Closing in on 50, still going strong

"The kids out here keep you young," said Inkster, who turned 48 on Tuesday, two days before she begins her 28th U.S. Women's Open, at Interlachen Country Club in Edina.

"But," Inkster added, "at the same time, it's also a lot harder to compete out here on the LPGA Tour against so many young kids who can really play. We used to be able to shoot 72, 73 and win. Now, you really can't do that out here and expect to even come close to winning."

But guess who ranks 13th in the world just two years before the big 5-0?

"The women on our tour today are contemporizing the game of golf, but it's not just the young players," said LPGA Tour Commissioner Carolyn Bivens. "I believe Juli Inkster continues to break down barriers. She's raised two daughters on the tour. She's a real person. She's shown how you balance a professional career and motherhood."

Teenagers have won two of the past six women's majors. Morgan Pressel became the youngest woman to win a major when she claimed last year's Kraft Nabisco Championship at 18 years, 10 months. Yani Tseng became the second youngest when she won the LPGA Championship three weeks ago at 19 years, 4 months.

Inkster skipped the LPGA Championship this year. And not because she didn't want to play with 18-year-olds.

"Her oldest daughter [Hayley] is now 18, and her graduation was being held the same weekend as the LPGA Championship," said Inkster's agent, Alissa Super, who works out of Minnetonka for SFX World Sports Management. "Juli always does the right thing."

Inkster has played in at least 16 tournaments every season for 24 years. Until three weeks ago, she hadn't missed a major since the 1994 Kraft Nabisco Championship.

But Hayley's big day was bigger. Perhaps Inkster will do the same thing in 2012 when her second daughter, Cori, now 14, graduates.

"I'm not sure how long I'll play," Inkster said. "I'm not ready to retire yet."

No. 2-ranked Annika Sorenstam already has announced she will retire at the end of the season. She's 37 years old.

Inkster, on the other hand, won four of her seven majors after the age of 37. She won both of her U.S. Women's Open titles after the age of 37. She even qualified for the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame after the age of 37.

Inkster became the fourth-oldest women's major champion (42 years, 13 days) when she won the 2002 U.S. Women's Open. Fay Crocker is the oldest. She was 45 years, 7 months and 11 days when she won the 1960 Titleholders, a major at the time.

Two months ago, Inkster nearly became the oldest player to win an LPGA Tour event. She sank an 18-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to catch 21-year-old Paula Creamer from behind at 2-under 282 in the difficult SemGroup Championship in Tulsa, Okla. Creamer went on to win with a birdie on the second hole of the sudden-death playoff.

Inkster considered herself a tomboy growing up with two older brothers in San Jose, Calif. She was a huge fan of the 49ers, the San Francisco Giants and the Golden State Warriors. She loved playing basketball. And in 1975, at age 15, she began to play golf.

Five years later, Juli Simpson married Brian Inkster, who has been the head pro at Los Altos Country Club the past 26 years. Not long after their honeymoon, Juli won the first of three consecutive U.S. Women's Amateur titles.

She got her tour card in the fall of 1983. She won her fifth event that year and her first two majors the following year. Her 31 career victories are spread over 24 seasons.

"I would think Juli would only play maybe three or four more years and that would be it, but who knows?" said retired LPGA Hall of Famer Betsy King, 52, who hasn't played a tour event since 2006. "She keeps herself in great shape and, most importantly, she's still got that competitive spirit."

As a seven-time U.S. Solheim Cup member, Inkster is familiar with Interlachen. She had a 2-2 record there during the 2002 Solheim Cup.

"I'm looking forward to it," Inkster said. "Playing in the Open is the greatest thrill we know. It's the hardest physically and mentally to play. But it's also the most rewarding when you win, that's for sure."