When Annika Sorenstam opened the 7th U.S. Senior Women’s Open with a composed 3-under 70 at San Diego Country Club, it seemed like deja vu from 2021, the year when she walked away with an eight-stroke victory. For a moment on Thursday, it looked like it was going to be another Annika Sorenstam show, until someone else quietly stepped in and stole the spotlight.

A player far from the headlines and even farther from the average age in the field quietly carded a 2-under 71 in the opening round of the U.S. Senior Women’s Open. She was just one shot off Sorenstam’s lead and didn’t just surge up the leaderboard, but broke a record that had stood for over a decade. The player in question is Barb Moxness, who wasn’t just on Sorenstam’s heels but also made history.

“At 72 years, 3 months and 12 days old, Barb Moxness becomes the oldest player to make the cut in the history of the U.S. Senior Women’s Open. And she broke her age yesterday with a 71,” the USGA tweeted. Though she opened with a solid round, she faltered in the second round when she carded a 6-over, but still managed to move into the weekend, becoming the oldest player to do so. At 72, Moxness is the oldest in the 120-player field, and currently sits two shots behind Annika Sorenstam, who shot a 5-over on day 2 and has moved down to the tenth spot. 

“I consider it a privilege to be here and be the age that I am and be able to do what I do,” Moxness said after her opening round, clearly moved by the moment. This week marks Moxness’s seventh appearance in the U.S. Senior Women’s Open, one of only 20 players to have competed in every edition of the championship. “The USGA does an incredible job of testing every part of you—physically, emotionally, psychologically,” she said. “And you’ve just got to be patient and work with yourself and work through every situation,” Moxness admitted, speaking of what she’s learned over the years.

Her best finish at this championship came in 2019 when she tied for seventh, but it appears that this year she’s on track to potentially rewrite that chapter. An LPGA Tour veteran, Barb Moxness first qualified for the tour in 1978 and reached her peak in the early 1980s, notching multiple top-10 finishes. She ended the 1982 season with three second-place finishes and ranked 18th on the money list. She even finished in the top ten in all LPGA Majors, including the USGA Women’s Open, The Nabisco Dinah Shore (now Chevron), The LPGA Championship, and The DuMaurier Classic (now CPKC Open).

But her career was briefly paused when she chose to step back after the birth of her son Matthew in 1984, and ultimately retired from full-time tour life in 1986 to be a stay-at-home mom. “While I was on the LPGA Tour I began to lose my love for the game. I was a good player but was frustrated that I didn’t reach the level of competence that I thought I was capable of,” Moxness confessed, admitting mental struggles as another reason for her to quit. But she worked on it and turned things around as she returned in 2000 to play on the official LPGA Senior Tour and the Legends Tour, where she’s remained a formidable presence and has served on the Board of Directors.

Now, as the championship moves into the weekend, the spotlight remains firmly on this remarkable duel between two generations of excellence in the sport. While Barb Moxness is proving that age is no barrier to competing at the highest level,  Annika Sorenstam, the 10-time major champion, is battling to reclaim her winning form.

Annika Sorenstam speaks of the tough weekend ahead

Annika Sorenstam knows the road ahead won’t be easy, as she eyes to win the U.S. Senior Women’s Open title for the second time. She emphasized the endurance required to compete at this level, reminding everyone that the tournament is a test of stamina as much as skill. “This is a very long championship, it’s a marathon, and today is just a little piece of what we have, so I want to make sure I reserve some energy because it’s going to get tougher by the weekend,” Sorenstam told GolfWeek.

But despite the pressure, she considers this event a highlight in the season and even has her family by her side to be a part of it. Her husband Mike is back on the bag this week, and the rest of her family arrived on Thursday evening. “Well, the family is coming, so I’m super excited,” said Sorenstam of her plans after the opening round.

“They’re coming this evening, so I’ll obviously go to the airport and pick them up, and I think we’re going to grab dinner with my sister and her husband, so we look forward to that. Have a nice little lunch here and maybe hit a few balls, want to make sure I hit the club face again, and then recharge,” she said. Even her sister Charlotta is in the mix, shooting 75 & 76 over the first two days, and is currently placed at tied 26th.