Sorenstam Takes Early Lead at U.S. Senior Women’s Open

History is a heavy burden to haul around a golf course, especially in a USGA championship contested on a layout as demanding as Barton Hills Country Club. But that was the load carried by three of the game’s biggest stars in Thursday’s first round of the 8th U.S. Senior Women’s Open in Ann Arbor, Mich.

And they all handled the task magnificently. 

 

From 1998 through 2006, Annika Sorenstam (8), Karrie Webb (7) and Juli Inkster (4) combined to win 19 of the 32 LPGA major championships, including the U.S. Women’s Open five times. So far, Sorenstam (2021) is the only one of the three to win the U.S. Senior Women’s Open, with Inkster finishing second three times. 

 

But after the opening round at a relentless Barton Hills, whose devilish Donald Ross greens lived up to their pre-championship billing, all three had spots at or near the top of the leaderboard.  

 

Joining them were Michele Redman, Jackie Gallagher-Smith and Cathy Johnston-Forbes, whose resumes are less gaudy but, on this day, whose games were just as good. 

 

Leading is Sorenstam at 4-under-par 68, two strokes ahead of Inkster and three better than Webb, both of whom, like Sorenstam, are in the World Golf Hall of Fame. Sandwiched in between them at 69 are Redman, Gallagher-Smith and Johnston-Forbes.  

 

Defending champion Becky Morgan, Nicole Jeray and Christy Longfield are at 71, along with Webb. Trish Johnson, the 2022 champion, is at even-par 72 along with Charlaine Hirst, Catriona Matthew, Charlotta Sorenstam, Catrin Nilsmark, Janice Moodie and 2019 champion Helen Alfredsson.

 

“I hit a lot of greens,” said Sorenstam, who managed to tour Barton Hills without a bogey, the first time in her 21 rounds in the U.S. Senior Women’s Open she managed that feat. 

 

“You know, just very patient,” she said. “I felt like I was in a good spirit, just happy to be here. I love the place. I think most of all just didn't really push it, just not a lot of mistakes. You know, nothing great in a sense, although that chip was great [for eagle on No. 17]. It's a good feeling, of course. It takes the lid off the cup, if you know what I mean. It's, like, okay, I can do this.” 

 

Still, perfectionist that she is, Sorenstam says there is work to be done before she tees it up in Friday’s second round. 

 

“I do not feel good about everything,” she said. “I don't think any golfer does. I'm going to work on my driver.” 

 

Barton Hills has deceivingly wide fairways and equally inviting large greens. But there is more to this course than meets the eye and patience becomes the invaluable 15th club in the bag. Webb got to 4-under par and then had a double bogey 6 on No. 14. Inkster also reached 4-under par then made a triple bogey 7 on No. 15, both of which make Sorenstam’s bogey-free round even more impressive. 

 

Inkster, 66, who won three consecutive U.S. Women’s Amateur Championships beginning in 1980 as well as the 1999 and 2002 U.S. Women’s Opens, got to 4-under par through 14 holes and was threatening to shoot her age, needing two birdies on the final four holes for a 66.  

 

“I played really well today,” Inkster said. “I kept the ball in the fairway. I hit some really good wedge shots today. I had I think four tap-ins, which was nice. I made one long putt and one kind of medium.” 

 

But a wedge flew deeper than she planned on No. 15 after yet another perfect tee shot and scooted through the green into the back bunker. Her first attempt remained in the sand and then she blasted 60-feet past the hole and needed three putts to get down and made a 7. 

 

“Out here you just can't get in the bad spots, and I was in a bad spot,” Inkster said.  

Redman, 61, won twice on the LPGA Tour and got off fast at Barton Hills with a 69, the only round below 70 in the morning wave. 

 

There has yet to be a repeat winner in the U.S. Senior Women’s Open and five of the seven previous winners are in the field this week: Alfredsson, Sorenstam, Johnson, Morgan and Leta Lindley.   

 

Morgan, who won last year at San Diego Country Club, began the defense of her title with that solid 71. 

 

“It's really cool being announced as the defending champion on the first tee, but I actually felt really calm,” she said after recording 15 pars, two birdies and a bogey 6 on the par-5 17th hole when she got a bad lay-up number.  

 

The long trek to the finish line has begun with 18 holes down and 54 to go. The supernovas and lesser stars all know there is a long road ahead and that at the end of the road is a place in the history of golf. Like any USGA championship, that road involves a complete test of golf.