MCBRIDE WINS US SENIOR WOMEN’S OPEN

Sweden’s Maria McBride shot a 73 to finish on 6-under-par 282 to hold off a determined challenge from Annika Sorenstam to win the US Senior Women’s Open Championship at Barton Hills Country Club on Sunday.

McBride entered the final day with a four stroke lead and in a repeat of last year she was paired again with Welsh woman Becky Morgan in the final group. Last year McBride slumped to a  78 and a tied-fourth finish while Morgan claimed the title at San Diego Country Club.

This time the Swede dug deep and despite a few early mistakes a chip in eagle on the ninth saw her regain the lead which she never surrendered.

Sorrenstam took second place with a 1-under-par 71 for a total of 284, Karrie Webb, the last to win the U.S. Women’s Open in consecutive years (2000-01), was third at 287 after a closing 70 with Catriona Matthew at 288 followed by Patricia Meunier-Lebouc (289) then Jackie Gallagher-Smith (290) and Charlotta Sorenstam, Laura Diaz and Morgan (292).

It’s amazing obviously,” said McBride, who played the first eight holes 4-over par and the last 10 holes 3-under par while leading the field in driving distance for the week. “It was a huge goal for me to try to get the trophy. Maybe not this year, but maybe in the next few years.”

When McBride teed off on No.1 into the gusting wind, there was no one on the course under par for the day. It was clear this was a day on which pars would be at a premium. And in the group in front of her was Sorenstam.

The scoreboard behind No. 6 green showed Sorenstam that McBride had given back two stokes and now led her by only two, a margin cut in half when Sorenstam hit her approach off the flagstick at No. 6 to 2 inches to get to 4-under par.

“It’s been a great week in so many ways,” said Sorenstam, who led the field in greens in regulation, hitting 58 of 72. “So, you know, gave it a run. Just wasn’t enough. Congratulations to Mimi for playing so solid today. I mean, it was quite windy. It was quite blistery there on the front. She just kind of hung in there.”

Last week, McBride won the LPGA Legends Championship, giving her a rare double in the senior women’s majors.

“It was big obviously, and knowing that coming down the stretch me and Angela [Stanford] was really tight playing the last hole,” she said about how winning last week impacted this week. “We were tied playing the last hole. I made a birdie on the last, and that really boosted my game. Then having a big lead coming into today is sometimes a little hard because, you know, you feel like I shouldn’t really lose that many shots. But with the wind today as well, it was a little bit trickier than it’s been the previous days, and I started off a little rough, but you know, the chip-in on 9 kind of turned everything around for me.”

There have now been eight different winners of this championship, with three of them from Sweden, McBride joining Sorenstam (2021) and Helen Alfredsson (2019).

Photo: Maria McBride poses for a photo with the trophy and monster scoreboard after winning the 2026 U.S. Senior Women’s Open. (Steve Gibbons/USGA)