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Davies: in the studio

If I was winning tournaments on a regular basis like she is, I would think of going on forever.

Laura Davies
Quotes of the week

Laura Davies is surprised that Annika Sorenstam is set to retire and says it is not a decision she would have made.

Swedish star Sorenstam, one of the most successful players in the history of the ladies' game, announced this week that she will retire at the end of this season - just two days after achieving the 90th professional victory of her remarkable career.

It is thought that Sorenstam wants to focus on business interests and family commitments and Davies suggested the 37-year-old may have grown tired of the pressure to perform at the highest level.

Speaking as a guest in the Golf Night studio, she said: "I must admit I'm a little bit surprised, but knowing Annika she's probably got plans and she wants to go out on a high.

"She's obviously playing very well this year and it's not a decision I would make. If I was winning tournaments on a regular basis like she is, I would think of going on forever.

"Annika's achieved so much in the game over the years, perhaps she wants to do something different now. She's fed up of winning maybe.

"She doesn't do it the same way that I do it - she'll go flat out and she'll play 10 or 11 tournaments less than I do every year. When she's on the tournament site she's practising, she's in the gym and she's fully committed every week.

"Perhaps she's got fed up of the hard work that goes into winning and she doesn't want to be playing second best.

"She had bulked up but she was injured last year and her size has gone back down again, so maybe she couldn't put the effort in and that's another contributing factor to why she doesn't want to play tournament golf any more."

Rivalry

Davies admitted Sorenstam would be a great loss to the game, although she feels Lorena Ochoa will take up her mantle as the dominant force in womne's golf.

However, she feels it is a shame that golf fans will miss out on a potentially classic rivalry between the two players.

"She's set the goal post very high and others have got to try and get there," Davies continued.

"Lorena Ochoa's obviously the one who looks most likely to take her crown at the moment but she's got a long way to go because Annika's set an amazing standard.

"She shot a round of 59, which nobody else has done in the ladies' game and she actually had a really good chance for a 58 - and not too many men have done that. It would have been something else.

"I think what Lorena's done in the last few years means there's two iconic figures now and it's such a shame that Annika's not going to be around for three or four more years for them to go head to head.

"It would have been a great rivalry, but Annika's decided she's going to throw the towel in."

Focus

Davies feels Sorenstam's retirement could be permanent, even though some pundits have suggested she might return to the sport after starting a family.

However, Davies backed her to bounce back strongly if she decided to make a comeback a few years down the line.

She added: "Obviously she wants to settle down and start a family. She's getting married next year and that will be the new focus.

"I understand she's going to stay in golf somehow, maybe designing courses and she's got a couple of academies around the world so maybe she'll do a bit of coaching.

"She's very single-minded and I think she might be gone for good. But if she wants to have a family and come back she can do it.

"I'm 44 and I still think I'm good enough to win tournaments so I'm sure she will when she's 45."