By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer
KAPOLEI — Most only hope to cope with the relentless breeze blowing through the Cup Noodles Hawaiian Ladies Open. Catriona Matthew, Nancy Scranton and a few others hope to cash in.
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| Scotland’s Catriona Matthew will tee off in today’s final round of the Hawaiian Ladies Open with a two-shot lead.
Associated Press |
How low can Matthew go if it continues to blow? She shot a 5-under-par 67 in brutal blasts Thursday and followed it with a 71 yesterday to take a two-shot advantage ö over Scranton and Vicki Goetze-Ackerman ö into this morning's final round.
Erase a double-bogey hiccup yesterday — "Just unlucky," the leader said — and Matthew would be the only player here with two rounds in the 60s. That would be mind-blowing at wind-blown Kapolei Golf Course, if it wasn’t for Scranton.
While Goetze-Ackerman pulled into second with a low-key 69 under high-anxiety conditions, Scranton set a tournament record, and tied her career low, with an 8-under 64.
"That is a fantastic score," Matthew said. "I thought my 67 yesterday was good, but that was amazing."
There have been other 64s, but none like this Scranton admitted, still in awe 30 minutes after the magic ended. In 35 mph winds, she buried 10 birdie putts, making twos on all the par-3s and playing her final six holes in five under.
Scranton was nine back after an opening-round 76.
"If you gave me even par before we started today, I would have taken it," said Scranton, who had a Top 10 finish at last week's Takefuji Classic. "It was such hard work yesterday. When we got done I thought, I can’t do this again. It was hard work just standing up yesterday afternoon. And when we got here this morning and it was blowing right away, I thought I CAN'T do this again.
"But it never got to me. There were times when it was very, very windy; it was up to a three-club wind, but it wasn’t like yesterday."
Golf balls were not starting and stopping on putting greens in the second round, and their dimples didn’t dance as golfers lined up. Scores were nearly 2 1/2 strokes lower yesterday, but Thursday's gale-driven average was 77.081. Short of a hurricane, they could only go down.
Those who made the most of the madness rose rapidly.
Goetze-Ackerman’s last major victory was the 1992 U.S. Amateur Championship. She will play in the final group with a bag full of fairway woods (she carries driver through 11-wood) she can "punch" below the breeze.
They got her close enough to sink four birdie putts, the last from 25 feet. More importantly, they never got her in trouble. The result left her "elated," and excited about the rare opportunity she has created.
"I know how to win and I know I can, so it’s just a matter of getting back into position," she said. "But because I’ve struggled for so long, it’s made it harder because I know how good it used to be compared to how it hasn’t been very good at all. But that’s golf."
Scranton, who will be 40 in April, won her first tournament in seven years last year. Goetze-Ackerman, 28, and Matthew, 31, are searching for their first victory. Wendy Ward, who is three back after a 67, is trying to win for the first time since the 1998 Cup Noodles.
Brandie Burton (71), who finished second here last year, and Annika Sorenstam (69), the 1997 champion, are tied for fifth at 143. Sorenstam, who qualified for the LPGA Hall of Fame before turning 30, was second last week.
Rookie Hee-Won Han, who was second after the first round, shot 77 yesterday. That included two penalty strokes for slow play. She is tied with Karrie Webb and Cindy Schreyer at 146.
The cut came at 8-over 152 — the second highest in tournament history. The high was 9-over 153 in 1996, the first year this was played at Kapolei. Last year, even par (144) missed the cut.
SHORT PUTTS: Patty Sheehan, who won the 1991 Hawaiian Ladies Open, shot a 3-under 69. She has played just 19 events the past two seasons, after adopting two children. Sheehan was inducted into the LPGA Hall of Fame in 1993. ... Defending champion Betsy King (74-149), another Hall of Famer, is 11 back. So is Sherri Turner (74), the1989 Hawaiian Ladies Open champion. ... Turner hasn't won since that 1989 tournament. ... Former University of Hawai‘i golfer Cindy Flom (74-154) missed the cut. Flom won the inaugural Hawaiian Ladies Open in 1987. Her last victory came in 1991. ... Lisa Walters is the only player to win this tournament more than once, capturing the 1992 and '93 Opens. ... Maggie Will had a hole-in-one on the 12th (131 yards), with a 9-iron. She wins $1,000 from Nissin Foods, the tournament title sponsor, for the ace. ... Chris Johnson withdrew after shooting an 82 Thursday and Kristi Albers withdrew at the turn yesterday because of a bad back.
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