Carner's Non-Conforming Wedge Dates To The Reagan Administration Years

While Joanne Carner won't find it too funny, the USGA wisely had an equipment specialist at this week's U.S. Senior Women's Open registration just in case some of the legends showed up with clubs which, shall we say, haven't been seen in these parts for some time. They've tested 20 clubs, with seven being deemed non-conforming, most likely due to worn grooves.

As Beth Ann Nichols writes for Golfweek, Joanne Carner has had to scramble to find a new wedge for her Chicago Golf Club scrambling. Carner turned up at the Open with a Wilson R90 sand wedge from her heyday that probably lacked conforming grooves on the face.

“Oh, it was awful,” said Carner of parting with a club that’s been critical to her game around the greens and from 75 yards out for so many years. It felt like parting with an old friend.

When head pro John Guyton got wind of Carner’s predicament, he pulled out the wedges that had been cleared away from the pro shop to make room for championship merchandise and presented them to Carner. The 79-year-old legend whittled it down to two wedges, and Guyton adjusted both to match the loft and lie of old faithful. Guyton had the clubs out to Carner before she’d even reached the first green of her practice round. She wound up choosing a Titleist Vokey 54-degree wedge that was bent to 55.