Good afternoon everyone.
I would like to share
some information that may come as a shock to some of you. After serious
consideration, I have made the decision to step away from competitive golf at
the end of this season. This has been on my mind for a while and recently
it has become obvious that the timing is right for me. I still love the
competition and winning tournaments, but the daily demands and amount of time
required to stay near the top have become more than I desire.
I feel like
I am doing this on my own terms, and I have many other dreams and passions that
I would like to pursue. It is time for me to try and achieve more in
other facets of life, and in the years to come I will be committed to getting
married, starting a family, growing the game of golf, giving back to others, and
the expansion of the ANNIKA brand of businesses, which currently includes the ANNIKA
Academy, Annika Foundation, Golf Course Design projects around the world, the
ANNIKA Collection with Cutter & Buck, and the hosting of tournaments and
events. Golf has given me an incredible platform and I plan to use it to
inspire others and though I will not be inside the ropes, I will still be very
active in the game through my sponsors and other golfing initiatives.
I feel it is important for me to pay the proper respect to
the LPGA and our fans by announcing my decision as early as possible this season.
When I have considered this decision in the past, it has always been important to
me that the women’s game be strong. Well, I can assure you that I have
never felt better about the state of our game. It is in the very capable
hands of many talented players and a very committed Commissioner that really
cares about us and our growth. As I look back at the past 15 years, the
experience almost feels like a dream. I have accomplished more than I
ever thought possible and I have been fortunate to meet so many wonderful
people that have touched my life along the way. I would like to thank
Mike, my parents, my sister, my agent Mark, my caddie Terry, my coaches Henri
and Kai, the ANNIKA team members, my friends, my sponsors and my fans.
That being said, there is still a lot of golf left this
year. My focus the next seven months is to continue winning tournaments,
including some majors!
Thanks again for you support!”
--Annika
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