Former Rolex world No. 1 Ai Miyazato will announce in a news conference Monday that she will retire at the end of this season, the Kyodo news service reported.
Miyazato, 31, is a nine-time LPGA winner who reigned as world No. 1 for 12 weeks in 2010.
Miyazato is a superstar in her native Japan. She was so immensely popular as a rising young star, she said she had to wear a disguise in public to avoid being swarmed by fans. She was credited with reviving the Japan LPGA Tour as World Golf Hall of Famer Ayako Okamoto’s career wound to an end.