30 greatest female athletes of all time

9. Annika Sorenstam
Golf

Tiger Woods had a hold on the golf world that we may never see in sports again, yet the women’s game saw a similar level of dominance at the same time. From the mid-90s to the mid-2000s, the Swedish phenom won 10 majors and 72 LPGA events. She won another 17 events on the Ladies European tour (fifth all-time), and added 18 wins in events around the world. She also took home wins at every single major, giving her a career grand slam (one of seven golfers to do so). 

Annika’s trophy case is bigger than just singular event trophies. She was the Rolex Player of the Year on eight different occasions. She also won the Vare Trophy (given to the player with the lowest scoring average over a season) six times. She also earned the nickname “Ms. 59” when she became the first and only woman to break 60 in one round. 

Sorenstam still holds the record for the highest-earning golfer in women’s history, taking home more than $22 million over her career. Even in her final season as a professional in 2008, she broke $1.73 million in winnings. 

Sorenstam became the first female since another woman not named on this list yet to compete in a PGA Tour event. She was invited to play in the PGA Tour's Bank of America Colonial golf tournament in May of 2003. While it was an iconic event, and she received a standing ovation at every hole, nerves clearly took over. She was near the top of the leaderboard in driving accuracy and greens in regulation. However, her putting was worst in the field, and it caused her to miss the cut. Still, she showed the best parts of her game could easily compete with the men.