
Former pro golfer Annika Sorenstam hits a shot out of the bunker, pictured here, during her first tour win in 1995. "It was a big turning point because all of a sudden it's like ... I felt like I belong out here," she told CNN. Look through the gallery for more moments from Sorenstam's record-setting career.

Sorenstam posing with her historic scorecard showing a 59 at the Moon Valley Country Club in Phoenix, Arizona in 2001.

Sorenstam pictured here on the practice range before playing in a PGA tournament at the Colonial on May 22, 2003. She said the opportunity came about after a reporter had asked her if she'd ever compete against men, to which she said "I was like, well, why not, like sure I would love to do that. So it was very spontaneous."

Sorenstam, pictured here holding the "Player Of The Year" trophy in 2003, has won this award eight times during her pro career, which remains the record.

Since her retirement in 2008, Sorenstam has dedicated much of her time to empowering the next generation of young female golfers through her foundation, the ANNIKA foundation.

In the past few years, Sorenstam has played in a few tournaments, thanks in large part to her son Will's interest in the game. Sorenstam's husband, Mike McGee, said, "I credit him a lot with her getting back into it because he wanted to go practice and she thought, 'well, I might as well practice too.'"

For Sorenstam, golf is more than just a game -- it's a family affair. "Mike's dad played on the tour and that's how he met his wife. So golf is more than just one generation," she told CNN.

Sorenstam speaks during a clinic at the U.S. Women's Open in Colorado, 2011. As for where she would like to see women's golf a few decades from now: "more coverage on TV, bigger purses and more competitions," she said, "and just getting the recognition I think many of them deserve."