ANNIKA Sorenstam built a stellar playing career by working hard, having an unrelenting passion for golf and making all the right choices, a regime the Swede has adhered to right up until her decision to retire.

Next month, the 38-year-old will pack away her clubs after the Dubai Masters and embark on what she says is the 'next stage of her life', moving on to new challenges after spending the last 14 years amassing 72 LPGA titles, including 10 majors. Sorenstam has few regrets about walking away from a sport that has made giant strides in attracting a global audience on the back of her success over the last decade.

'I am going to miss the competition and the adrenaline rush and excitement of the last few holes of a final round on a Sunday,' Sorenstam told Reuters ahead of this weekend's Lexus Cup, her final LPGA-sanctioned event. 'But I won't miss the daily grind of working on the game or spending hour after hour in the gym.

'When I started it was a fun thing, then it became my job and eventually a bit of a chore. Add to that the pressure every day to perform, to shoot under par every time you play.' Sorenstam, who is captaining an International team facing Asia in the Ryder Cup-style matchplay tournament here, said her decision to retire was an easy one after a neck problem deprived her of power and off-course activities became an integral part of life.

Since making that decision public in May, Sorenstam has continued to juggle a busy playing schedule with her other interests and is looking forward to a time when she can focus on the projects she has initiated away from the driving range.

Sorenstam will now help to shape the future of children with dreams of emulating her achievements, by honing their skills, hosting their tournaments and building the courses they will play on.

Eight times Player of the Year on the LPGA Tour and already inducted into golf's Hall of Fame, the modest Sorenstam finds it difficult to comprehend the extent of her achievements and how highly she is regarded.

'It's flattering to hear people referring to me as a legend. Sometimes it's hard to put it in perspective when it's you,' she added. -- Reuters

This article was first published in The Business Times on Nov 29, 2008.