SINGAPORE: Swedish superstar Annika Sorenstam admits it is "scary" to be leaving a sport that has been her life for 20 years, as the greatest women's golfer the world has seen calls it quits.

Annika, 38, played her last ever round of LPGA golf at the Lexus Cup on Sunday, beating long-time rival Pak Se-ri as she bowed out a winner with her International team beating Asia 12.5-11.5 in the match play tournament.

After a long career that has earned her more than US$22 million (RM80 million), she has just one more event as a professional -- the European Tour's Dubai Ladies Masters from Dec 10.

Annika famously keeps a horseshoe in her golf bag as a lucky charm and it has worked wonders with 72 LPGA victories and 17 more on other tours, raising the bar in women's golf.

Among those wins, she claimed 10 major championships, including three US Women's Opens, three LPGA Championships, three Nabisco Championships and a Women's British Open.
In an amazing run, she clinched 43 of 104 LPGA events from 2001 through 2005 and was named LPGA Player of the Year eight times.

Capping it off, she was named to the World Golf Hall of Fame and LPGA Hall of Fame in 2003.

"I've always said you should walk away from the game when your heart isn't in it and my heart has been telling me this for a little while," she said. "There are other things in life I want to pursue. I am getting married and we'd love to start a family.

"I've dedicated my life to golf all these years and now it's time to have a little personal time as well as giving back to the game through whatever it can be.

"It's a scary time to step away from something you've done for 20 years but I have challenges ahead and I am excited about that."

She plans to marry fiance Mike McGee in January and also wants to spend more time on her business dealings including a golf academy and golf course architecture firm.

Unfortunately for the LPGA, she leaves just when the tour seems to need her most, not just for her star power but as the role model that she became.

The global economic crisis has taken a big bite out of the budget with organisers planning to slash prize money by over US$5 million in 2009.

With sponsorship money dwindling, officials will also cut the number of tournaments from 34 to 31 next season.

Asked to nominate her most memorable achievements, Annika insisted there wasn't a single moment that stood out, but rather several.

"I am lucky that I can't just chose one particular moment in my career. I am very proud of what I have achieved and it's been a lot more than I thought I could achieve," she said.

"The five I would single out would be: shooting 59, playing with the men, being part of a winning Solheim Cup team, being inducted to the World Golf Hall of Fame and winning 10 majors.

"Those are just a few of the highlights I have had in my professional career. They've all been special in the way they've defined me."

But has the world of golf really seen the last of Annika?

While insisting she is "stepping away," the Swede has left the door open to a return, refusing to use the word "retirement."

"There is a reason why I used the stepping away term and not the 'R' word," she said. "We'll see what happens in a few years. If I am healthy and have the desire then I know the door is open and I can always come back. I'll let time decide."