Jon Bortoli (Ultimate Golf Blog)

Justin Leonard gave himself a second chance, then made the most of it as he won the six million-dollar St. Jude Classic with a birdie at the second playoff hole.

Leonard needed two holes of the playoff to dispatch Masters Champion Trevor Immelman of South Africa and Australian Robert Allenby, who like Leonard finished regulation tied at 4-under 276.

"It has been a great week," Leonard said. "When I won here in 2005, I led every day and almost let it slip away at the end. This week I've kind of been back in the pack a little bit and was able to shoot a really solid round today."

Leonard started the day three shots off the pace.

He took a one-stroke lead with a birdie on 15, but gave it right back when a wayward drive led to a bogey on 17.

At the final hole of regulation, he slid a 15-foot birdie putt just over the lip.

"Gave myself a really good putt at 18 in regulation and hit a really good putt," Leonard said. "I thought I made the putt and the ball was halfway there, and unfortunately it didn't go in but, you know, was able to hit some good shots in the playoff and make a nice putt there at 11."

ONCE, she was too shy to even try to win a tournament because she was afraid she would have to give a speech. Annika Sorenstam has proven a lot to herself and everyone else since then: playing well in a men's PGA Tour event, winning 10 majors and becoming one of the most dominant players in the history of women's golf.

Now she has proved one more thing: that she has the strength to say goodbye.

Sorenstam, 37, has announced she will retire after this season to pursue other interests. Top of the list is the desire to start a family. "This is something that came from the heart," she said at the Sybase Classic in Clifton, New Jersey.

A winner of 72 women's pro tour events, including three US women's opens, a player who once shot 59 in a competitive round, Sorenstam said she intended to have one last shot at overtaking Lorena Ochoa and reclaiming the world No.1 spot.