Davies' Quad Clears Way for McGill in Senior Women's Open

August 29, 2022 | 7 min.
By Michael R Fermoyle


KETTERING, Ohio -- Laura Davies violated one of the cardinal rules of tournament golf -- don't compound a mistake (aka: if you hit an errant shot and put yourself in a really bad position, just make a bogey and move on to the next hole) -- and the result was a quadruple bogey 8 on the 12th hole on Sunday during the final round of the U.S. Senior Women's Open. That opened the door for Jill McGill, and she took full advantage of the opportunity she was given. Playing in the group just ahead of Davies, McGill birdied two of her next four holes at the NCR Country Club's South Course and went on from there to win the tournament.

On a day when the field averaged 78.275 strokes, no player was under par. But she was one of only four players who posted even-par rounds of 73, and that gave her a 72-hole total of 289. Despite three-putting each of the last two holes for bogeys, the long-hitting 6-foot McGill finished one shot ahead of the short-hitting Leta Lindley.

With the victory, McGill, who turned 50 in January, earned $180,000. 

As an amateur, she won two USGA championships, the 1993 U.S. Women's Amateur and the 1994 U.S. Public Links. She never won on the LPGA Tour, but by winning on Sunday, McGill joined a very exclusive club -- winners of three USGA titles. The other members of that club are Arnold Palmer, JoAnne Carner, Jack Nicklaus, Carol Semple Thompson and Tiger Woods.

The 5-4 Lindley was tied with McGill for third at the start of the day, but she made two bogeys and no birdies on the way to a front-nine 39. She also bogeyed the 13th hole. But she birdied the 16th and made a 30-foot birdie putt at the 18th to finish with a 74 -- and in sole possession of second place. That was worth $108,000.  

Helen Alfredsson, who began the final round tied for the lead with Laura Davies, was one shot behind McGill when she and Davies arrived at the tee on the 428-yard, par-4 12th hole Sunday. But Alfredsson went in the wrong direction, making bogeys at the 12th, the par-3 13th and the par-4 14th. The 2019 Senior Women's Open champion got two of those lost three strokes back by hitting an 8-iron to within 25 feet of the cup at the 449-yard, par-5 16th and making the putt for an eagle. That enabled her to salvage a 76, and she tied Catriona Matthew for third place, two behind McGill at 291.

Matthew played the last seven holes in 2 under and was another of the four players who shot 73.

Also shooting 73 was Juli Inkster, a winner of 31 LPGA Tour events and seven majors, including the 2002 U.S. Women's Open. She tied Davies and Annika Sorenstam for fifth at 293. 

Davies won the inaugural Senior Women's Open in 2018 by 10 strokes, and despite a painful injury in the achilles tendon of her right leg, she appeared to be on her way to a second victory in this tournament as she started the back nine on Sunday. By the time she finished the 11th hole, she had gone 39 holes without a bogey -- or worse -- and led by two. But she hooked her tee shot at the 12th, and went for a heroic, 200-yard hooked second shot. Her ball made a loud crack as it hit a tree, and it ricocheted out of bounds. Another attempt at a heroic recovery had a similar result. It hit the same tree, but this time the ball didn't end up out of bounds. Now lying 4, the winner of 87 professional tournaments, punched her fifth shot out of the trees and into the rough 80 yards short of the green. From there, she hit a wedge shot to 25 feet and two putted for the disastrous 8.

She wasn't the only player who had problems with the 12th. The field averaged 4.865 shots on the par 4, more than the averages for two of the par 5s -- No. 1 (4.75) and No. 16 (4.5).

The 51-year-old Sorenstam won 72 times on the LPGA Tour, including 10 majors, and she won this tournament by eight shots last year, in her first year of eligibilty. As this year's tournament progressed, she seemed to be moving inexorably toward the top of the standings. After a frustrating first-round 73 (she hit only seven fairways), she was five behind the leader, Tammie Green. Sorenstam came back on Friday with a 70 and was three out of the lead, which was held by Alfredsson. She turned in another 73 on Saturday, but moved up in the standings again -- and was only one behind going into the final round. 

On Sunday, she birdied the first hole, a 449-yard par 5. That re-enforced the notion that she would end the day with another title, but after parring the second hole, she bogeyed the 392-yard, par-4 third, the 372-yard, par-4 fourth and the 516-yard, par-5 fifth. She also bogeyed the 360-yard, par-4 seventh and shot 40 on the front nine. That seemed totally out of character for one of the LPGA's best player from tee to green ever, and it got worse on the back nine, as she bogeyed the par-5 10th (488 yards) and the 12th.  

Her last six holes were more in character. She played them in 1 under, thanks to a birdie at the par-5 16th, but she had to sign for a 77.

Catrin Nilsmark produced the other 73 on Sunday, and that gave her an aggregate of 294, and sole possession of eighth. 

Another shot back, tied for ninth at 295, were Liselotte Neumann, who won the 1988 U.S. Women's Open, and former University of Minnesota women's golf coach Michele Redman. They both shot 75. Redman made five birdies in a 71 on Saturday, and she birdied the first hole Sunday. That, however, was her last birdie, and she made three bogeys the rest of the way.  

The first-round leader, Green, drifted back in the standings over the course of the last three rounds. She shot 76 on Sunday and wound up alone in 11th at 296.

Lisa Grimes the four-time Minnesota Women's State Open champion, had a scorecard that looked like a variety pack -- seven pars, three birdies, seven  bogeys and one double. All of which added up to 79. But that was barely above the average score for the 52 players who made the cut, and she finished tied for 15th at 301.


U.S. Senior Women's Open

At NCR Country Club

South Course

6,053 yards, par 73

Kettering, Ohio

Final results


1. Jill McGill                           $180,000       74-71-71-73--289 (-3)

2. Leta Lindley                       $108,000       69-72-75-74--290

T3. Helen Alfredson                 $58,960       70-70-75-76--291

T3. Catriona Matthew              $58,960        72-76-70-72--291

T5. Juli Inkster                         $36,010        76-71-73-73--293

T5. Laura Davies                      $36,010       71-76-68-78--293

T5. Annika Sorenstam              $36,010       73-70-73-77--293

8. Catril Nilsmark                       $28,890       69-76-76-73--294

T9. Michele Redman                $25,024       75-74-71-75--295

T9. Liselotte Neumann              $25,024       76-73-71-75--295

11. Tammie Green                     $21,769      68-76-76-76--296 

12. Trish Johnson                      $19,734      73-73-73-79--298

T15. Lisa Grimes                      $16,123      76-73-73-79--301

T40. Barbara Moxness              $5,488       78-77-81-79--315

Missed cut -- 158

Kris Tschetter                                                  86-76--162

Karen Weiss                                                    84-79--163

Kelley Brooke                                                 83-82--165

Kristal Parker                                                  85-81--166




 

Michael R Fermoyle

Mike Fermoyle’s amateur golf career features state titles in five different decades, beginning with the State Public Links (1969), three State Amateurs (1970, 1973 and 1980), and four State Four-Ball championships (1972, 1985, 1993 and 2001). Fermoyle was medalist at the Pine to Palm in 1971, won the Resorters in 1972, made the cut at the State Amateur 18 consecutive years (1969 to 1986), the last being 2000, and amassed 13 top-ten finishes. Fermoyle also made it to the semi-final matches at the MGA’s annual match play championship, the Players’, in 1982 and 1987.

Fermoyle enjoyed a career as a sportswriter at the St. Paul Pioneer Press Dispatch before retiring in 2006. Two years later he began a second career covering the golf beat exclusively for the MGA and its website, mngolf.org, where he ranks individual prep golfers and teams, provides coverage on local amateur and professional tournaments and keeps tabs on how Minnesotans are faring on the various professional tours.

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