The return of Annika Sorenstam to competitive golf has not been a disappointment. In fact, the third U.S. Senior Women’s Open Championship overall has exceeded expectations that were magnified by the one-year delay caused by the pandemic. Brooklawn Country Club has proven to be a great championship test and the competitors have played their part by providing some inspiring play, setting the stage for a highly anticipated weekend.

Fascinating stories are everywhere. Unknown teaching pro Dana Ebster shared the first-round lead with Sorenstam and was still 3 under par going into the weekend. Eight-time USGA champion JoAnne Carner matched her age in the first round – 82 – and then shattered it in the second round with a 79. Not even Thursday’s interruption of play by storms dampened the mood. On Friday, Carner’s threesome and Sorenstam’s threesome were among those who defied darkness to complete the second round.

Here are 3 things to look for in the final two rounds at Brooklawn as the U.S. Senior Women’s Open builds to a conclusion.

Annika's Quest

Expectation is an extremely heavy 15th club to lug around at a golf championship, especially when its heft is added to by anticipation. But Sorenstam has done it brilliantly. The Swedish sensation won 72 times on the LPGA Tour and among her 10 majors are three U.S. Women’s Open Championship titles. Still, she came to Brooklawn C.C. 13 years removed from her last competitive season and had played in just one LPGA event this year to prepare for the U.S. Senior Women’s Open.

But it’s clear she has put in the work to get ready. After 36 holes, Sorenstam was second in driving distance to long-hitting Laura Davies – the 2018 U.S. Senior Women’s Open winner – and leads the field in greens in regulation, having hit 32 of 36 through the first two rounds. The tempo of Sorenstam’s swing is a joy to watch and her distance control with irons makes it feel as if she hasn’t been gone 13 days, let alone 13 years. It’s clear, Annika came to Brooklawn for one reason – to win her fourth USGA championship.

Port of Call

Seven-time USGA champion Ellen Port was disappointed with her performances in the first two U.S. Senior Women’s Opens, but the career amateur is thrilled this time around. Opening with rounds of 71 and 69, Port goes into the weekend trailing Sorenstam by four strokes in her bid to chase down history. If Port adds the U.S. Senior Women’s Open to her three U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur titles and four U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur victories, she would join JoAnne Carner with eight USGA victories – the most among women and just one behind the all-time record held by Bob Jones and Tiger Woods.

Port has done it this week by putting the ball on the green and then rolling it into the hole. She’s T-4 in the field in greens in regulation and T-5 in total putts. As she says, a key for her is that she has made no big mistakes. It will be fascinating to see if that winning combination holds up on the weekend.

Chasing History

There are a bunch of players within striking distance of Sorenstam who are capable of making a big move on the weekend. In second place is Liselotte Neumann, who won the 1988 U.S. Women’s Open. Four strokes back are Port and Yuka Saito, who was fifth in the 2018 U.S. Senior Women’s Open and T-16 in 2016. While the quartet at 3 under par – five strokes back – includes Ebster, the unheralded club pro, it also includes Kris Tschetter, who was second to Sorenstam in the 1996 U.S. Women’s Open; Rosie Jones, who was second to Hollis Stacy in the 1984 U.S. Women’s Open, and Catriona Matthew, who won the 2009 Women’s British Open at Royal Lytham & St. Annes.

How far back is too far to catch a player of Sorenstam’s caliber? That’s a question that gets sorted out on Saturday – moving day at a championship. Davies and Helen Alfredsson, who won the first two U.S. Senior Women’s Opens, are 10 strokes back at 2 over par. They need to go deep into the 60s on Saturday to get into the mix. Also important to watch is the top 20 finishers, who earn an exemption into next year’s championship at NCR Country Club in Kettering, Ohio.

That’s part of what to watch out for when the U.S. Senior Women’s Open concludes this weekend at Brooklawn Country Club.

Ron Sirak is a Massachusetts-based freelance writer who frequently contributes to USGA digital channels.