Annika Sörenstam Has a Baby Girl

Annika Sörenstam may be retired from the sport of golf, but she has now moved on to another great role, that of being a mom. She gave birth to a baby girl on Tuesday, September 1, at 3:30 AM. The baby’s name is Ava Madelyn and she weighed 6lbs. 10 oz.

A statement she posted on her official website read, “Mike and I are happy to announce that I gave birth to our little girl at 3:30AM this morning. Ava Madelyn McGee is six pounds 10 ounces and 19 inches long. We are all doing well and we truly appreciate the support we have received. We are VERY excited about our new addition and will keep everyone posted in the coming weeks. Thanks!”

‘Mike’ is her husband and business manager Mike McGee. They made the announcement that they were expecting on March 19 of this year and revealed to the media in June that they were expecting a girl.

Sörenstam is one of the most recognizable names in the sport of golf. She has over 72 LPGA tour wins and has taken the Player of the Year award 8 times. In fact many have referred to her as the Tiger Woods of women’s golf. Sörenstam was inducted into the Golf World Hall of Fame in 2003.

On May 13, 2008, Sörenstam announced her retirement from the sport that made her famous. She said she would quit competition at the end of the 2008 season.

She has parlayed her success on the green into her own little empire. Her ANNIKA brand oversees a number of ventures including a clothing line, a signature fragrance and a wine label. Perhaps the jewel in her crown is The ANNIKA Academy at Ginn Reunion Resort which opened in April 2007. Her wanna-be golfers can learn to perfect their swing and golf game.

She is also involved in designing golf courses. Perhaps fittingly, the first one she worked on was the Annika Course, located at Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzen, China. She is also working on projects in the USA. Her business ventures are said to take in the things that she cares about most, namely golf, fitness and charitable involvement.

Congratulations to this great representative of the sport of golf on the birth of her first child. I wish her continued success as a mother and as an entrepreneur. I’m sure she and her husband will enjoy being parents to a little princess.