Maria McBride played in the final group last year at the U.S. Senior Women’s Open. She had struggled with her game for much of the afternoon at San Diego Country Club but still was in contention with a few holes remaining.
Then came the par-5 14th hole where she walked off the green with a quadruple-bogey 9. The championship was effectively over for her.
This year, with payback in mind, and with a better plan in place for her to play her best golf, McBride, a five-time winner on the LPGA, shot a third-round 66 to take a four-shot lead into the final round at Barton Hills Country Club in Ann Arbor, Mich.
But … and there’s always a but … Annika Sorenstam and Karrie Webb were the two names trailing McBride on the leaderboard.
McBride, 52, struggled early Sunday and made three bogeys in the first eight holes. Suddenly her lead was gone and it was Sorenstam, a fellow Swede, who she’d have to beat, just like in their heyday on the LPGA. McBride chipped in for eagle on the par-5 ninth hole to regain the lead and her composure. She made birdies on Nos. 14 and 16 then only needed to hold on the last two holes to win, which she did. McBride shot a final-round 73 to end the week at six-under 282 total. Sorenstam, the 2021 Senior Women’s Open champ, was two shots back, with bogeys on 14 and 16 her undoing. Webb was third at one under.
“All different feelings,” said McBride, who played on the LPGA as Maria Hjorth. “It started off a bit rough, but I got it done. It was tough conditions out there.”
McBride’s closest call in a major championship came at the 2008 LPGA Championship where she lost in a playoff against Yani Tseng. With the U.S. Senior Women’s Open her No. 1 goal this year, she and husband Shaun, sat down to figure out how she could play her best golf this week. So she entered two Epson Tour events, played in the LPGA’s ShopRite event in Atlantic City and then, last week, she won the LPGA Legends Championship in Indiana by one shot over U.S. Solheim Cup captain Angela Stanford.
“It really has strengthened my game,” she said. “I got better by doing that.”
The stats back up her contention. McBride was first in driving distance for the week, hitting it 11 yards longer than the second-place participant. She tied for third in greens hit in regulation and was second in putting. Overall, she made 17 birdies in the 72 holes, one more than Webb and Juli Inkster.
Sorenstam, 55, followed a bogey on 16 with a birdie on 17 Sunday to give herself a glimmer of hope. She was two under after 13 holes and shot one-under 71 to finish four under for the week.
“It’s been a wonderful week,” said the 10-time LPGA major champion. “We’re so thankful to the USGA for putting this championship on. I hit the ball very well, especially my irons. Made some clutch putts but there were a few that slipped away.”