Annika stepping away with second thoughts

HAIKOU, China (AP) -- Annika Sorenstam announced in June that she is "stepping away" from golf at the end of this season, a phrase the 10-time major winner has repeatedly used rather than say she's retiring.

Now, with a half-dozen events left before she plays the Dec. 11-14 Dubai Ladies Masters - a Ladies European Tour event - Sorenstam is hedging a bit more.

"We'll see if I will come back in a few years to play," Sorenstam said Thursday, on the eve of the 54-hole Grand China Air tournament, the first LPGA event in China.

"As of now, I'm leaving the door open. ... That's why I'm not using the 'R' word."

The 38-year-old Swede is getting married in January, and she expects family and business interests to keep her occupied. She designs golf courses, has a clothing line, a charitable foundation and runs a golf academy.

Sorenstam said she won't miss the "daily grind" of professional golf - the practice, gym sessions and pressure to perform.

"I have done that for so long and I have enjoyed it very much," she said. "I've pushed myself. I've enjoyed the journey, but I've come to a point now where I'm very happy, I'm very satisfied with what I have achieved."

Still, Sorenstam clearly has reservations and is choosing her words carefully.

"If I get the urge to come back, I have a chance," Sorenstam said. "That's why I have never said this is the end. But we'll see.

"There are new challenges ahead," she added. "Getting married and starting a family. Who knows? I might come out on tour sooner than later. It might be tougher than I think it is."