Kane still sizzling at LPGA Tour finale
Associated Press
Thursday, November 16
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The way her fortunes have changed with one victory, Lorie Kane isn't ready for the LPGA Tour season to end quite yet.
Once the most popular bridesmaid in women's golf, Kane took a step toward yet another victory on Thursday with a 5-under 67 that gave her a share of the lead with Meg Mallon in the season-ending Arch LPGA Tour Championship.
Kane, a runner-up nine times before finally getting untracked with three victories, bounced back with birdies after her only two bogeys and closed out a solid round on the Legends Course at LPGA International with an 8-iron shot to 4 feet.
"I'm looking forward to saying I'm a four-time winner," Kane said. "Now, it's a game of confidence."
It was a strange game Thursday for Karrie Webb and Juli Inkster.
Webb, who needs a victory to become the first player in LPGA history to crack the $2 million barrier, struggled with her short game and had a 40 after nine holes. She wound up with a 75, going 2-under over the final four holes to avoid her worst round of the year.
Inkster is four days away from her induction into the LPGA Hall of Fame, and this isn't how she wanted her week of celebration to begin. She got spooked by missing a couple of short putts early and wound up with a 78.
"It can happen out here," Mallon said of the new Legends Course, with tight fairways that wind through a corridor of pine trees and wetlands, with wind swirling about.
Mallon made it happen with her wedge. Despite hitting only 11 greens, she twice holed chip shots for birdie on her way to a 67.
"I didn't make any bad mistakes," said Mallon, who added her third career major and already has gone over $1 million for the first time in her career.
Annika Sorenstam had a bogey-free 68 and was one off the lead, tied with Leta Lindley and the recharged Dottie Pepper.
"I can't wait for January to get here," said Pepper, who is finally free of back and wrist injuries that have plagued her throughout the season. "This week is a finality for a lot of people, but I'm just getting going again. I'm going to play hard."
Nineteen of the 30 players had par or better on a course being used in tournament play for the first time.
The Arch Championship was supposed to be in Las Vegas until the Desert Inn began to lose its staff and the LPGA decided to move the event to its headquarters. Instead of the wide-open Champions course, which held the Titleholders for five years, it went across the road to the more treacherous Legends course.
It was a nightmare for Webb, the most dominant player in women's golf who was a picture of frustration throughout most of a breezy, warm afternoon. Trying to cap off her sensational season in style, she was well off the mark with several short irons and looked uncomfortable around the greens.
Mallon, playing in the group in front, noticed Webb bombing her drives some 25 yards past Sorenstam on the final two holes.
"The thing with Karrie is ... when she gets mad, she plays so good," Mallon said. "Tomorrow, I don't expect anything less than a 66 or a 65 from her."
Kane expects nothing less than a victory.
For nearly four years on the LPGA Tour, she carried a huge burden of playing well enough to win but watching someone else cash the first-place check. That finally changed when she was inspired by comments about winning from former New York Rangers star Mark Messier.
"It's all about attitude," she said.
For the Canadians, it's all about hockey.
Just last week, Mike Weir got fired up watching Canada win the Deutschland Cup, and took that fighting spirit onto the course at Valderrama to win the World Golf Championships event.
Kane had more than confidence on her side. Having bought a Florida home nearby in Titusville, she often comes to LPGA headquarters for practice and is well-acquainted with the Legends course.
Keeping her patience throughout the day, she burst into the lead with four straight birdies, including a chip from about 20 feet on the par-3 15th.
"There's still a long way to the finish line," Kane said. "But I'm definitely ahead of the game."
While Webb is going for $2 million, Kane needs a victory to become the fourth woman this year to earn more than $1 million. Now that she know what it takes to win, the finish line looks a lot closer than it used to.
Divots
Kelli Kuehne made her first career hole-in-one, a 7-iron from 156 yards on No. 15 that helped her get into the hunt with a 2-under 70.
As a reminder that the Arch Wireless Championship was supposed to be played in Las Vegas, the tee box markers have "Caesers Palace" written on them.
Cristie Kerr withdrew because of a knee injury. She was replaced in the field by No. 32 Catriona Matthew, who had quite an adventure getting here. She flew Wednesday from Scotland to Belgium to Newark, N.J., then took a Thursday morning flight to Orlando, dressed in her golf gear. A backup set of clubs was waiting for her on the practice range, and her regular set arrived from the airport 30 minutes before her tee time. After all that, she had a 71.
