The hot, humid air clung to the hills hovering over the Allegheny River and turned an already challenging Fox Chapel Golf Club in Pittsburgh into an even hotter pressure cooker in Thursday’s first round of the 6th U.S. Senior Women’s Open. As late-day shadows crept across the course, Kaori Yamamoto, who played in the heat of the afternoon, was in at 4-under-par 67, one stroke better than Christa Johnson and Lisa Grimes, who went out in the relative cool of the morning.
At 69 is two-time runner-up Leta Lindley with Mikino Kubo and Corina Kelepouris, who made an eagle on the par-4 fifth hole, at 70. Alicia Dibos, Catrin Nilsmark, amateur Kristine Franklin and Annika Sorenstam are at even-par 71.
Yamamoto, who at 50 is one of the youngest players in the field, played her way into the U.S. Senior Women’s Open by being medalist at a qualifier in Texas, shooting 68 and winning by six strokes. On Thursday, she bogeyed No. 6 then made five birdies and no bogeys the rest of the way, needing only 28 putts.
“My shots were good and also bad, but I had a lot of lucky bounces, but my putting was very good,” she said. “I started playing golf at 21 years old. I turned pro in the year 2000. I have been playing on the LPGA Tour in Japan ever since and continuously have qualified for the regular tour. I started playing the Japan senior tour probably in 2018, and I have four victories after that.”
Johnson, 66, was an All-American at the University of Arizona 1979-80 and won nine times on the LPGA Tour. She’s finished in the top 20 three times in the U.S. Senior Women’s Open and never worse than 33rd, experience that helped her in Thursday’s first round.
“I played real steady,” said Johnson, who hit 16 of 18 greens. “I even got it on the right side of the hole two times, and those were maybe easier putts, and then I made a couple other putts that I wasn't expecting, so it was nice.”
Grimes, who qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open eight times and has played in all five U.S. Senior Women’s Opens, made it to the semifinals of the 1982 U.S. Women’s Amateur, losing to Juli Inkster who went on to win her third consecutive Women’s Am.
“I had a bogey-free round, and I don't have that very often,” Grimes said. “That's something I like to remember. I was kind of nervous the last few holes thinking, man, not so much my score as no bogeys on this course, which is kind of a feat in itself.
Lindley, who also played during the hottest part of the day, refused to wilt.
“I'm happy,” she said after hitting 16 of 18 greens. “I don't think you can be displeased being on the happy side of par for your opening round. I come from South Florida where we melt, so the heat didn't bother me too much, and I made sure to hydrate, but certainly the course played a little faster than it did on Wednesday.”
Sorenstam, a three-time U.S. Women’s Open champion and winner of the 2021 U.S. Senior Women’s Open at Brooklawn Country Club in Fairfield, Conn., made three birdies and three bogeys, including her final hole, as she hit 10 fairways and 15 greens, but needed 33 putts.
“I'm disappointed,” said Sorenstam. “I was a little tentative. There's a fine line of being aggressive but then also being patient and having a strategy, and I just felt I really didn't have the courage. I'm disappointed about that. But I love the course. I think it's just really fun, and I have it in me, so if this is going to be my highest score of the week, then this will be okay.”
After Friday’s second round, the field will be cut to low-50 and ties.
Notable
Hilary Lunke, winner of the 2003 U.S. Women’s Open at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in North Plains, Ore., was the starter on No. 1. Lunke played in the U.S. Women’s Open nine times, was a quarterfinalist in the 1996 U.S. Girls’ Junior and 2001 U.S. Women’s Amateur. She helped the USA win the 2000 Curtis Cup Match with a 3-0-1 record.
JoAnne Carner, 85, who has shot her age or better six times in the U.S. Senior Women’s Open, did it a seventh time with an 85 on Thursday at Fox Chapel. She’s now shot her age in six of her last seven rounds in this championship.
Catriona Matthew, who shot 73 in Thursday’s first round at Fox Chapel, will be the captain for the GB&I team against the United States in the Curtis Cup at Sunnningdale Golf Club Old Course Aug. 30-Sept. 1.
Defending champion Trish Johnson was cruising along at 1-under par when she drove out of bounds on No. 13, making a triple bogey followed by two bogeys. She shot 75.
Six of the eight most-difficult holes on Thursday were on the closing 10-hole stretch beginning at No. 9. The most-difficult hole was No. 9 and the easiest was No. 7.
Liselotte Neumann was the only player to hit all 14 fairways on Thursday, shooting 75.
Quotable
“Well, we play world-class golf courses, and we're treated like queens,” Grimes said about competing in the U.S. Senior Women’s Opens. “We like that. Just the honor of playing a USGA event.”
“I managed to save some good putts and I holed a bunker shot, and I hung in there,” said Catrin Nilsmark, who shot 71. “I was scared of every shot I hit today. That's how bad it felt. I did hit eventually some good ones.”
“It was pretty hot,” Sorenstam said. “Living in Orlando you'd think I'd be used to it, but I've been gone for about two months, and I've been coming from fresh mountain air, so coming here, it was hot. But just make sure you hydrate, and if you can find some shade, find some shade.”
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