DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Annika Sorenstam ended her Hall of Fame career with an 8-foot birdie on the 18th hole of the Dubai Ladies Masters on Sunday, completing a 1-under-par 71 that left her in seventh place, six shots behind winner Anja Monke.
Sorenstam, who is retiring to focus on her family and business interests, led the tournament after the second round but shot a 75 on Saturday that torpedoed her hopes for a third straight title at the season-ending tournament on the Ladies European Tour.
Still, the Swede managed to end on a positive note with her final birdie drawing a standing ovation. She raised her putter to acknowledge the crowd before hugging caddie Terry McNamara.
“I have had many farewells since I announced my decision some five months back, but this one was special,” Sorenstam said. “I started my career with LET, and it is fitting to end it with an LET event.
“I felt at peace. I walked up to hit my third shot on the 18th, and I felt the breeze coming in, and it was just a really comfortable feeling. I saw some players standing behind the 18th green, that gave me a tear. I saw my parents and my family and that give me a tear.”
Monke shot a 68 to protect her overnight lead, finishing at 13-under 275. Veronica Zorzi of Italy was second, three strokes behind the German, with British veteran Laura Davies another shot back in third.
Sorenstam said she was a little nervous Sunday morning and came to the course a bit earlier to stretch and reflect on the day. But once she hit her first shot, she said it was “automatic.”
“I know the time is right, and therefore I feel very happy,” Sorenstam said. “If you think about 15 years and all of the things I’ve achieved, it’s sad. But you close one door and you open another one. I’m glad I have a chance to do that.”
Perry-Hoch team prevails
NAPLES, Fla. — Kenny Perry and Scott Hoch held off J.B. Holmes and Boo Weekley to win the Merrill Lynch Shootout.
Perry eagled No. 17, making a 15-foot putt that matched Weekley’s 18-footer to keep him and Hoch four strokes ahead with one hole to play in the scramble format.
The eagle came one hole after Perry made an 8-footer for birdie after Hoch missed, keeping the duo comfortably ahead.
“Obviously, that was big,” Hoch said. “Unless we just fell on our face.”
The 48-year-old Perry, who won the tournament in 2005 with John Huston, split $730,000 with Hoch.
The 53-year-old Hoch became the oldest to win the event in its 20 years. Raymond Floyd was 51 when he won it with Steve Elkington in 1993.
Founder Greg Norman and Camilo Villegas had the lowest round of the tournament with a 15-under 57. They finished third at 25-under.
Clark wins in a playoff
SYDNEY, Australia — South Africa’s Tim Clark won the Australian Open, scrambling for par from a greenside bunker to beat Australia’s Mathew Goggin on the first hole of a playoff.
Clark shot a 5-under 67 to match Goggin (69) at 9-under 270. New Zealand’s David Smail, the leader at 12-under with four holes to play, finished with a 75 to tie for third with Australians Robert Allenby (71) and Stephen Dartnall (72) at 8-under.
Smail double bogeyed the par-4 15th and par-5 16th.
“I’m just gutted,” Smail said.
Clark had given up hope of winning before Smail collapsed.
Last of a legend
Annika Sorenstam’s birdie on the 18th hole at the Dubai Ladies Masters on Sunday signaled the end of her playing days. A look at some of Sorenstam’s numbers in her 15-year professional career:
$22.57 Million in LPGA earnings
89 Career victories
72 LPGA wins, third-best
10 Victories in majors
11 Victories in 2002, her most successful year
59 Her lowest 18-hole score in a tournament (2001)
8 Player-of-the-year awards
2003 Year she was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame
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