WHEATON, Ill. – A strong morning in the opening round of the inaugural U.S. Senior Women's Open helped Carson-Newman women's golf head coach Suzanne Strudwick garner a share of 10th-place at one-over on Thursday at the Chicago Golf Club.
The Cheshire, England native carded bogeys on holes 13 and 15 before back-to-back birdies helped her regain ground to sit at even heading into the turn. Her last nine holes of the round came with a pair of additional bogeys that sandwiched a birdie, putting her at one-over.
Strudwick hit 11 of 14 fairways on the day, tied for eighth-most in the field, with 12 greens in regulation.
She will enter the second day of competition just four strokes back from the lead where Elaine Crosby of the U.S. sits at three-under par.
Of the international competitors, Strudwick is the sixth-lowest score on the leaderboard.
The prestigious championship field consists of 120 professional and amateur golfers ages 50 and older. Strudwick qualified for the event back in late June after snagging one of the two qualifying spots at Richland Country Club in Nashville, Tennessee with a five-over round of 77.
The Chicago Golf Club provides a historic setting for the first-ever event from the United States Golf Association. Holding a course that spans 6,082 yards with a 73 par, the club was one of the five founding clubs of the USGA. It is the oldest golf club in the U.S. to be used continuously at the same spot since its 1893 founding.
This event marks the 12th USGA championship to be played on the grounds and the first Open championship in over a decade.
Strudwick's second day of play is set to begin at 1:21 p.m. EDT as she tees off from the first hole. The C-N coach looks to stay alive heading into the weekend as the field will be cut to the lowest 50 scores, including ties, by the end off Friday. Live scoring will be provided throughout the day from USGA.
