Annika was born in Stockholm, Sweden, on October 9, 1970. Her parents Tom and Gunilla nurtured her love of sports, and she began playing golf at the age of 12. Annika remains close to her family, especially her sister Charlotta, who also plays on the LPGA Tour.

Annika Sorenstam is the most dominant player in women's golf. Throughout her storied career, she has rewritten the LPGA and Ladies European Tour record books, won countless awards and events, and brought unprecedented attention to women's golf. Her success has changed how women's golf is played, covered and viewed, and in her rise to mainstream athlete and celebrity, she has had a positive impact on all women's sports.

Oakley has sponsored Annika Sorenstam since 1995 when she won her first Rolex Player of the Year Award. In that time Annika has worn many different types of Oakley sports performance eyewear pieces. In the early 2000s she helped put the then brand new sports performance piece Half Jacket on the map with three straight AP Female Athlete of the Year awards from 2003 to 2005. Most recently she helped launch Oakley's latest and first women's based sports performance eyewear - Enduring!

After a brilliant 15-year professional career that saw her re-write the record book in women's golf, Annika Sorenstam announced last week that she would be stepping away from competitive play at the conclusion of the 2008 LPGA season.

Annika, who will turn 38 in October, will continue to play a full LPGA schedule through the remainder of 2008, finishing with the season-ending Lexus Cup. 

"After much consideration, I have made the decision to step away from competitive golf at the end of this season," said Annika, who has added three more victories to her career total so far in 2008.  "Because I love the game so much, this is obviously a hard decision to make, but it feels like the right one.  I made this decision because I have a number of other priorities in my life, including starting a family, that I want to be as dedicated to as I have been to playing golf and it was always important to me to go out on my own terms."

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• First player in LPGA history to cross the $20 million mark in career earnings, (currently at $22,000,000+)

• 8 Rolex Player of the Year Awards: 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005

• 89 Career Wins & 72 LPGA Career Wins

• Inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2003

• 6 Vare Trophy wins, for LPGA player with year's lowest scoring avg: 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2002 and 2005

• 1993 WPGET Rookie of the Year

• 1994 Rolex Rookie of the Year

• 2003 Patty Berg Award, for contributions to women's golf

• 8 Golf Writers Association of America Female Player of the Year awards: 1995, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005

• 2 European Player of the Year awards: 2004 and 2005

• 3 Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year awards: 2003, 2004 and 2005

• 8 ESPY awards, including Best Female Athlete and Best Female Golfer

• Lowest score by any female in a single round: 59 (Achieved in the 2nd round of the 2001 Standard Register PING tournament)

• Lowest scoring average for one season: 68.69 (2004)

• 10 LPGA Major Victories, including at least one victory at each of the Majors.

To View Online: http://www.oakleymarketing.com/sm_special_report_051908/annika/index.html