It was a storybook ending, one that seemed fitting for a player often referred to as “The Greatest of All Time.” The last shot that 72-time LPGA Tour winner Annika Sorenstam hit in her final appearance at the U.S. Women’s Open presented by ProMedica in 2008 was a hole-out eagle on the par-5 18th, an exclamation point on what was a spectacular career. Or so we thought.

Sorenstam is returning to the U.S. Women’s Open field this week after earning an exemption with her win at the U.S. Senior Women’s Open last summer. It will be the 51-year-old’s 16th start in the event and she has been enjoying her walks around Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club, remembering the good old days from her time spent with Peggy Kirk Bell and from her win in 1996.

“There's certain memories I have walking down 18, it's just such a special hole,” said Sorenstam. “It's iconic, the finish. Peggy was here then and she screamed "Heineken" when I finished. It was a great week. I came in as a defending champion. I really didn't know what to expect, and just played really, really well. I was in the zone that week.”

So much has changed for Sorenstam since that day in late June, but ever the competitor, she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to tee it up at a place that means so much. The last time fans saw her compete, Sorenstam was playing in the celebrity division of the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, where she fell in a playoff to MLB pitcher Derek Lowe. With a jam-packed schedule, Sorenstam never has as much time as she’d like to prepare for her competitive outings, but the U.S. Women’s Open was a good motivator and the Swede comes to Southern Pines as ready as she can be for the tough major test.

“You need to make it more quality than quantity,” Sorenstam said. “I only have so much so now it's taking the time to do most of it. I play from the blue tees at home. I've been playing from a similar distance. When I played for the senior, I move up a little bit, but I knew this is what I had to do. But really right now the focus is if I can just hit fairways and greens and just stay sharp.”

Sweet Memories Abound for 1996 Champion Annika Sorenstam at Pine Needles

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