A look back at the career of former women's golf world number one Annika Sorenstam, who has revealed she will retire from the sport at the end of the year.

Born: 9 October 1970 in Stockholm, Sweden.

Starts playing golf at age of 12.

* 1992 - Wins world amateur title.

* 1993 - Joins LPGA Tour.

* 1995 - Wins first major championship at U.S. Open.

* 1996 - Defends US Open crown by posting four sub-par rounds and surpasses $1 million (£515,000) in career earnings.

* 1997 - Captures six titles.

* 1998 - Wins three titles and becomes the first player in LPGA history to finish a season with a sub-70 scoring average (69.99).

* 2001 - Wins eight times.

- Clinches first major since 1996 with victory at the Nabisco Championship and regains position as world number one.

* 2002 - Racks up 13 titles worldwide to complete one of the most successful seasons in golfing history.

* 2003 - Plays alongside men at the Colonial tournament, becoming first female to compete in a PGA Tour event since Babe Zaharias in 1945. Misses cut by four shots.

- Claims fifth career major, the LPGA Championship, and edges out South Korea's Pak Se Ri by a shot to win her first women's British Open, completing career grand slam with sixth major title.

* 2006: Wins US Open for her 10th major championship.

* 2007: Suffers serious neck injury.

* 2008: Wins Michelob Ultra Open by seven strokes for her third victory of the season.

- Announces plans to retire at end of year.

Reuters