61 Starts, Three Titles, Two Fierce Competitors
Competing in her 35th, and likely last, U.S. Women's Open, two-time champion Juli Inkster is excited about competing with the young stars at Pinehurst No. 2. (USGA/Michael Cohen)
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By Hunki Yun, USGA
VILLAGE OF PINEHURST, N.C. – When Juli Inkster played in her first U.S. Women’s Open, only seven other players in the field of the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open were alive.
Inkster, now 53, arrived at the Country Club of Indianapolis in 1978 as an 18-year-old amateur who had been playing golf for only three years.
“I really didn’t even know what the LPGA was,” recalled Inkster, who is making her 35th U.S. Women’s Open start on Thursday at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club’s Course No. 2. “All I remember is they had brand-new Titleists on the range. And I’d hit one and I’d put one in my golf bag. And I’d hit one and I’d put one in my golf bag. I’m sure [my bag] was over the 50-pound limit flying home.”
In the years since, Inkster has taken home plenty of other mementos, including two championship trophies, in 1999 and 2002; several records, including the low 72-hole score (272) and most starts (35); and an oversize bag crammed with memories of triumphs, tough losses and other skirmishes in the crucible of the toughest test in women’s golf.
“I’ve played in 35 of these,” said Inkster, who indicated that the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open may be her last. “So that’s pretty impressive. I’ve really enjoyed golf. I’ve really enjoyed the competition. I’m glad I have two [wins]. It’s not an easy championship to win. You’ve got to have a little bit of luck. You’ve got to be playing very well coming into it; you’ve got to be mentally strong, physically sharp.”
Inkster, the oldest player in the field, may be ready to walk away, but the competitive fire still blazes white hot within the second-oldest player, 50-year-old Laura Davies. While Inkster was exempt thanks to her position on the 2013 LPGA Tour money list, Davies, the 1987 U.S. Women’s Open champion, successfully qualified for a spot into the field at Pinehurst.
“If there’s a golf tournament on, I watch it,” said Davies, who is playing her 26th Open. “But you want to be playing; you don’t want to be watching. And although I’m 50 now I still want to be playing.”
The Englishwoman’s competitive desire and immense talent, which has produced nearly 70 professional wins around the world, were factors in the British Crown recognizing Davies as Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, putting her in the same company as Agatha Christie and Judi Dench.
“Five weeks ago, I got a letter from the Palace,” said Dame Laura. “I opened the letter and then obviously read it and it said you can’t tell anybody and do you accept it? I had it signed and back in the letter box within about three minutes. I told my brother, my mom and my stepdad, so they knew straight away and I’ve been trying to resist telling people for the last five weeks. It was difficult.
“I don’t think there’s any tournament I could win now that can beat this honor because it’s something that’s given to you over a 30-year career. And I mean it’s amazing.”
Golf always has been a lifetime pursuit in which age matters less than it does in other sports, but the top tier of the women’s game has been skewing steadily younger since Inkster’s and Davies’ halcyon years. The median age for the competitors of the U.S. Open at Pinehurst was 32, compared with 24 for the Women’s Open.
“The age has come down,” said Davies, who was the longest hitter on the LPGA Tour during her prime. “All the best players in those days were the older players. The 30- to 40-year-olds. The Pat Bradleys, Beth Daniels.
“Now the best players are the younger players. They’re very athletic. I played with [18-year-old] Minjee Lee from Australia today. And her clubhead speed is amazing. There’s nothing of her but she really hits it properly. And I think that’s the biggest difference. I think that’s why people want to watch the women play now, because it’s more dynamic.”
But the game is not all about youth and power, as the recent success of over-50 players in major championships – the 59-year-old Tom Watson’s run in the 2009 British Open, Fred Couples leading halfway through the 2012 Masters at the age of 52 – have demonstrated.
“When it comes to age, I can go out and play with [11-year-old] Lucy Li or [17-year-old] Lydia Ko and still have fun and compete,” said Inkster, whose two daughters are both older than Ko. “That’s the beauty of it; that’s what I love about it.”
Hunki Yun is the USGA’s director of strategic projects. Email him at hyun@usga.org.
