JoAnne Carner didn’t make the cut Friday at the U.S. Senior Women’s Open, but the Hall of Famer left her mark on the inaugural event at Chicago Golf Club.
After shooting her age (79) in Thursday’s opening round, “Big Mama” won the admiration of fans and fellow players with the heart she put into trying to make it to the weekend.
“JoAnne Carner should be on a statue, for what she’s done for golf and how she played yesterday, it’s impressive,” Juli Inkster said. “I mean, that’s all I could talk about last night. My kids called and I said, `Can you believe JoAnne Carner shot 79?’ She shot her age and she birdied the last hole to shoot her age. I just think it’s so impressive.”
Full-field scores from the U.S. Senior Women’s Open
The cut was to the low 50 and ties. Carner was inside the cut line Friday until running out of gas with two double bogeys in a 43 on the back nine. She shot 83, missing the cut by four shots.
“I’m very tired,” Carner said. “I never really got the rhythm of the swing today. I drove it not well today, and I’ve been driving it good. So you’re starting on the wrong foot. And then hit a couple good irons, but basically the whole swing was a little off.”
Carner was asked if she would be competing again anytime soon.
“I might retire for 10 months,” she cracked.
She will be resting up for a return to next year’s U.S. Senior Women’s Open at Pine Needles in North Carolina.
Source: Internet
