Twice as Nice
Second Major Victory in a Row for Maria McBride at the 2026 U.S. Sr. Women’s Open at Barton Hills
By Tom Lang
ANN ARBOR – Maria McBride became the third player from Sweden to win the U.S. Sr. Women’s Open, in just the 8th year of its existence – right here in Michigan as Barton Hills Country Club played host of its third USGA women’s event in the club’s history.
She battled back and forth with Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam over the weekend, and came out on top with a two-stoke margin of victory. McBride won the week prior The LPGA Legends Championship for a back-to-back sweep. Her career includes five wins on the LPGA Tour.
“Having a big lead coming into today is sometimes a little hard because, you know, you feel like I shouldn't really lose that many shots,” McBride said about the four-stroke cushion to begin play. “But with the wind today as well, it was a little bit trickier than it's been the previous days, and I started off a little rough, but you know, the chip-in on (hole) 9 kind of turned everything around for me.”
That chip in was for eagle on the par five 9th hole, launching her back up to a one-stroke edge over Sorenstam. McBride finished at 6-under par, to Sorenstam’s 4-under. Kari Webb placed third at 1-under. Michiganders Tracy Hanson (Holland) was 20-over for a top 40 finish, and Jackson’s Elanie Crosby was 26-over.
“I didn't really feel too nervous because I came out and played a few holes pretty good starting off the round, but obviously you're a little bit tighter because you know you have a big lead,” McBride said. “Sometimes that's harder than kind of chasing, but it settled down. Like I said, the 9th hole really helped me out.”
Sorenstam agreed that was a turning point.
“I wasn't deflated, but there's a lot of chip-on opportunities out there, but the course is also quite tricky,” she said. “Even though the fairways are generous, the greens are in great shape, but they're quite undulated. Again, we don't really compete that often, so to get into tournament mode like that is not so easy.”
First One Out Normally Not Fun; Slobodnik-Stoll and Green-Roebuck Break That Mold:
Tournament players never want to be the first to tee off in the final round, because it means you’re further away from the leaders than anyone else.
MSU Women’s golf coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll, one of a few amateurs in the field, found herself in that position after making the cut but then having a horrendous round of 12-over par on Saturday.
Due to an uneven number of players in the field, she had to play with a ‘marker.’ For those who don’t know, it’s someone who plays along side to keep score and put the player in a more natural frame of mind than literally playing alone.
“I made the cut which was so exciting, and then played really poorly (in the third round) and now I have to play by myself on Sunday with a marker,” Slobodnik-Stoll told me. “They asked Julie Massa (of Holt to be the marker for the weekend) who is my good friend but she was at a wedding this weekend and couldn’t do it. So, I was really wondering who they could get.
“It was just such a bummer that I wasn’t going to get to play with a pro, and then I’m walking out from breakfast and there’s Suzy (Green-Roebuck) with her clubs, and I’m thinking, ‘SO sweet.’”
Green-Roebuck is a former LPGA Tour player from Ann Arbor and a multiple winner of the Michigan Women’s Open. She missed the cut for this championship being played at her home club, causing her to become a spectator all of Saturday.
“They knew Friday that they would need a marker, and then the number (of players) went to even so they said I was off the hook unless somebody withdraws,” she said. “As of most of the day Saturday I was thinking it wasn’t going to happen. Then I got the call about 8:00 p.m. and that they needed me, and I said ‘I’m in.’”
The pair of friends played to a large crowd that was only outdone by the fans following Sorenstam’s group.
“It was amazing for me,” Green-Roebuck said. “I got teary-eyed walking up 18 just because of all the hard work behind the scenes that went into this event. A lot of members were out here, and lot of family, and friends came from pretty far away to watch me play. I was taking it all in and getting choked up.”
The setting could not have been better for the MSU coach.
“I think everything works out for a reason, and I learned so much this week, having never made a cut before in a major tournament,” she said. “It was eye opening to me and I expended a lot of energy with my team here (MSU Women’s golfers), trying to play well for them.
“Then Saturday was such a let down so today it was nice to have Suzy’s crowd because I knew they were cheering for me too. So, it was a bonus since I thought I’d go out alone and be done and that would be sad and lonely after doing something like (making the cut) what I feel in my life is pretty remarkable. So, it couldn’t have worked out any better.”
Well-known TV announcer Mike Tirico is also a member at Barton Hills and served as the tournament’s honorary chair.
“I’m so proud to be a member of this club, and as I said to everyone that was celebrating the champion, Maria McBride, that this club has been here for 107 years – and I’ve been a member for just 25 of those years – but I’m pretty damn sure this is the best week that we’ve ever had a Barton Hills. What an honor to be attached to it and a small part of it.”
