Emotional Sorenstam bows out in Dubai

A teary eyed Annika Sorenstam birdied the last hole of her playing career amid thunderous applause to finish tied seventh in the Dubai Ladies Masters.

The Swede, greeted at the 18th by a huge banner saying "Dubai salutes Annika Sorenstam", holed from six feet before watching Anja Monke, playing four groups behind, complete a comfortable three-shot victory over Italy's Veronica Zorzi.

"I felt at peace walking up the 18th hole. I really felt very content," the former world number one, who closed with a 71 for a six-under-par total off 282, told reporters.

"I saw some players standing behind the 18th green; that gave me a tear. I saw my parents and my family and that gave me a tear."

"Life goes on. I am very happy about my decision to move on," said Sorenstam, who won 90 titles worldwide including the last two years in Dubai in an amazing career spanning 15 years.

Sorenstam, widely regarded as the best female player of all time, has fresh challenges in mind.

The 38-year-old Swede publicly announced in May she would be quitting the game at the end of this season and has effectively been on a farewell global tour for the last seven months.

A 10-times major champion who has won 90 titles worldwide, Sorenstam will be sorely missed on the circuit as a steely competitor and a role model for youngsters.

However, she will not be entirely lost to the game as she plans to pursue business interests, including her golf academy in Florida, charitable foundation and course design projects.

The former world number one also wants to start a family with her fiance Mike McGee, son of former PGA Tour player Jerry McGee.

A winner of 72 LPGA Tour titles, including three this year, Sorenstam has been the dominant figure in women's golf for the past decade.

She earned a record eight Player of the Year awards on the LPGA Tour after making her debut in 1994, won six Vare trophies for the lowest scoring average and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2003.

Sorenstam is the only female player to have shot a magical 59 in competition, at the 2001 Standard Register PING tournament, and competed with the men at the PGA Tour's 2003 Colonial event where she missed the cut.

Later that year she edged out South Korea's Pak Se-ri by a shot at Royal Lytham to win her first British Open, completing a career grand slam with her sixth major title.