It’s been a fun year from coast to coast for Annika Sorenstam. Following her retirement at the first-ever Women’s U.S. Open at Pebble Beach this summer, she has now been invited to join Augusta National Golf Club, according to Golfweek.
Sorenstam is arguably the greatest women’s golfer of all time. She won 97 times as a professional — with 72 of those wins coming on the LPGA Tour — took 10 majors and was an eight-time LPGA Tour Player of the Year. She is on the shortest of short lists when the conversation turns to the best women to ever tee it up.
Augusta National had, until 2012, not admitted female members before famously inviting Condoleezza Rice and Darla Moore over 10 years ago. Since then, several other women have been invited and joined one of the most exclusive golf clubs in the world.
Sorenstam has served as the honorary starter for the Augusta National Women’s Amateur in the past, the women’s event played the week before the Masters. She did so this year with Se-Ri Pak, Lorena Ochoa and Nancy Lopez.
Sorenstam has not won an LPGA Tour event since 2008, but she did participate in the last two Women’s U.S. Opens, most recently in 2023 alongside Michelle Wie in an event at Pebble that is presumed to be the last official LPGA Tour tournament for both golfers.
“I thought my last would be in 2008,” she said. “But then with everything that’s kind of come about with [son] Will loving the game so much and COVID and turning 50, I’ve all of a sudden started to play a little bit, and then getting the exemption here, I wasn’t really going to come.
“But I think just being part of this tournament has meant a lot to me, and to kind of see how far women’s golf has come the last few years by playing courses like this, and I’m hoping there are young girls around the world that are watching this championship that are dreaming about one day playing on the LPGA or in a USGA championship. I think that’s what’s so nice to be part of this event.
“Having said that, I know this is my last one, but it’s been great to be here and really feel now that they’ve elevated the tournament to a different level. We’ve played some great courses in the past, no doubt about it, but … people are flying around the world to come here and play.”
Sorenstam was in many ways the Tiger Woods of her era on the women’s side, which coincided with the actual Tiger Woods era on the men’s side. Complete, dominant and feared. She’s done a bit of everything, too. She captained a Solheim Cup on the European side. In 2003, she became the first women’s player since 1945 to play in a PGA Tour event. She received a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2021.
You can now add member of Augusta National to that list as Sorenstam continues her journey in the golf world and walks in the footsteps of some of the other greats, including Jack Nicklaus, who have become members at the famed golf club in north Georgia.