Hetherington calls it quits
BY Bruce Young | LPGA Tour | 2010 Canadian Women's Open | Round Four | 30 Aug 2010
Australian golfer Rachel Hetherington has announced her retirement from the LPGA Tour following the CN Canadian Open today.
Ironically Hetherington produced one of her better tournaments in recent times when she led the Australians at the St Charles Country Club in Winnipeg, finishing in 24th position. Her week included a third round of 66 indicating that she still has the game although not perhaps the motivation to continue.
The 38-year-old was injured earlier this year when she fell from a skateboard, fracturing her ankle in the process and effectively curtailing her 2010 season by five months. She returned in June and has played five events since, making the cut on four occasions.
“I’m very happy,” Hetherington told the lpga.com. “I was very fortunate to play golf, travelled to a lot of countries, made a lot of friends and learned a lot. The reality is that I just don’t want to work as hard as I need to. I’ll enjoy doing other things.”
Hetherington turned professional in 1994 and although playing in the shadow of one of Australia’s greatest players, Karrie Webb, during much of her life as a professional golfer, she has managed to establish a highly successful career in tournament golf.
Hetherington played for two years in Europe before joining the LPGA Tour in 1997 after gaining her card via the 1996 Tour School. She won two events on the Ladies European Tour before heading across the Atlantic.
Hetherington won eight times on the LPGA Tour and was twice runner up in major championships. She and Karrie Webb won the World Cup of Golf for Australia in 2000. Her best years were perhaps those in a five year stretch between 1998 and 2003.
Hetherington’s earnings on the LPGA Tour totalled nearly US$6million and she is considered Australia’s third most successful women professional after Webb and Jan Stephenson.
Congratulations on a great career to Rachel Hetherington.
