IT'S MYERS WHO SEES THE LIGHT IN THE END : CHASING ANNIKA.Byline: Dave Shelburne Daily News Staff Writer It took Terry-Jo Myers three days before she finally got a round of golf she didn't have to finish in the dark. So how did the 12-year LPGA LPGA abbr. Ladies Professional Golf Association veteran celebrate? She shot the lights out. Firing seven birdies in a 6-under-par closing round of 66 Sunday Sunday: see Sabbath; week. , Myers came from five strokes back to win by two strokes over Annika Sorenstam in the inaugural Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Women's Championship at Oakmont Country Club Oakmont Country Club is a prestigious "top five" country club and the "oldest top-ranked golf course in the U.S.".[1] It is located in the Pittsburgh suburbs of Plum and Oakmont, Pennsylvania, USA. . ``This is the first time I've seen (holes) 7, 8 and 9 in the daylight,'' said Myers, who played the front nine as her back nine the first two days. Starting on the front nine Sunday, she caught Sorenstam with a birdie on No. 13 and took the lead for keeps when Sorenstam bogeyed one hole later. Her 10-under-par total of 206 not only overcame a first-round 74 completed in conditions almost too dark to play but also included consecutive tournament-record-tying rounds the final two days. Sorenstam, playing in the group behind Myers on Sunday, never got within two strokes after bogeying No. 15. Myers birdied 16, nearly eagled 17 on the fly and locked up the win with an emotional birdie on 18. ``I had lots of opportunities, but it wasn't my putting day,'' said Sorenstam, who needed 35 putts despite hitting 14 of 15 fairways and 17 of 18 greens. Picked by her closest competition to run away with the title after opening 66-69, Sorenstam could do no better than 1-over-par 73 on Sunday, ending a streak sub-par rounds at five and leaving her contemplating the fates of golf. ``I played great today compared to the first day,'' she said. ``The first day I had eight birdies and today two birdies. Golf is a funny game - I can't explain it.'' Myers was too happy even to try to understand why she won for only the second time in 12 years on tour. Long afflicted af·flict tr.v. af·flict·ed, af·flict·ing, af·flicts To inflict grievous physical or mental suffering on. [Middle English afflighten, from afflight, with a painful and incurable incurable /in·cur·a·ble/ (in-kur´ah-b'l) 1. not susceptible of being cured. 2. a person with a disease which cannot be cured. in·cur·a·ble adj. bladder bladder /blad·der/ (blad´er) 1. a membranous sac, such as one serving as receptacle for a secretion. 2. urinary bladder. disease that severely affected her concentration on course, she played her final three holes in tears of happiness just for playing well enough to be close to the lead. Her second consecutive 66 again tied the tournament record set in the opening round by Sorenstam, who led her closest pursuer by three strokes entering the final round. At that point, Myers seemed more notable for her improving night vision, having lowered her score from 74 Friday to the 66 Saturday while finishing both rounds in darkness Adv. 1. in darkness - without light; "the river was sliding darkly under the mist" darkly . ``We signed our scorecards in the pro shop Friday,'' she said. ``It was too dark to see. It wasn't much brighter for her finish Saturday, when Myers came within a lipped-out 8-foot putt on her final hole of tying Mike Haney's 24-year-old course record. She charged Haney's record again Sunday, ultimately missing on a lipped out birdie try Birdie Try is an overhead view golf arcade game released by Data East in 1988. from three feet on No. 17 after nearly landing her approach shot in the cup for an eagle. Sorenstam, watching from the fairway as Myers gave her one last chance with the missed birdie, then missed her own birdie on 17 from about five feet above the cup. Given Myers' solid play and Sorenstam's putting woes Sunday, the most-competitive battle of the final round was for third place - which wound up a five-way tie among Alicia Dibos, Kelly Robbins Kelly Robbins (born September 29, 1969 in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan) is an American golfer. Career Robbins attended the University of Tulsa and her rookie year on the LPGA Tour was 1992. , Catrin Nilsmark Catrin Maria Nilsmark (born 30 August 1967 in Gothenburg, Sweden) is a Swedish professional golfer who plays on both the United States based LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour. , Donna Andrews Donna Andrews (born April 12, 1967) in Lynchburg, Virginia is an American golfer. She attended the University of North Carolina and as an amateur, won the 1988 North and South Women's Amateur Golf Championship. Andrews rookie season on the LPGA Tour was 1990. and Ellie Gibson, all at 211. Four other players tied for eighth at 212, including former Oakmont junior Emilee Klein, who closed with a round of 2-under 70. Klein, who fell out of contention with a double-bogey after burying her ball in a bunker bunk, bunker large storage bin. bunk forage forage, usually ensilage stored in a large storage bunk and made available to cattle or other livestock along a face of the storage. near the 17th green on Saturday, played well enough Sunday to produce five birdies - her tournament high for the week. Three front-nine bogeys spoiled the effort, but Klein charged hard on her final nine, shooting 4-under 32. Dibos made the other strong move of the final round, shooting 5-under 67 for the second-best score of the tournament. In the end, only Myers was able to challenge from back in the pack, and she did better than even she had hoped. She had phoned her husband on Saturday to tell him of her record-tying second round but had no high expectations for Sunday. ``I told him Annika would win,'' she said. Many others players thought the same, but the makeable putts just didn't drop for the two-time U.S. Women's Open champion on Sunday. How many missed? ``I had one on every hole,'' she said. ``I'm not worried about my game,'' she said. ``Things happen for a reason. I gave it 100 (percent). I just wish it was a 72-hole tournament.'' Holes where Meyers made up ground on Sorenstam Annika Sorenstam Terry-Jo Myers (-9) Start of final round (-4) par (-9) 1st hole birdie (-5) par (-9) 2nd hole birdie (-6) bogey Bogey This is the benchmark return to which the performance of a portfolio manager or mutual fund manager is compared. Notes: This benchmark is typically the S&P 500 index. (-8) 6th hole par (-6) par (-8) 8th hole birdie (-7) par (-8) 9th hole bogey (-6) par (-8) 10th hole birdie (-7) bogey (-7) 11th hole par (-7) par (-7) 13th hole birdie (-8) bogey (-6) 15th hole par (-8) CAPTION(S): 3 Photos, Chart Photo: (1--color) Terry-Jo Myers, celebrating a birdie on hole No. 8, played her final three holes in tears of happiness. She won for the second time in her career. (2) Emilee Klein, lining up a putt, closed with a round of 2-under 70 to finish tied for eighth. (3) Donna Andrews, hitting out of a fairway bunker on the 18th hole, shared third place with four other golfers. They finished at 211. Gus Ruelas / Daily News Chart: CHASING ANNIKA (see text) |
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