'Underdog' Leta Lindley rides hot putter to U.S. Senior Women's Open title with record final round

04/08/2024 23:25

Leta Lindley left the LPGA at age 40 to spend more time with her two small children, 8-year-old Cole and 6-year-old Reese. That was a dozen years ago. On Sunday at Fox Chapel Golf Club, Lindley's now adult son Cole broke down in tears, overcome with pure joy watching mom put together the round of her life at the sixth U.S. Senior Women's Open.

Lindley, 52, began the day five shots back but birdied four of the first six holes to begin a Sunday charge that never slowed. With husband Matt Plagmann on the bag, just like old times, Lindley hit 18 greens in regulation and rode what she called a phenomenal day of putting to a two-stroke victory over overnight leader Kaori Yamamoto, who shot an even-par 71.

"I’ve been dreaming about this day for so long," said Lindley, "three years now before I turned 50, and I’ve imagined myself hoisting this trophy and winning this championship, and I dared to dream big."

Lindley finished at 9 under for the championship, closing with a final-round championship record of 7-under 64 at Fox Chapel. While weather plagued much of the championship, with the course taking on 5 inches of rain, the sun broke through on Sunday and Lindley, who once described herself as the “Little Engine That Could,” went to work, doing yoga breaths around the course to combat the feeling of nausea.

At the start of the day, Lindley held a share of second with a couple of LPGA Hall of Famers in Annika Sorenstam and Juli Inkster, as well as Japan's Mikino Kubo. But by the time Lindley made the turn, she'd erased the five-shot deficit and taken control of the tournament.

"I don’t know that anybody would have thought to write that kind of story for me," said Lindley of her record finish. "I’ve always been an underdog player, sneaky, under the radar. I have dared to dream so much bigger this season than I did when I was playing on the LPGA tour."

Yamamoto, who'd set the 36-hole scoring record for this championship at 8 under, caddied for a friend last year at this event and went through a qualifier to get in the field at Fox Chapel. She birdied her last two holes to finish alone in second.

Lindley briefly roomed with Sorenstam at the University of Arizona and was grouped with her teammate in the final round. Sorenstam, who won this championship in her debut in 2021, closed with a 71 to finish solo fourth, seven shots back.

"I’m disappointed in myself," said Sorenstam, "but having said that, she played extremely well today. It just wasn’t enough."

Lindley and Plagmann first met in a parking lot in Tuscon, Arizona. A fired-up Lindley was throwing her clubs and shoes into the trunk of a car when Plagmann, smitten at first sight, stopped to offer encouragement.

Plagmann was there competing for Scottsdale Community College in a tournament, while Lindley had just lost in a playoff at a University of Arizona team qualifier. Lindley apparently wasn't in the mood to flirt, but Plagmann drove home that night and told his father he’d met the girl whom he was going to marry.

Now, after 18 years on the LPGA together and 28 years of marriage, they'll celebrate a major championship victory tonight in Pittsburgh with son Cole.

Lindley, who crossed the $3 million mark in career earnings on tour, won the 2008 Corning Classic after 295 LPGA starts. At the time of her victory, the family of four were traveling the country with two small children in a GMC Conversion van, defying the odds.

The 5-foot-4 Lindley carried a big smile and six woods in her bag for much of her LPGA career and relied on accuracy and a deft short game to always keep her card.

For the past three years, Lindley, who is now an instructor in south Florida, has placed encouraging Post-It notes on her mirror at home and in her calendar saying, "U.S. Senior Women's Open champion. You can do this!" and "Why not you?"

One person who has always believed in her, of course, is Plagmann.

"Kind of the running joke in the house was that daddy just carries the bag, which is just so not true," said Lindley, "He literally is the right half of me. He knows exactly what to say to me to bring out the best in me on the golf course and off the golf course. He really is a secret weapon and my 15th club in the bag. So I share this with him, and all the hard work. We did this together."

As for what's next, Lindley said she'll start speed training immediately to get ready for the 2025 U.S. Women's Open at Erin Hills, a perk of winning. She's also excited to go back to San Diego, where she grew up, for the 2025 U.S. Senior Women's Open at San Diego Country Club.

"There are times when I’m working so hard and I’m in a bunker and it feels like 120 degrees or I’m nauseous coming into the tournament thinking, what am I doing," said Lindley.

"But this is all worth it, all those days of blood, sweat and tears, to win this championship. It was worth every minute, every hour that I’ve put into this."