Your Exceptional Life

One of the greatest golfers of our time announced her retirement this week. When an athlete can be referred to by only one name and everyone knows who you’re talking about, that’s greatness. Annika Sorenstam will ride off into the sunset after this year. Officially, she’s “stepping away” from the game, but what that really means is she’s retiring to pursue other things, like probably a family. She’s going out on top, where she’s been most of her career. Last year was a tough year with a nagging back injury but she’s come back strong this year and is currently number 2 behind Ochoa, another great golfer. Following Annika on the tour is hard. Her gallery is off the hook. The only way to see her is to show up on Thursday, otherwise the gallery’s too deep.

On Thursday, she’s relaxed, taking it easy and just trying to lay down a good foundation to crush the field on Saturday and Sunday. This was taken at the Nabisco Championship on Thursday 2003. She was the defending champion. She didn’t win it, Patricia Meunier-Lebouc won it that year. The picture shows the essence of Annika that I saw while in her gallery that day. She’s relaxed, yet a machine. She jokes with the caddies and the gallery even sometimes, yet when handed a club, she dials in, locks down and becomes a machine.

A gal I know who owns a gym down in Carlsbad or somewhere like that trained Annika that year. I was fascinated with the way they broke down her swing and did things to make her strong in those areas. Her drives are epic. She is a powerful woman, about 5′7″ tall. She doesn’t look that on television but she is in person. I wish her well in her other endeavors. She owns a golf academy in Florida, she’s getting married and rumor has it that starting a family is the top of her list. I hope she comes back and plays from time to time. She’s not old enough to put away her clubs, she’s only 37.

Juli Inkster is still playing and playing well. She’s almost 50 has I believe three children. I know after her rounds she’s been known to fly home for one of the kid’s soccer games and back the next morning for a tee time. She won the Nabisco (called the Dinah Shore at that time) in 1984. Same score as Annika. Hopefully Annika will take a page from Juli Inkster’s book. I’m not done watching her play.