Blumenherst Walking Away From LPGA Tour?

Randall Mell with news of a blow to the LPGA as one its classiest and most engaging players, 26-year-old Amanda Blumenherst, is walking away at year's end to spend more time with her husband, Oakland A's first-baseman Nate Freiman.

From Mell's exclusive on the 2008 U.S. Women's Amateur champion:

“I don’t want to say I’m retiring, because you never know what will happen,” Blumenherst said. “Maybe I’ll decide in a couple years to come back, and this will just be a little break, you never know.”

It sounds like more than a break, though. Blumenherst, 26, would like to start a family. She said this season has been tough.

“I started noticing that my heart was no longer in it,” Blumenherst said. “I was just going through the motions in practice. I want to be with Nate.”

Mell discussed Blumenhurst's story on Morning Drive with Gary Williams: