Wale(s) of a Week: Morgan Triumphs in San Diego

The roller coaster ride across San Diego Country Club in Sunday’s final round of the 7th U.S. Senior Women’s Open mimicked the moguls that characterize the fairways. And when the up-and-down journey for all the contenders ended, Becky Morgan became the first player from Wales to win a USGA championship.

There was no such thing as a clean scorecard on this demanding day. The key was to bounce back from mistakes. And Morgan did that brilliantly, erasing two bogeys with five birdies and several key par-saving putts for a closing-round 70 to finish 72 holes at 7-under-par 285 for a dominant six-stroke victory over five-time USGA champion Juli Inkster, who earned a runner-up finish in this event for the third time. 

Liselotte Neumann, who won the 1988 U.S. Women’s Open, birdied the last hole to finish at 292. Defending champion Leta Lindley, who has never finished worse that second in her three previous starts in this championship, was at 293 with Maria McBride and Corina Kelepouris. Trish Johnson, who won the Senior Women’s Open in 2023, was at 294.

Four-time USGA champion Annika Sorenstam bogeyed Nos. 1 and 6 but birdied Nos. 3, 8, 9 and 12. She closed with a 72 to finish at 3-over-par 295 along with Janie Moodie.

Perhaps the shot of the day for Morgan was an 8-foot par-saving putt on No. 14 that kept her lead over McBride at three strokes. Any hope for McBride, who was playing in the final group right behind Morgan, ended on that same hole when she found the bushes and made a quadruple bogey 9.

That McBride bounced back to birdie the next hole was proof of her resilience on a day when such grit was needed in large supply.

Morgan capped her round with yet another par-saving putt on No. 18. For Morgan, who played more than two decades on both the LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour with one LET victory, this was the biggest win of her career. And she did it in the first year she was eligible for the U.S. Senior Women’s Open. 

“Oh, just unbelievable,” said Morgan, who represented Wales twice for Great Britain & Ireland in the Curtis Cup. “I said to my caddie, I'm not looking at the scoreboard until I need to. I was debating my shot into 18, and I said, ‘Beth, what's the score?’ and she said, ‘you have a six-shot lead.’ I said, okay, we're going for it. But I just stayed really calm all day, holed some really good putts, and can't quite believe it, to be honest.”

Morgan, who began the final round tied for the lead with McBride and Kelepouris, three strokes ahead of Neumann and Ashli Bunch, started the final round birdie-birdie then bogeyed No. 3. But she made only one more bogey over the final 15 holes.

“Yeah, I would not have dreamt this,” said Morgan, who also earns a place in the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera Country Club with the win. “Since I started playing on the sort of Senior Tour, I've had some decent success, but obviously nothing like this. Yeah, it's absolutely unbelievable.”

There were a lot of opportunities for bounce backs on a grueling day that provided the full USGA championship test.

Inkster had four birdies and two bogeys; Neumann had two birdies, a bogey and a double bogey; Lindley had three birdies, an eagle, five bogeys and a double bogey; Kelepouris made two birdies, five bogeys and a double bogey.

“I played good today,” Inkster said. “I made a couple boo-boos. Just sloppy sometimes. I'm really happy with my finish. It wasn't easy out there, but I hung in there, made some good putts, and I felt good. I just love playing in the USGA Senior. We don't get a lot of tournaments to play in, and the competition is getting better and better because I'm getting older and older. But I'm really happy to be here.”

No one had a more interesting scorecard than McBride, who bogeyed No. 3 and birdied No. 4 then bogeyed Nos. 5 and 7. But an eagle at No. 8 got her right back in it by getting to 4 under par, one stroke behind Morgan. But disaster came on No. 14.

“Yeah, it was great to be in contention, obviously,” said McBride. “I didn't have a great day today. I didn't hit the ball as well off the tee. I had terrible lies in the rough all the time, so it was just hard to get some momentum, to get something going.”

In the seven times the U.S. Senior Women’s Open has been contested there have been seven different winners. For some – Laura Davies, Annika Sorenstam, Jill McGill – it added to their USGA legacy. For others – Helen Alfredsson, Trish Johnson, Leta Lindley – it ended a quest for a USGA championship.

Morgan falls into that latter category. But at 50 years old, she has plenty of time to add to her resume, starting with the 8th U.S. Senior Women’s Open next year at Barton Hills Country Club, in Ann Arbor, Mich. 

This is a championship that grows in stature every year.