Annika Sorenstam was the overwhelming favorite to win the third edition of the USGA’s U.S. Senior Women’s Open and she showed why on Sunday as she completed a total route of the field at Brooklawn Country Club.
The 11-time major champion, winner of 72 LPGA Tour events, totally outclassed the rest of the over-50 set with rounds of 67-69-72-68 — good enough for an eight-shot winning margin over fellow Swede Liselotte Neumann and nine better than third-place Laura Davies.
“I worked hard for this when I turned 50 and I said ‘I’m gonna play!” Sorenstam declared after the victory. She did more than just play, she dominated the action with rounds of 67-69-72 and a closing four-under par 68 that gave her a 12-under par winning score, just a shot shy of Davies’ 72-hole scoring record for this USGA event.
“Really cool to win — the USGA has a soft spot in my heart,” said Sorenstam, who made the U.S. Open the first of her 11 majors.
She walked up the 18th fairway with husband/caddie Mike and both of her children in tow. “It’s a dream come true,” she said.
Neumann closed with 74 to finish four-under while Davies was solo third at three-under after closing with 71.
Japan’s Yuko Saito (72) and Catriona Matthew of Scotland (74) tied for fourth at two-under as only five players in the field finished in red numbers.
Senior U.S. Women’s Open Scoreboard:
Pajaree Anannarukarn Gets First LPGA Win At ISPS Handa:
Pajaree Anannarukarn from Thailand picked up her first LPGA Tour win Sunday, outlasting Emma Talley in a playoff at the ISPS Handa co-ed special at Galgorm Castle Resort in Northern Ireland.
Three players were tied heading to the 72nd hole with Anannarukarn at 16-under par along with Talley and Jennifer Kupcho.
Kupcho took herself out of contention when she dunked her third shot into the pond fronting the 18th green. She took bogey and finished solo third at 15-under, closing with 71. Both Anannarukarn and Talley made pars, signed for 70s and headed out for the playoff.
Both were nervous and it showed but they saved pars on the first trip down the 18th. The second playoff hole, again at the par five 18th, saw Talley get in trouble. She went way right off the tee, punched out and found the left rough. Her third settled well right of the green in another difficult lie. Her pitch came up short and left her sitting on the fringe in four, with 25 feet left for par.
Anannarukarn struggled and her third sailed to the back of the green, leaving her 70 feet away and a difficult path to the hole as she was blocked by the fringe. She left her putt 10 feet left of the hole then watched Tally miss her par attempt. Anannarukarn then calmly rolled in her 10-footer for par and the win.
ISPS Handa Women’s Scoreboard:
Daniel Gavins Gets First European Tour Victory On Men’s Side:
Daniel Gavins was making his plans for the rest of the season on the Challenge Tour. After all, he’d never had a top 10 on the European Tour.
He came to Galgorm Castle Resort with two recent top 10s on the Challenge Tour so he knew he was playing well.
On Sunday, he went out ahead of the leaders, turned in a five-under par 65 that put him in the clubhouse at 13-under.
Then he waited, and waited some more.
By the time the final group reached the 18th hole, Englishman David Horsey was tied with him at 13-under and a birdie at the closing par five would win it.
But Horsey hit his worst shot of the day, a big hook off the tee that was lost in the dense undergrowth on the far left side of the hole. He ended up hitting a provisional and playing it. But it killed his chances for the win as he worked hard for a bogey six and a round of 72 that left him a shot short of Gavins.
Jordan Smith and Dnaiel Hillier were in the final group with Horsey but both finished at 11-under par.
“I was a little nervous before but I just tried to shoot as low as I could today,” Gavins said after emerging as the surprise winner. “At seven behind (thru 54 holes) I didn’t really think I was within a chance of winning so there was maybe a bit less pressure there. I’ve been playing well but I was going to have the week off because I knew there’s a lot of Challenge Tour events coming up so I thought a week off here maybe and then play the rest of the Challenge Tour.
“I just can’t believe it, it’ll take a while to sink in, an amazing day. It’s amazing that every week on the European Tour is just a place you want to be. I’m just fortunate to be on it and just playing golf.”
