As Annika Sorenstam prepares to bid farewell to tournament golf in the Dubai Ladies Masters, some of the rising stars of the women's game say the former world No.1 has been an inspiration and will be sorely missed. Young fellow Swede Nina Reis summed up the mood of European Ladies Tour players ahead of Sorenstam's career swansong at the Emirates Golf Club when she said: “We are definitely going to miss her. “She has done so much for women's golf and especially for us Swedish girls. She has been an inspiration. I don't think there will be anyone to match her. Now there are bigger purses, better organized tournaments, and more people watching, because of her, which is great.” Sorenstam, one of the most successful golfers in the history of women's golf, took time out from preparations for the Dubai Ladies Masters, starting Thursday, to join Reis and six other members of the European Tour's new generation of professionals for a Jumeirah Group pre-tournament photo call. Despite still trying to fight off a three-day cold, Sorenstam was in a relaxed mood when she lined up at Madinat Jumeirah, the Arabian Resort, with Reis, Australia's Frances Bondad, Dutch player Marjet van der Graaff, France's Julie Greciet and Caroline Afonso, Norwegian Marianne Skarpnord and Russia's Maria Verchenova. “Hopefully, I can play some good golf and leave, again, with some great memories,” Sorenstam said. “It's 15 years, and it's time to say goodbye. When I look back on my career, I couldn't have asked for anything more. I'm just going to go with the flow and see how I feel. But I don't have the urge to play yet,” she said. “I can't think of a better time to step away from the game, because it's in good shape. We have so many great players. Just take the LPGA for example, we have Lorena Ochoa who is number one, Paula Creamer is playing fantastically and Yani Tseng is awesome. It's up to them to carry it on.” “I am closing a chapter here, but I am opening another one that I need all of the experience that I have gotten in the last years.” __
