KETTERING, Ohio – Big Mama says this is it. After shooting her age, 83, for a second consecutive day at the US Senior Women’s Open, JoAnne Carner declared that her USGA career is over. While the golf world was enamored by her ability to shoot her age or better five times in this championship, Carner only wanted to make the cut.
When asked if she had any fun out there, Carner replied, “No, but I’m going to very shortly.”
Translation: Bring on the vodka tonic.
Carner said she won’t compete at Waverly Country Club next year because it took too much work to get her game in shape this year. Although she added that she has no plans to let it “go that bad” again. She quickly dismissed the idea of coming back as an honorary starter, although the job would surely be hers if she wanted it.
No woman has won more USGA titles than Carner, who has eight and collected her first in 1956. She turned professional at age 30 and won 43 times on the LPGA, her last coming in 1985.
A good round at NCR Country Club, she said, would be a couple over par, but she never got it going like she wanted this week.
“I get a lot of people talking to me when I play, even the players all congratulate me,” she said. “I’m not very enthusiastic about it because I shot 83. But it’s nice to hear from them.”
Carner hit the first tee shot at the inaugural US Senior Women’s Open in 2018 and shot 79 in that first round – walking. She took a cart for the first time in 2021. Carner has a cart for life from the USGA and a 10-year exemption into the event by virtue of her US Women’s Open victories, but walks away satisfied: “I’ve had a fantastic career.”
Her only regret is that this championship took so long to come together.
“I waited for the Senior Open forever,” she said. “I had a chance to set the record for USGA wins, and for 20 years they had the men’s Senior but never the women’s, so I missed out on 20 years of play.”
Carner won’t be hanging up her clubs, by any means. She’s excited to tee it up with older sister Helen Sherry, 91, who took up the game at 70 and walked every hole this week at NCR. Carner said Helen grins like a Cheshire Cat when she plays.
The youngest daughter of a carpenter and a housewife, Carner’s entrance in the game came when she used to hunt golf balls to pay for golf and take the neighborhood kids to the movies. From there, she learned the game by playing moonlight golf with two of her sisters after the paying customers on a nine-hole course.
She grew into a legend.
Player after player this week shared their stories of Carner giving away her short-game secrets.
“She was a great mentor to young players brave enough to ask and gladly gave her time,” said Rosie Jones, who counts a shot she learned from Carner as one of the greatest tools in her bag.
Even Carner’s not-so-subtle corrections to young players over the years are treasured memories. Everyone loved to learn from one of the all-time greats.
She was a gift to the game…that kept on giving.
“I never say goodbye,” she said, “but goodbye!”
And with that, she was off to find that drink.
Art
Players share their favorite JoAnne Carner stories as the legend prepares to potentially play one last major round
Story originally appeared on GolfWeek