After a tough day “at the office”, Annika Sorenstam, arguably the world’s greatest ever lady golfer, feels at home in the Dubai desert.
And with the pressure on her to carve out a final victory in the Dubai Ladies Masters before stepping into retirement, she couldn’t resist a visit to her favourite desert escape
to unwind.
With fiancé Mike McGee and visiting family members for company, she headed out to the Jumeirah Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa for a spot of camel riding, falconry and sunset dining.
It was the perfect way to relax after a first round 70 had left her four shots off the lead, but still in the hunt, for a third successive Dubai Ladies Masters title at the Emirates Golf Club on her last tournament appearance.
“There are few places around the world where I’ve taken an afternoon to do something, but this place is unique,” said Sorenstam.
“To come here and relax in the afternoon, and just experience things that I can’t do at home – the falcons, the camel rides, the sunsets, and the service, there’s nothing like it. This is my third visit and I’d love to come back again.”
The winner of a record 90 tournaments, including ten majors, Annika, says she will not miss the weekly grind of travel and practice after 16 years as a professional, but she will miss Dubai.
“I love it here,” she said. “Obviously the culture is very different from where I come from, but the people are really nice, I love the food, I love the cleanliness. For me it’s exotic.”
