A tribute to Annika Sorenstam

By David Harrison
Sports Fan

Like most sports fans, I was stunned yesterday when Annika Sorenstam announced her retirement from professional golf. At just 37, many say that she still had a few good years left in her.

There's no doubt she's had a tremendous impact on the world of sports. I'll never forget that one time she made a putt in that tournament back in 2001, or maybe 1999. I'm pretty sure it helped her win a tournament, or finish in the top 10.

And no doubt you've heard about those times she won a major tournament, beating out other similarly talented golfers for the title of whatever it was that she won.

I still remember the day, back in late 90s, when I was flipping around the channels on a weekend afternoon and I saw Sorenstam smiling and hoisting some sort of trophy above her head. I bet that victory made her feel really, really good about herself.

And who could forget her incredible, come-from-behind victory against Lisa or Dawn in a particularly important summer tournament? I clearly recall seeing that highlight on Sportscenter the next day.

Of course, I applaud Sorenstam for leaving on her own terms. It sounds like she still wins some tournaments, so I imagine she still can hit the ball. Of course, it is always better to go out while still playing well, rather than wait until your skills have declined precipitously. Smart move, Annika. You always were probably pretty smart.

So today, let's all toast Annika Sorenstam. Toast her for her incredible drive to repeatedly enter golf tournaments, show up, and often perform well. Toast her for her easy demeanor, since I don't recall any egregious off-the-course problems. Toast her for his signature shot, the one that she could do really well pretty consistently and helped her over the course of her career. Toast that swing, which I'm guessing was probably pretty nice, since I remember her winning some tournaments.

It's hard to win golf tournaments if you suck. And since Sorenstam won some tournaments, she definitely didn't suck.

Congratulations on a job well-done, Annika. Enjoy your retirement.