ANN ARBOR, MI – Juli Inkster, one of America’s most accomplished Solheim Cup captains, has a new leadership role: commissioner of the Sh*thead Fantasy Football League.
At the U.S. Senior Women’s Open
, Inkster was busy recruiting players to help make videos to determine the league’s order of picks. Catriona Matthew picked the first name, and Laura Diaz pulled the second, which happened to be Inkster.“Last year, just on a whim, I said, ‘Hey, would anybody want to do a fantasy football, and they all said, yes,’” said Inkster, of a group of 12 women at Tradition Golf Club in La Quinta.
“So last year was our first year. The three losers had to do a lip sync, get dressed up, to do Dua Lipa. I was one of them. It was hysterical. So it's a lot of fun.”
This marks the eighth edition of the U.S. Senior Women’s Open and 66-year-old Inkster is one of eight players who has competed in every edition. Last year at San Diego Country Club, Inkster finished second at the championship for a third time.
The seven-time major winner is one of 120 players in the field at Barton Hills Country Club this week, joined by fellow World Golf Hall of Famers Annika Sorenstam (2003), Hollis Stacy (2012) and Karrie Webb (2005).
“I think the course is going to win,” said Inkster. “It's a tough golf course. Off the tee it's pretty forgiving, but from there on, it's legit. It's going to be tough.”
This marks the third USGA event held over the Donald Ross design. Grace Park won the 1998 U.S. Women’s Amateur, while Joan Higgins won the 2008 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur.
Four players in this week’s field played in both of those events: Martha Leach, Kathy Hartwiger, Ellen Port and longtime Michigan State coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll.
NBC broadcaster Mike Tirico, a longtime member who will serve as a starter for the championship over the weekend, credited former LPGA player and fellow Barton Hills member Suzy Green-Roebuck for bringing the championship to Ann Arbor.
Green-Roebuck, who will hit the opening tee shot at 7:45 a.m., played in the inaugural Senior Women’s Open at Chicago Golf Club and tied for 10th. The next year, after playing at Pine Needles, she planted the seed for Barton Hills to host.
“I just love Barton Hills,” said Webb. “I asked a ton of people over the last 12 months if they'd heard of Barton Hills or played it, and I didn't get any feedback about it, apart from what I could find online and a few photos. It's a great golf course.
“I'm a big fan of Donald Ross golf courses. The course is in amazing shape. It's going to be a tough test. It's definitely a U.S. Open feel to it this week.”
Beth Ann Nichols is a senior writer for Golfweek covering the LPGA and all things women's golf.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Golf legend Juli Inkster runs a fantasy football league, and the name is hysterical
