Juli Inkster, at 66 years old, proved she still has elite game at the U.S. Senior Women’s Open, even after a late triple-bogey derailed a fantastic 4 under start. The LPGA Hall of Famer carded an opening 70, a super solid score on that Donald Ross design. But her performance, and the entire tournament, just brings up the loudest question in women’s golf right now: Is the U.S. Senior Women’s Open missing out on greatness because of a single number? The drumbeat to drop the minimum age from 50 to 45 is getting deafening, and honestly, it’s about time.
Inkster Is Right, Women’s Bodies Are Different
Inkster herself thinks 45 is even too old, dude. She’s straight up calling for a 40-year-old minimum, and she’s got a point that’s tough to argue with. “I’m telling you, women’s bodies don’t stay the same as men at 50,” she said. “It’s hard. You want quality golf.” She was 58 when this championship finally kicked off in 2018, 38 years after the men’s version. That’s a huge disadvantage from the jump, and it means we lost out on seeing a ton of LPGA legends compete. Imagine not having your best players because the league dragged its feet for decades and then set an arbitrary age! Even at 66, Inkster wants to play against the best, not just against other women whose bodies have gone through a lot more change than men’s. Karrie Webb, 51, totally backs this up, noting the massive difficulty of getting back into competitive shape 10 to 15 years post-retirement. She said, “Our bodies change so much more quickly than the men,” adding that “The men at 60, 65 can still be hitting it as far as they were when they were 45.” That’s a pretty stark contrast.
The LPGA’s Youth Movement and Annika’s Shift
It’s not just Inkster. Annika Sorenstam, who dominated this event in her debut five years ago, has completely changed her mind on the age limit. She’s not out there actively lobbying, but she sees the undeniable merits. Seriously, we have two major senior events in back-to-back weeks, and they have different age requirements: 45 for the LPGA Legends and 50 for the U.S. Senior Women’s Open. “We should have the same field, I think,” Annika stated, and it’s hard to disagree. Meanwhile, the LPGA Tour itself is trending younger than ever. Purses are bigger, the global schedule is brutal, and players are retiring early. Angela Stanford was 42 when she was the last player over 40 to win on the LPGA in 2020. Stacy Lewis even thinks Stanford’s 2018 Amundi Evian Championship win at 40 might never be matched again given where the tour is headed. Over the last decade, only six players aged 35 and over have won on the LPGA. The talent is peaking younger, and then they’re stepping away.
The USGA CEO Mike Whan says they’ve had at least three “passionate discussions” about this in his five years. But there’s no consensus, he said, because people like the “strength of field” and “breadth of players.” But what kind of strength are we actually talking about if we’re shutting out potential legends who are still in their competitive prime, just because of an arbitrary number? The future of the U.S. Senior Women’s Open hinges on whether the USGA can find common ground. With legends like Inkster, Sorenstam, and Webb advocating for change and the LPGA seeing younger retirements, the pressure is mounting to make this championship the absolute best it can be. Here’s hoping the discussions keep rolling for the sake of quality golf.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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