The rains came and softened up the golf course.
And Maria McBride began pouring in putts from everywhere to take a commanding lead into the final round of the U.S. Senior Women’s Open at Barton Hills Country Club in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Aug. 22.
McBride shot the low round of the tournament, a 6-under 66, behind some good iron play and some excellent putting, to take a four-stroke lead into Sunday’s final round. She was at 7 under par, with her closest pursuer being the golfer she grew up playing against in Sweden youth golf circles, legend Annika Sorenstam, who was at 3 under after a 73.
Also at 3 under was Becky Morgan, the defending champion who also shot a 1-over 73 on a soggy Saturday that was interrupted by two weather delays.
“Overall, I’m just playing really well, getting my yardage great into the flag,” McBride said following Saturday’s round. “And obviously with the break we had today, the greens softened up a little bit.”
McBride needed just 29 putts to get through the third round, averaging 1.63 per hole on a day the field average was closer to two putts per green. She hit 16 greens in regulation, 12 of 14 fairways and averaged 230 yards off the tee in the 50-and-older championship. That was more than 20 yards over the field average on a course that was playing at just over 6,100 yards. For the week, she’s averaging more than 250 yards, tops on the field by over 15 yards.
McBride, 52, began the back nine with birdies on three of her first four holes. A pivotal hole was the par-4 15th hole, where she found a deep bunker with her tee shot, and struggled to get out of it. That left her a full wedge in, which McBride hit to about 10 feet and she made the saving par putt.
Her long bogey came on the par-3 16th, where she couldn’t get up and down from a greenside bunker. No worries. She bounced right back with a birdie at the par-5 17th hole, and for a second straight year, she will be in the final pairing of Sunday’s final round at the U.S. Senior Women’s Open.
“I’m really excited to be there again,” said McBride, who didn’t hit any iron longer than 6 iron into any green Saturday.
McBride, a five-time winner on the LPGA, has been playing well lately. She won last week on the Legends Tour, taking a one-stroke victory at the LPGA Legends Championship in Indiana.
McBride will have to fend off arguably the greatest women’s golf champion of all-time and one she is very familiar with, Sorenstam, 55, a 10-time major champion on the LPGA who won this tournament in 2021 and has finished in the top 10 every year. Sorenstam led this championship after the first round. She struggled Saturday with four bogeys to just three birdies. All three of those birdies came on the par 5s, which are playing relatively short this week.
Sorenstam and Morgan are looking to become the first two-time winner of this championship, which debuted in 2018.
Only seven players broke par Saturday, including France’s Patricia Meunier-Lebouc, 53, who shot a 4-under 68. It was a bogey-free round that featured three straight birdies to close out her front nine. Meunier-Lebouc won twice on the LPGA, including a major championship.
“I’m just very proud of myself because, you know, I don’t play much golf anymore,” Meunier-Lebouc said. “I really got ready for this tournament with no expectations.”
Scotland’s Catriona Matthew, 56, who captained Team Europe to the Solheim Cup victory over Team USA at Inverness Club in Toledo in 2021, was at 2 under after an even-par 72, five strokes back. Meunier-Lebouc was at even with Jackie Gallagher-Smith (68) and third-round leader Michele Redman (79). Legend Karrie Webb was at 1 over after a third-round 75, and Juli Inskter was at 4 over after a Saturday 75.
Among the locals who made the cut, Holland’s Tracy Hanson was at 12 over after a 77, Jackson’s Elaine Crosby was at 17 over after an 84 and Michigan State head women’s golf coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll was at 19 over after an 84.
Sunday’s final-round tee times start just before 9 a.m., with the final groups going off at 12:49 p.m. (Sorenstam and Matthew) and 1 p.m. (McBride and Morgan).
U.S. Senior Women’s Open
tpaul@detroitnews.com
@tonypaul1984
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Maria McBride surges to lead in Ann Arbor, but Annika Sorenstam lurks
Reporting by Tony Paul, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Tony Paul, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
