Two days after achieving the 90th professional victory of her amazing career Sweden's Annika Sorenstam has announced she intends to retire at the end of this season.
The 37-year-old world number two, whose £11million earnings from the American women's tour are £4million more than anyone else, has won three times already this year.
But she said on her website she is to "step away" from competitive play and will concentrate on her other business interests. She is also getting married again next April.
"I'm leaving on my own terms," Sorenstam told a press conference ahead of this week's Sybase Classic at Upper Montclair Country Club in New Jersey.
Sorenstam is the only woman ever to shoot 59 in tournament play and still hopes to add to her 10 major titles, but for hitting the headlines nothing she does will ever match the 2003 Colonial tournament in Texas when she became the first female in 58 years to compete on the US Tour.
She missed the cut, but was far from out-classed and on her return to her own circuit remained the dominant figure until the emergence of Mexican Lorena Ochoa in the last two seasons.
Between 2001 and 2005 Sorenstam won more majors than Tiger Woods - seven to five - and they got into a habit of texting whenever they won to remind each other of the score between them.
Her 72 LPGA Tour victories put her third on the career list behind Kathy Whitworth (88) and Mickey Wright (82), while only three women in history have won more majors.
She also played a part in establishing the Solheim Cup as a meaningful competition, helping Europe win at Loch Lomond in 2000 and in her home country at Barseback in 2003.
Sorenstam opened a golf academy last year near her home in Orlando and has several other ventures under way, including course design.