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Friday, November 21, 2008

Annika misses the cut - and that's the
end of her great LPGA Tour career

Arguably the greatest, most consistent female professional golfer of her time, Annika Sorenstam has played her final round on the LPGA Tour at the age of 38.
She missed the cut in the current ADT Championship after missing the cut at the ADT Championshipon five over par 149. Under the format of the season-ending event over the Doald Trump Course at West Palm Bech, Florida, Annika's joint 18th place in the small, select field was not good enough to see her playing on over the weekend.
Sorenstam, who played her first LPGA Tour event in 1993, is retiring at the end of 2008 to pursue other interests, which starting a family before time runs out on her.
The 10-time major winner will contest the Lexus Cup in Singapore later this month before making her swansong at the Dubai Ladies Masters in December.
"All of a sudden, the time is here," said Sorenstam after her second and final round in Florida.
"You're standing there on the 18th fairway and it's your last approach shot in an LPGA event.
"A lot of thoughts go through your head and what's been the coolest thing this week is all these people who showed up that I don't know, my fans."
Lorena Ochoa - the defending ADT champion and the player who deposed Annika from the world No 1 ranking - also failed to make the 16-player cut. The Mexican player showed up at the 18th green to give her friend and rival a farewell hug.
"I can't imagine how she's doing right now," said the Mexican. "But I guess it will come for all of us at one point.
"So we can only say that we enjoyed having her and thank you for everything."
Sorenstam announced in May that she would end her playing career to focus on her marriage in January and plans to start a family.
She will also devote more time to her golf academy in Florida and her course design projects.
Sorenstam has 72 LPGA titles to her name and has won three US Women's Opens, three LPGA Championships, three Nabisco Championships and a Women's British Open.

ADT CHAMPIONSHIP
SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
139 K Hull 68 71.
140 A Stanford 73 67.
142 P Creamer 71 71, C Kim 71 71, I-K Kim 69 73.
143 J Jang 73 70, A Park 73 70, S H Lee 72 72, J-Y Shin 68 75.
145 H Alfredsson 73 72, E-H Ji 70 75, J Y Lee 72 73, S Pettersen 72 73, S Y Yoo 74 71.
146 K Stupples 71 75.
147 K webb 73 74.
MISSED THE CUT
Selected scores
149 M Hjorth 72 77, C Kerr 78 71, L Ochoa 75 74, A Sorenstam 74 75.
150 M Pressel 72 78.

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