Alfredsson, Davies Lead Senior Women's Open; Sorenstam Now 1 Back

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KETTERING, Ohio -- When the people who run the USGA decided that there should be a U.S. Senior Women's Open, they couldn't have hoped for a mcuh better set-up for the final round than the one they've got this weekend at the NCR Country Club's South Course. 

The inaugural tournament was played in 2018, and the first two champions -- Laura Davies (2018) and Helen Alfredsson (2019) -- are tied for first. Right behind them, in a three-way tie for third is the most popular -- and successful -- LPGA Tour player of the modern era, Annika Sorenstam, the defending champion. And four shots behind her, but still close enough to pose a threat, is five-time USGA champion Juli Inkster 

Davies is 58 years old, but she can still hit a golf ball a long way, as she demonstrated on Saturday by making an eagle at the 444-yard, par-5 16th hole to cap off a 5-under-par 68. That was the lowest score of the day, and it gave her a share of first place at 215 (4 under), along with 36-hole leader Helen Alfredsson. 

Alfredsson had three birdies and one bogey after five holes and was 8 under for the tournament at that point. But she bogeyed the par-3 eighth and the par-4 11th, and then she made a mess of the 165-yard, par-3 13th. Her tee shot found a bunker, and she barely got out with her second shot.Then she chunked a chip shot, and she wound up making a 5-footer just to save double bogey. After that, she swapped one birdie (No. 16, par 3) for a bogey (No. 18, 390) over her last five holes of the day. 

All of which added up to 75.

"Well, that I'm tied for the lead still, and that I didn't plummet like a stone in water, that's good," she said. "But it felt like it."

Sorenstam wasn't at all happy about her opening 73 on Thursday, but she came back with a 70 on Friday. She wasn't too happy about the 73 that she shot on Saturday, either, but she's easily within striking distance of first place, three shots behind at 216, tied for third place with her former college roommate at the University of Arizona, Leta Lindley, and Jill McGill.

Symbolizing the strangeness of Sorenstam's third round was the sixth hole, where she three-putted from 5 feet. She followed that with bogeys at the seventh and the ninth for an outward 39. But she rallied on the back nine, with birdies at the par-5 10th (498 yards), the par-4 11th (344) and the par-3 13th (165). The 51-year-old with 72 LPGA victories on her resume bogeyed the 191-yard, par-3 15th, birdied the 444-yard, par-5 16th, and then bogeyed the 390-yard, par-4 17th.

"Talk about a mixed bag," she said with a sigh of exasperation. "I felt very jittery. I felt very uncomfortable. I couldn't really find anything. I felt like I had 10 cups of coffee, and I haven't had coffee all week. If I can just calm myself down and go out there and trust myself -- I'm swinging well. Big day tomorrow."

On Friday, Inkster started her second round on the back nine, and she rattled off five birdies in a row from No. 15 through No. 1. As for the other 49 holes, she's made only three birdies, and her 73 on Saturday put her in a three-way tie for eighth at 220.

Also in the tie for eighth at 220 is Michele Redman, the former Indiana All-American who won two times in her two decades on the LPGA Tour, and then served as the head coach for the University of Minnesota women's golf team. She made three birdies and two bogeys on the first nine, and was back to even par for the round ater she bogeyed the par-3 13th. But she birdied the 14th and the 18th for  71.


U.S. Senior Women's Open

At NCR Country Club

South Course

6,053 yards, par 73

Kettering, Ohio

Third-round results

T1. Helen Alfredson                      70-70-75--215 (-4)

T1. Laura Davies                          71-76-68--215

T3. Annika Sorenstam                  73-70-73--216

T3. Leta Lindley                             69-72-75--216

T3. Jill McGill                                74-71-71--216

6. Catriona Matthew                     72-76-70--218

7. Trish Johnson                           73-73-73--219

T8. Michele Redman                   75-74-71--220

T8. Tammie Green                        68-76-76--220 

T8. Juli Inkster                              76-71-73--220

T8. Liselotte Neumann                 76-73-71--220

12. Catril Nilsmark                        69-76-76--221

T13. Lisa Grimes                        76-73-73--222

T42. Barbara Moxness               78-77-81--236

Missed cut -- 158

Kris Tschetter                               86-76--162

Karen Weiss                                 84-79--163

Kelley Brooke                               83-82--165

Kristal Parker                                85-81--166