Golf star, 84, breaks her age after rolling back the years at US Senior Open

25 August 2023 , 18:43

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Golf star, 84, breaks her age after rolling back the years at US Senior Open

Golf legend JoAnne Carner rolled back the years on Thursday when the 84-year-old shot lower than her age in the opening round of the U.S. Senior Women's Open.

Carner - nicknamed 'Big Mama' - has an impressive 43 LPGA Tour titles to her name, including two major championships coming at the 1971 and 1976 U.S. Women's Open. Her illustrious career on the course earned the veteran a rightful spot in the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1982.

Over 40 years on from her Hall of Fame induction, Carner is still out competing, taking part in the major senior event at the Waverley Country Club in Portland, Oregon.

The tricky task often posed to veteran players is to attempt to score lower than their age whilst out competing, and Big Mama did this with ease in the opening round. She shot an eight-over-par 80 on Thursday, the sixth time the American has broken her age.

The Hall of Famer saved her best for last in the opening round, after coming agonisingly to a hole-in-one on the par-three ninth - Carner's last hole after starting the day on the 10th tee. After her impressive tee shot, Carner made her way to the green before rolling in her birdie putt to sign off her round of 80 in style.

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Speaking after her opening 18 holes on Thursday, she said: "It felt good. I’ve been practicing a lot and really kind of spinning my wheels. “Then it started to get the move here and had it on the range this morning and the first hole, then I fought it. Once in a while I’d hit one. It was just work all day...

“I missed a lot of greens. It plays long for me because I have a 9-degree driver and I’m driving right into those hills, and I can’t adjust it, so I don’t get the carry, and I’m going in with long clubs all day, 3-woods all day long second shots, and then can’t get there.”

Big Mama has admitted in recent years that she planned to finally stop competing in the event, revealing in 2022: "I think this is finally it.” This of course was not the case though, and the 84-year-old more than made her return worthwhile following Thursday's heroics.

Joshua Lees