U.S. Senior Women's Open notebook: After nearly 40 years, Donna Andrews returns to Fox Chapel

Donna Andrews was a freshman at North Carolina when she played in the 1985 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Fox Chapel Golf Club.

In the nearly 40 years since, she has become a six-time LPGA Tour winner, played in the Solheim Cup and started working as a golf instructor at Pine Needles Resort near Pinehurst, N.C.

At age 57, she returns to Fox Chapel to play in this week’s U.S. Senior Women’s Open, which will be Thursday through Sunday.

“I would love to tell you I could remember it,” said Andrews, who cited changes to the clubhouse. “I said, I know that name. I know I’ve played here. I actually had to look up on my phone when I had played here because I had no idea when it was we had played here.

“It’s just such a beautiful golf course. I think some of it has been redone since we played here. Some of it didn’t look familiar. Some of it looked a little familiar. I’d love to say I remembered it all, but I don’t. My memory is not that good anymore.”

Though she failed to advance to the match play portion of the event all those years ago, she still thinks highly of the course.

“The course is in fabulous shape,” she said. “The greens were so smooth. I said it was like putting on a tabletop out there. … It’ll be fun. It’ll take some adjustment for me, but it’s a great golf course.”

Other members of this week’s field who competed in that 1985 event include Danielle Ammaccapane, who was a semifinalist; Jean Bartholomew, Laurel Kean, Brenda Corrie Kuehn, Martha Leach, Sarah Lebrun Ingram, Cindy Schreyer, Carol Semple Thompson and Kim Williams.

Andrews also experienced nearby Oakmont Country Club during the 1992 U.S. Women’s Open. She placed third behind Patty Sheehan, who defeated Juli Inkster in an 18-hole playoff.

“Well, gosh, fond memories of Oakmont,” she said. “To watch the playoff with Juli and Patty was just awesome. Wish I could have been in it. … But to play such a wonderful golf course over there and to finish third to two of the best players in the world was just a wonderful week for me.”

Inkster motivated to win another USGA event

Inkster, a five-time USGA champion, is among the most decorated players in this week’s U.S. Senior Women’s Open field. She won the U.S. Women’s Open in 1999 and 2002 and three straight U.S. Women’s Amateurs from 1980-82.

At 64, she hopes to be in contention for the weekend but knows it will be a challenge against some of the talented players in the field.

“I mean, this is the one I worked for,” she said Tuesday. “I would love to win this thing. I know I’m not getting any younger. The girls are 50, I’m 64; 14 years is a lot of years.

“I enjoy playing. The competition, not so much anymore. I love the banter of playing. But I’ve done the grind for so long. These tournaments are great, but I’m pretty happy when they’re over with, too.”

Inkster said it will take a mixture of preparation, practice and staying mentally tough to win the major.

“It’s just more of getting the putts to drop and being mentally (tough). That’s the hard part. This is a grind golf course. I’m sure it’s going to take five hours to play with the greens the way they are. It’s really hard to stay focused when you haven’t done that for a year.

“So that’s kind of probably my biggest test, is to try to stay in the game for five hours.”

From court to course

Amateur Susie Keane has one of the more interesting stories in the field. She didn’t start playing golf until age 40 after a lengthy career in professional tennis.

Keane, 60, reached as high as No. 32 in the WTA singles rankings and competed against the likes of Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert at Wimbledon. She played in the fourth round of the 1984 U.S. Open and the third round of the 1985 French Open. She then found success in platform tennis, winning six APTA national titles over an eight-year period, and was inducted into the Platform Tennis Hall of Fame in 2014.

This week, she is playing in her second U.S. Senior Women’s Open.

“Any time that you kind of feel that the situation is big or you’re nervous or challenging, I just know that’s a good thing,” she said of the crossover between the sports. “To be able to put ourselves in that position, especially at my age and my stage of life, I mean, it’s kind of cool to still be able to do that. … I like the big stage. I like to play with really good people. I just enjoy being here.”

Just a number

At 85 years old, World Golf Hall of Famer JoAnne Carner is the oldest player in the field, which features 120 players age 50 and older.

Carner holds the record for most USGA titles by a woman with eight, including two U.S. Women’s Open championships (1971, ’76).

The youngest player in the field is Clarissa Childs, who turned 50 on March 23. The average age is 57.23.

Weather cancels practice round

Mother Nature did not cooperate with the golfers’ plans to play Fox Chapel Golf Club on Tuesday.

Nearly 2 inches of rain fell at the course, forcing officials to cancel all practice rounds and shut down the course for the day.

Many of the players got a chance to play the course Monday and hope to return Wednesday for a practice round ahead of the first two rounds of the championship Thursday and Friday.

Some sought out other indoor facilities and driving ranges where they could practice and even joked about heading to area putt-putt courses to prepare for this week’s test.

Tee times announced

Play will begin at 7:15 a.m. Thursday and Friday. Players will tee off from the first tee and No. 9 tee, rather than the typical 10th tee, because of where No. 9 is set on the course.

Tee times for the opening rounds were released Tuesday.

Some of the marquee pairings include:

• Juli Inkster, Catriona Matthew and Leta Lindley off the first tee at 1:14 p.m. Thursday and ninth tee at 7:59 a.m. Friday.

• Annika Sorenstam, Jill McGill and Liselotte Neumann off the ninth tee at 12:48 p.m. Thursday and first tee at 8:03 a.m. Friday.

• Sewickley native Carol Semple Thompson, Brandie Burton and Vicki Goetze-Ackerman off the first tee at 12:30 p.m. Thursday and ninth tee at 7:15 a.m. Friday.