'Big Mama' steals the show at Senior Women's Open despite not walking any course in 14 years
World Golf Hall of Famer JoAnne “Big Mama” Carner is a legend in women’s golf. She has won 43 tournaments in her career, which is eighth on the all-time LPGA list. Two of those wins were at the U.S. Women’s Open.
Carner retired from the LPGA as a touring player in 1985, but became the oldest woman to make the cut at an LPGA event in 2004.
Carner attained another career achievement Thursday when she shot her age — 79 — at the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open at the Chicago Golf Club.
JoAnne Carner, 79, hasn't walked a golf course since 2004. She comes to No. 18, with no cart, needing birdie to shoot her age. My hero! pic.twitter.com/sPWCDhmTfq
— Beth Ann Nichols (@GolfweekNichols) July 12, 2018
Carner needed a birdie on the 18th hole to break 80, and she did it. After one round she was in a tie for 41st place at 6-over par.
Elaine Crosby held the lead after one round with 3-under 70.
It’s even more impressive when you consider she hasn’t walked a course since 2004. Carner has played on the Legends Tour, the equivalent of the Champions Tour, since leaving the LPGA Tour. She’s even played in three events this year. But she uses a cart for those events.
Carner started the day off with a drag from her cigarette before blasting a 225-yard drive off the first tee.
Reporters asked her if she worked out to get ready to play her first walking round since 2004.
“Do I look like I hit the gym?” Carner responded, reported Golfweek.
While Carner created a lot of buzz by shooting her age, she took it all in stride.
“I hit some good shots, but I hit some awful shots, really,” Carner told LPGA.com. “You know, I had some 6- and 7-irons into the greens and just really hit awful shots. One went in the water and I made double, and that’s a birdie hole. I was fighting it all the way. Short irons were always my forte. It’s all a posture thing. I’ll fix it.”
She has bigger fish to fry, like making the cut. Carner was 2-over through five holes on Friday at press time.
“Really, I can shoot this course under par,” she told LPGA.com.
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