JoAnne Carner just might be playing her final round in a USGA championship on Friday at the U.S. Senior Women’s Open. No woman has won more USGA titles than Carner, who has eight, and one would be hard-pressed to find a player more beloved in any field.
Leta Lindley’s goal this week is to have her picture taken with Big Mama at NCR Country Club. The women in this field are grateful that their careers have overlapped 83-year-old Carner’s. That she shared a laugh, a drink, a fairway, maybe even a tip or two.
“She was always one of my favorite to play with because she never laid up,” said Juli Inkster. “She was always just letting it rip. She was amazing out of the trees. All of a sudden, she’d be in the trees and all of a sudden this ball would be on the green. She had a great imagination, and she was fun.”
Everyone has a good Carner story. Here are some doozies: