What you need to know about this week’s U.S. Senior Women’s Open, headlined by Annika Sorenstam and 82-year-old JoAnne Carner

The third U.S. Senior Women’s Open will be held July 29-Aug. 1, 2021 at Brooklawn Country Club in Fairfield, Connecticut, and it’s set to be a star-studded affair.

Headlining the event is 50-year-old Annika Sorenstam, who will make her first USGA championship appearance since the 2008 U.S. Women’s Open, where she holed a 6-iron from 199 yards for eagle on her final shot. The three-time USWO winner made the cut in her first LPGA start in more than a decade earlier this year at home in Lake Nona, Florida.

Laura Davies won the inaugural Senior Women’s Open by 10 shots in 2018 at Chicago Golf Club. Helen Alfredsson won the second edition at Pine Needles. Juli Inkster finished runner-up in both.

Where

Brooklawn Country Club, host of four previous USGA championships, including the 1974 U.S. Junior Amateur, won by David Nevatt; the 1979 U.S. Women’s Open, won by Jerilyn Britz; the 1987 U.S. Senior Open, won by Gary Player; and the 2003 U.S. Girls’ Junior, won by Sukjin-Lee Wuesthoff.

After joining the USGA as nine-hole layout in 1896, Brooklawn was expanded to 18 holes in 1911. A.W. Tillinghast redesigned the course to its present form nearly two decades later. Tillinghast also designed Winged Foot Golf Club, Baltusrol Golf Club, Bethpage State Park and Quaker Ridge Golf Club.

Who’s in the field?

There are 13 players in the field this week who competed in the ’79 Women’s Open at Brooklawn, including winner Jerilyn Britz, Laura Baugh (T-8), Carol Semple Thompson (T-40), Hollis Stacy (T-15) and Jan Stephenson (T-26).

Both 2021 Solheim Cup captains, Pat Hurst and Catriona Matthew, will compete in the 120-player field as well as 2021 U.S. Curtis Cup captain amateur Sarah LeBrun Ingram.

JoAnne Carner high fives her caddie during the first round of the 2018 U.S. Senior Women’s Open at Chicago Golf Club in Wheaton, Ill. on Thursday, July 12, 2018. (Copyright USGA/Chris Keane)

Previous winners Davis and Alfredsson will be back for a third time in Connecticut. Other notables include 82-year-old JoAnne Carner, Amy Alcott, Jane Geddes, Rosie Jones, Michelle McGann, Liselotte Neumann, Alison Nicholas, and Inkster.

Players will vie for a $1 million purse with the winner receiving around $180,000. The champion also receives a spot in the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open and a 10-year exemption or through the age of 65 (whichever yields the higher number of exemptions) into the Senior Women’s Open.

How to watch

Golf Channel will broadcast the last two rounds (July 31 and Aug. 1), from 2-5 p.m. EDT.