure she will play a bit (major's/her tournament) and I will love to watch.....

Good luck Annika!!!

[dbh]

'What is the reason for a press conference and an official announcement?'

I'd say the potential of a whack of dough for a number of interested parties surrounds announcements like these, so they'll likely be with you forever.

[CBell]

Why announce it? 1) To eliminate another season's worth of speculation about her future, especially the intrusive questions about motherhood. 2) To focus her own efforts in this final season. 3) To allow for comfortable "goodbyes" among friends at all the tournaments she plays. 4) To eliminate the "pressure" of keeping it a secret.

Makes sense to me. It strikes me as practical and thoughtful, if she's confident of the decision in her own mind.