Annika Sorenstam's announcement on Tuesday that she is retiring at the end of the year from competitive golf came as no surprise to the media and many fellow LPGA Tour golfers. Jason Sobel of ESPN.com writes:
The news shouldn't come as a surprise to anybody who has been listening carefully over the years. Sorenstam never planned on gradually fading from the limelight or the Rolex Rankings. She never intended to battle the aging process while continuing to battle her younger peers on the leaderboard. In fact, it can be argued that the announcement of an early exit was even more predictable than any of Annika's 72 victories, most of which came when she was the top-ranked, no-doubt-about-it, best player in the world.
Fellow Scandinavian player Suzann Pettersen said she wasn't surprised by the news, as Steve Elling of CBSSportsline.com observes:
Suzann Pettersen has a different take on her Scandinavian sister's somewhat abrupt retirement news this week. Pettersen...said she wasn't exactly shocked to hear that world No. 2 Annika Sorenstam had decided to retire at year's end, since she had openly talked about quitting the LPGA tour grind for months.
Associate editor of Deadspin, Rick Chandler, applauds the way Sorenstam handled the announcement:
Now this is the way to quit. Simple announcement, no ambiguity, definite schedule for withdrawal. Annika Sorenstam, who announced on Tuesday that she's leaving the LPGA Tour at the end of the season, is employing an exit strategy the Bush Administration is envying.
Sorenstam's words were sincere and heartfelt. She will leave the game as one of the top women golfers in the world, with a resume that will go down as one of the greatest in history. Check out the press conference below...
