Annika Sorenstam has ruled out another attempt at the men's tour after an emotional and tearful departure from the Colonial, claiming that she had come as far as she could.
The woman who sometimes comes across on the course as remote and unemotional was in tears after carding a four-over 74 to miss the halfway cut by four strokes at five-over 145.
"I've climbed as high as I can," she said. "And it's worth every step of it. I won't do this again, but I will always remember it.
"Because I'm living a dream I want to live," she said, her voice cracking. "And I'm doing what I want to do."
After her superb 71 on Thursday, Sorenstam had said it didn't really matter if she made the cut, but when the time came it proved hard to say goodbye to the thousands who turned out to cheer her on.
"Even though I was struggling the last few holes, they kept pushing me on - it's not too late, you can do it," she said. "So I just wanted to thank them for the whole week.
When you play a game or a sport that you love and then so many people come out to watch you play and respect what you do, it's so special. And if I was here and played and nobody was watching, it would never be the same."
There was never any chance that there would be no one watching when Sorenstam fulfilled her ambition of playing on the men's tour. Debate raged among the men's players, with many suggesting that a woman shouldn't be allowed to play.
Even more open-minded players felt she should have had to qualify, rather than receive a sponsor's exemption, despite the fact that her 43 LPGA victories include four major titles and make her a Hall of Famer in waiting.
With her first round, Sorenstam defied the dire predictions that she would be steamrolled by the tougher course conditions and sheer weight of talent on the men's tour.
She said none of those who predicted she couldn't keep up with the men had yet been in touch to admit they were wrong.
"But I've had some guys that have said less positive things come up and tell me that they were proud of me," she said. "And for them to come up and say that, I admire them for doing that."
Dan Forsman, co-leader of the tournament after 36 holes, was among the believers Sorenstam created on a course whose long association with Ben Hogan makes it hallowed ground to many.
"It's Hogan's Alley," Forsman said. "I think it's also Annika's Hill. As a metaphor for her to climb Everest, I think wan add that along with Hogan's Alley."
Sorenstam acknowledged early in the week that she had been naive in accepting the invitation, failing to realize that her appearance here would be freighted with all kinds of sexual politics.
She didn't realize she would become the subject of such intense scrutiny in the media, and she didn't realize that she would join Tiger Woods as a figure able to transcend golf and capture the imagination of the general public.
"I just feel fortunate to get the opportunity to do what I do," she said. "For me to come here and get the opportunity to really push myself and live my dream, I hope other women and girls feel the same way, that they've just got to follow their heart."
Sorenstam said her heart tells her to pursue her career on the LPGA tour, where there are more major titles to be won and more records to be broken.
But she said that didn't mean some other woman shouldn't be able to try her hand on the PGA Tour.
"I do think if a lady is good enough to either get an invite or if she went to tour school or Monday qualifying, she should have any right to come here," Sorenstam said.