Beth Daniel birdied the final two holes in rainy conditions for a 4-under 68 and a one-stroke victory over Juli Inkster at the Canadian Women's Open on Sunday.
Daniel, 46, finished at 13-under 275 for her 33rd career title and first win since 1995. The 23-year LPGA veteran made a 3-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th to tie Inkster, 43, at 12 under.
Daniel laid up to 104 yards on the par-5 18th, but knocked her wedge to 7 feet. After Inkster left her 12-foot birdie putt short, Daniel made a right-to-left breaking putt for the US$195,000 win.
Daniel and Inkster -- both LPGA and World Hall of Fame members -- started the day tied at 9 under and battled for 18 holes at Point Grey Golf and Country Club.
Daniel birdied the first and third holes to take a two-stroke lead, but missed makable birdie putts on the 10th and 11th holes to give Inkster a chance.
Inkster made up one stroke with a birdie on the 485-yard, par-5 10th, and took the lead with a two-stroke swing on No. 12.
Inkster made a 2-foot birdie putt on the 12th, while Daniel struggled to a bogey after hitting her tee shot into the thick rough on the right side.
Inkster kept the lead until No.17, when her 8-foot birdie putt on the 143-yard par-3 stopped on the edge. Daniel made her putt to move back into a tie.
Inkster almost holed her short iron, but the ball stopped inches from the cup and spun back 12 feet. She left her birdie putt a half-foot short and Daniel made her putt for the win.
Kim Saiki birdied four of her first five holes to move into a tie for the lead, but bogeyed the 11th and missed a 1-foot par putt on the 18th to fall into a tie with Grace Park for third place at 9 under. Park's 5-under 67 was the low round Sunday.
Pak Se-ri Pak (69) birdied the final hole to finish alone in fifth place at 7 under. Jeong Jang (68) was alone in sixth at 6-under 282.
Shohei Ohtani and his wife arrived in South Korea with his Los Angeles Dodgers teammates yesterday ahead of their season-opening games with the San Diego Padres next week. Ohtani, wearing a black training suit and a cap backwards, was the first Dodgers player who showed up at the arrival gate of Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. His wife, Mamiko Tanaka, walked several steps behind him. As a crowd of fans, many wearing Dodgers jerseys, shouted his name and cheered slogans, Ohtani briefly waved his hand, but did not say anything before he entered a limousine bus with his wife. Fans held placards
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