RETIREMENT - RACHEL HETHERINGTON RETIRES FROM LPGA

(3 September, 2010)

One of Australia&aposs greatest female golfers, retired from the LPGA tour this week after 16 years competing at the highest level of women’s professional golf.
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rnThe 38-year old decided about a month ago that it was time. After completing the CN Canadian Women’s Open on Sunday she said, “I just don’t want to work as hard as I need to, that’s really the simply answer. I don’t want to practice and put in the work I know I need to, I just don’t want to practice that much. If I can’t play at my best I don’t want to play.”
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rnAfter looking at the schedule, Hetherington settled on the Canadian Open as her last event as it was one of her favourite tournaments and decided that it would be a great place to farewell to the LPGA.
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rnHetherington has had an outstanding professional career; she turned professional in 1994 and tasted immediate success on the Ladies European Tour when she won the Spanish and German Ladies Opens in 1995. She competed at the LPGA Qualifying School in 1996 and secured her card for the 1997 LPGA season.
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rnIn her 14 years on the LPGA she won eight titles, including back-to back titles in both 1999 and 2003. Hetherington’s first win came in 1998 at the Betsy King Classic when she defeated former World No. 1 Annika Sorenstam in a sudden-death playoff. Four of her eight titles came from playoff wins, three of those against Annika. Rachel is one of the rare players who actually have a positive playoff record against the World Golf Hall of Famer.
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rnIn Majors she came close on two occasions; in 2001 finishing runner-up at the Kraft Nabisco Championship, whilst in 2004 only an eagle-albatross start from England’s Karen Stupples prevented the proud Aussie winning the Women’s British Open at Sunningdale.
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rnIn 2000, Hetherington teamed up with great friend Karrie Webb to represent Australia at the Women’s World Cup of Golf in Malaysia where they went on to win and be crowned the inaugural World Cup Champions.
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rnIn an outstanding career she amassed in excess of US$5.7 million in prizemoney on the LPGA and sits 25th on the LPGA’s All Time Money List. At home she has won over $400,000 on the ALPG Tour, second only to Webb on the career money list. The year of 2003 was her most successful on the LPGA, winning two titles, finishing runner-up on another two occasions and posting 11 Top-10 finishes. In total she collected US$924,667.00 and finished 7th on the Official LPGA Money List.
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rnOn home soil Hetherington has been a loyal supporter of the ALPG Tour, competing every year since turning professional. To date she has yet to capture a major title in Australia, having gone close on three occasions, finishing runner-up at the Women’s Australian Open (1994, 2000, 2004). She intends to support her home tour in 2011, indicating that she is likely to play events in the New Year.
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rnALPG CEO Warren Sevil added that Hetherington had made a significant contribution to the profile of women&aposs professional golf both internationally and at home, commenting, "Rachel enjoyed much success on the LPGA, some of which was probably overshadowed by Karrie Webb&aposs dominance during the same years. Nine tournament wins puts Rachel as the third most winning Australian on the LPGA, behind Karrie and Jan Stephenson. Her wins came at a time when the standard of golf on the LPGA was at its strongest, and she has some great bragging rights with her three play-off wins against Annika Sorenstam. Rachel will no doubt be missed on the LPGA but the ALPG Tour will continue to benefit from her participation in our events together with the work she does off the golf course to help promote the sport and nurture up and coming junior girls. The Board and members of ALPG wish Rachel all the best following her retirement from the LPGA and hope for continued success in her ventures in coming years."
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rnGood friend Karrie Webb said, “Rach and I have played against and alongside each other for over 20 years. I played most of my amateur career and my entire professional career alongside her. Rachel has had a tremendously successful career which should be appreciated and celebrated by all golf fans. My highlight of our golf together was when we won the 2000 Women&aposs World Cup of Golf. Selfishly I am saddened to see my friend go but I am excited for her and wish her all the best in her future endeavours.”
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