Annika Sorenstam

Annika Charlotta Sörenstam (pronounced [ˈǎnːɪka ˈsœ̂ːrɛnˌstam]) is a Swedish professional golfer regarded as one of the best female golfers in history. Before stepping away from competitive golf at the end of the 2008 season, she had won 96 international professional tournaments, making her the female golfer with the most wins to her name. She has won 72 official LPGA tournaments including ten majors and 24 other tournaments internationally. In 2003, she achieved a career grand slam, winning, at least once in her career, each of the four tournaments recognized as major championships during the main part of her career. In 2003, Sörenstam played in the Bank of America Colonial tournament to become the first woman to play in a PGA Tour event since 1945. Representing Europe in the Solheim Cup on eight occasions between 1994 and 2007, Sörenstam was the event's all-time leading points earner until her record was surpassed by England's Laura Davies during the 2011 Solheim Cup. Sörenstam also was captain of the 2017 European Solheim Cup team. Despite retiring from regular tournament golf in 2008, as of the end of 2022, she still topped the LPGA's career money list with earnings of over $22 million—over $2 million ahead of her nearest rival while playing 187 fewer events. After turning 50, she came back from her retirement and added a win in the 2021 U.S. Senior Women's Open. The winner of a record eight Player of the Year awards, and six Vare Trophies given to the LPGA player with the lowest seasonal scoring average, she still holds various all-time scoring records including the lowest season scoring average: 68.6969 in 2004. Sörenstam is the only female golfer to shoot a 59 in competition. On 7 January 2021, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Donald Trump.