LPGA Tour pro Julieta Granada has announced her retirement from the game after an 18-year professional career at the age of 37.
Granada revealed the news in a lengthy Instagram message that began: “Thank you Golf! It’s been quite a ride to play this amazing game for a living.”
The Paraguayan turned professional in 2005 and among her career highlights were victory at the 2006 LPGA Tour Playoffs at ADT and six top-ten finishes in Majors. She also represented her country as a flagbearer at the Opening Ceremony of the 2016 Rio Olympics and finished T44 at the women's individual golf event. She admitted representing her country at the Games was among her career highlights.
She wrote: “Number one junior, amateur and winning an LPGA event, flag beaver for my country at the Rio Olympics, and representing Paraguay everywhere I went are the highlights, don’t be fooled every accomplishment was with a lot of sacrifices and with a lot of hard work and they are a lot of bad days were I had doubt.”
Granada also revealed she planned to dedicate her time to her daughter, Gia, and a coaching career. She explained: “What’s next? Well being the best mom I can for Gia and coaching at @ijga_bishopsgate. Looking forward to see how good I can be as a coach! Now I go from chasing birdies to teaching others how to chase them!”
At 37, Granada is still relatively young. However, she is far from the only player to step back from their playing days early.
Despite a hugely successful career including 10 Major titles, Annika Sorenstam retired at the end of the 2008 season, aged 38. Lorena Ochoa, who held the record for most weeks as World No.1 until it was surpassed by Jin Young Ko earlier this year, stepped away from the game in 2010, aged 28. Then, last year, former World No.1 Shanshan Feng joined the list of early retirees at the age of 32.
Granada earned $4,290,679 in her LPGA Tour career, though her appearances on it have been limited in recent years. She made seven starts in 2023 and a T31 at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational was her best finish.
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