JoAnne Carner kicks off her quest for glory at the US Senior Women’s Open this Thursday afternoon – but ‘Big Mama’ has already captured attention in Pittsburgh prior to teeing off.
At 85 years old, the 43-time LPGA Tour champion and eight-time USGA titleholder is among the competitors at Fox Chapel Golf Club for this week’s tournament.
The Hall of Famer won her first USGA championship in 1956, and nearly 70 years later, she continues to smoke cigarettes while driving the ball over 200 yards.
This year marks Carner’s 50th USGA championship, and her goal in Pittsburgh is to make the cut.
Despite failing to reach the weekend in her prior five appearances and competing against players more than 30 years younger, she remains undeterred.
JoAnne Carner, who is 85 and known as ‘Big Mama’, will tee it up in US Senior Women’s Open
From a field of 120 women, only the top 50 players and ties will advance to the final two rounds in Pittsburgh.
As reported by Golfweek, ‘Big Mama’ humorously noted that she might consider quitting smoking this week, given the multitude of stairs between the locker room and the bag room at Fox Chapel.
She has attempted to quit smoking before and continues to strive for improved driving distance, even at her age.
In 2022, Carner claimed she would retire from competitive golf. ‘I keep hoping to make the cut,’ said the two-time US Women’s Open champion at that time.
She added, ‘So I keep refining my game. I think this is finally the moment. It’s just challenging to get everything working. I let things go too far.’
The Hall of Famer first won a USGA title back in 1956 and is still going strong nearly 70 years on
‘Big Mama’ currently drives the ball between 205 and 210 yards but hopes to hit it 220 again
Currently, the former long hitter drives between 205 and 210 yards but aims to reach 220 yards once more.
Recently, she received coaching from a professional in Florida as she seeks to enhance her performance.
‘He pointed out how off I had been,’ she explained. ‘I was being too wristy and too upright.’
‘Big Mama’ holds the record as the oldest competitor in a USGA championship. She has shot her age or better on six occasions in the US Senior Open.
Due to her chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), she uses a golf cart, as walking uphill is too challenging for her.
