ShareThisHer most momentous achievement stretches beyond the 59 she shot in 2001, past her landmark PGA Tour start at the Colonial two years later. It runs deeper than all those tournament titles (72 and counting), all the majors won (10), all the opponents she so ruthlessly has conquered over the years.This truly conveys her impact: She's a one-word star, known simply as Annika. No surname required. That counts as quite a feat for a women's golfer, but Annika Sorenstam pulled it off. She joined the LPGA Tour in 1994, as a shy 23-year-old, and announced her retirement Tuesday, as a 37-year-old firmly established as the best player of her generation.Her decision to "step away" from competitive golf at the end of this season -- Sorenstam refused to use the "R-word," as she put it -- might surprise casual fans, but it was a decision widely expected in LPGA circles. Sorenstam often spoke of her desire to start a family and devote more time to her business interests, so the only real shock in Tuesday's news was the timing.Two days earlier, she sailed to a seven-stroke victory over a strong field at the tour's event in Williamsburg, Va. It was her third victory of the year -- and her second in two starts -- and it stirred visions of a grand, summer-long quest to unseat Lorena Ochoa and again become the world's top player.That quest still will unfold, but only in the context of Sorenstam's farewell tour. For the rest of the year, the story line will revolve more around her impending departure than any burgeoning rivalry with Ochoa.So what has Sorenstam meant to women's golf? Many things on many levels:-- In an era when Tiger Woods' dominance sparked rampant interest in the game, Sorenstam offered similarly staggering numbers. She won 43 times in one five-year stretch (2001-05) and lingered in contention as reliably as Woods: Sorenstam posted 86 top-10 finishes in 104 starts during those five years.-- Even if she lacked Woods' thirst for chasing history, Sorenstam single-handedly brought attention to the LPGA's oft ignored past. She stands third all-time in victories, behind Kathy Whitworth (88) and Mickey Wright (82), and is tied for fourth in majors (Patty Berg tops the list at 15).-- She's a major reason the LPGA Tour has become truly international, with elite players from all corners of the planet. Sorenstam grew up in Sweden and realized golf was a viable career when Liselotte Neumann, who also is Swedish, won the U.S. Women's Open in 1988.The tour was not nearly as global then as it is now. Players such as Sorenstam and South Korea's Se Ri Pak led the parade, not only winning frequently but also taking home trophies from the major championships, generating broader interest in the women's game.Not coincidentally, today's world rankings read like the United Nations roll call, with seven countries represented among the top 11 players.-- Sorenstam took a symbolic step forward when she teed off at the Colonial in 2003, becoming the first female to appear in a PGA Tour event since 1945. Not only did her game stand up to the intense scrutiny -- she shot 71-74 and missed the cut by four shots -- but she also handled herself with striking grace and poise.All of this starts with Sorenstam's rhythmic swing, punctuated by her distinctive habit of lifting her head toward the target a moment before impact. It leaves amateur hackers, routinely reminded to keep their head down, wondering how Sorenstam's shots keep soaring straight and pure.Her legacy will not include much in the way of charisma. She showed a playful side during the Skins Game in 2005 -- giving Fred Funk a colorful skirt after she out-drove him -- but Sorenstam usually hides her eyes behind wrap-around sunglasses, her emotions hidden from public view.She inspires respect, but not always fondness, among her peers. At least one player welcomed Ochoa's ascent to the No. 1 ranking last year, pointing to her warmth while interacting with fans. The player privately chided Sorenstam for her aloofness and lack of personality.Even so, golf will miss her when she walks away, and people will wonder if she might return. She left the door ajar, saying of her last scheduled tournament in Dubai in December, "If it's forever, I'm not really sure, but it's definitely for now." It's easy to picture Sorenstam having children -- she and fiance Mike McGee are planning a January wedding -- and then coming back.But if she chooses to focus on motherhood and her business interests, including a golf academy, charitable foundation and clothing line, she can claim a sizable hand in the growth of the women's game.(E-mail Ron Kroichick at rkroichick@sfchronicle.com.)(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
Only one word for Annika: Superb
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