What do you say when Goliath refuses to terrorize the villagers anymore? If you’re a villager, you breathe a sigh of relief and cash your suddenly larger winnings checks.
The rest of us are left to pine for the return of the giant.
If you’ve been following golf you probably already know that Annika Sorenstam is retiring from the LPGA. Count me among the legions that are sad to hear it.
The soft-spoken five-foot-nothing giant has cast an enormous shadow over the sport. Let’s remember that she was MORE dominant in her arena than even Tiger during the same stretch.
She couldn’t be content to just beat the snot out of the women on tour, so she crossed over and took a shot at the big boys. She captured our imagination as a modern day David. Just like a gifted fighter jumping out of their natural weight class. DeLaHoya v. Klitschko. She might not have conquered the PGA but I think we can credit her with the LPGA’s eclipse of the Champion’s Tour.
We all love a champ and Annika wore the crown graciously. She defined class, sportsmanship and responsible stewardship of the game. When a teen upstart rolled in and showed a total lack of respect or decorum, Annika slapped her down in her trademark understated manner. Then she kept watch over the tour until a suitable replacement made her presence known. Arnie to Jack. Annika to Lorena. We can only hope. Hope and watch the horizon for the entire generation of young girls that Annika has inspired.
Who knows, maybe the giant will climb down the beanstalk in a few years and finish what she started- on the Champions Tour. Why not? She’s beat them before.
-JJ
