"That's ironic"---Annika Sorenstam

[TEPaul]

Annika's first remark after she realized she sunk a midiron for eagle to the par 5 final hole in the US Open after a disappointing Open for her. It will probably be her final shot in a US Open and it was perhaps the most amazing and improbable shot at the end of the career of a star I've ever seen.

It will obviously be one of the top handful golf video clips EVER! Way a way to go out, Annika!

[Tim Bert]

That was one I was glad to be watching.  She should stop now.

[Mark Pearce]

I think Sorenstam would be appalled at the suggestion that she should stop after finishing 12 shots behind the leader.  A great moment but not, I think, a bookend for a great career.  She thinks she can still win this year and who are we to disagree?

[RJ_Daley]

I heard her tell her fiance "I don't give up".  She is amazing.  

[Wayne_Freedman]

As she doesn't give up, her spouse may find himself pleasantly occupied at the end of this season...

[Dan Smoot]

That was one I was glad to be watching.  She should stop now.

This first thing I thought about when I realized it was her last US Open shot was Ted Williams last at bat.  What a way to finish.

[John Moore II]

Dan--only problem is, she holed that shot to finish a poor round inside of a poor week. Yes, the shot was great, but the finish was not. Did Ted Williams home run come in a winning effort for the Sox? Would Michael Jordans 'final' (though not really since he came back again) shot against Utah have been the same if the Bulls had not won the championship that year? Nicklaus making birdie on 18 at St Andrews in 2005 was pretty special, but he still missed the cut, would have been better him making the putt to win the tournament or something.

--BTW, thats why I say this longevity thing in golf is overrated. Do we really need to see our heros limping around the golf course late into life and not playing nearly like they used to? I say no. I hope Tiger wins #19 with an eagle on the final hole and then says in his interview "its been nice, sorry guys, you won't be seeing me again." Thats how champions should go out, at the absolute top of their games.

[Matt_Cohn]

Thats how champions should go out, at the absolute top of their games.

So the 1986 Masters must have been a real disappointment for you. Nicklaus totally should have hung it up in '75.

[Jim Nugent]

Thats how champions should go out, at the absolute top of their games.

Even if they want to, that presumes they know when they are at the top.  In reality, I think neither is almost ever true. 

[Jeff_Brauer]

Thats how champions should go out, at the absolute top of their games.

So the 1986 Masters must have been a real disappointment for you. Nicklaus totally should have hung it up in '75.

He won two majors in '80 at 40.  In '75 he still had thoughts of the grand slam, just like Tiger did a few years back, having made his announced "run" in 1972.

BTW, didn't Palmer usually get the biggest galleries on the Senior Tour when he played?

[Jay Flemma]

Thats how champions should go out, at the absolute top of their games.

So the 1986 Masters must have been a real disappointment for you. Nicklaus totally should have hung it up in '75.

You're point is a good one matt, but I understand where Ken's coming from.  I've always liked the concept of finishing up strong and going out on top.  Eruzione has always been one of my idols for just that reason.

[RJ_Daley]

Personally, I can't believe she will hang it up for good.  I think her competitiveness might resurface and she might enter the opens or majors after a restful hiatus, if her back gets better, and she can keep her game in reasonable shape to polish it up a few weeks before a big event.  

But, she is obviously a strong minded woman, who has obviously demonstrated that over and over.  (I never knew any Swedish women who weren't very strong minded   )  She will do what she determines is best as she goes along in life and that will be that, IMHO.  Maybe she has a marriage and nesting urge that is way more important than golf now.  Who can blame her for that?  I don't think she is too susceptable to any outside pressure as to what her next moves should or ought to be.  

I'm just glad I got to see her at her best.  

[RJ_Daley]

Jay, not to put ME down, but I seriously wonder if he really had the speed/skill for the NHL.  He may have had the heart though...

[Phil McDade]

  Eruzione has always been one of my idols for just that reason.
[/quote]

Where's Silk on the board when we need him?

The absolute, total pinnacle of Eruzione's career, if you can call it that, was a wrong-footed shot that beat the Soviet goalie for the winning goal in the semi's of the '80 Olympics.

Eruzione is a great, great story for many reasons, but he hardly belongs in the same breath as Williams, Tiger, Jordan, and Annika.

He was picked for the '80 Olympic team less for his skills than for his leadership and frankly his age. Brooks had a very young team in '80 -- incredibly talented, and frankly not given as much credit for their talent in part because of the enormity of what that team did -- but Eruzione was probably the least-skilled among them. But he had a certain character to him that Brooks knew would mean a lot in the locker room and in the pressure of a home Olympics; he'd been around, was not a star, and could be a leader. Brooks always had a soft spot for lesser-quality players who got by on guile and guts and sticking their nose into places they probably shouldn't, which was Eruzione's game. A great guy, a great story, but not a great player.

[Dan Smoot]

Dan--only problem is, she holed that shot to finish a poor round inside of a poor week. Yes, the shot was great, but the finish was not. Did Ted Williams home run come in a winning effort for the Sox? Would Michael Jordans 'final' (though not really since he came back again) shot against Utah have been the same if the Bulls had not won the championship that year? Nicklaus making birdie on 18 at St Andrews in 2005 was pretty special, but he still missed the cut, would have been better him making the putt to win the tournament or something.

For the Sox, it was the last game of the year, they weren't going anywhere, win or lose.  The game was secondary to Williams last game and he certainly wasn't the player he had been. Very few have or take the opportunity to go out as a champion like Bobby Jones did.  The Nicklaus putt was certainly special to me but Jack was just ceremonial.

[John Moore II]

I would not say that '86 was a disappointment, and Jack was still competitive at that time. But is it really better that the last competitive things we saw from him were woefull play and missed cuts at the US and British Opens?
--Would you have rather seen Brett Favre play 4 or 5 more seasons when he has been at less than his best for a few years? I would rather see him go out like this when he is mostly at the top of his game.
--For those that watch auto racing, was it really better than we saw Richard Petty drive around and be a non-factor and no competition to anyone for several years after he was really washed up?

I think when its possible to do so, its great to go out on top, I think that is really what Annika is trying to do this year. She doesn't want to be some hanger-on who just walks around and draws checks. I hope she can win the British Open or maybe go win the ADT final, go out truly on top.