Unknown Calls A Halt To Drought Walker Balances Baby, Birdies To Beat Neumann In Classic

Colleen Walker pulled away from a crowded leaderboard with a nearrecord final round of 8-under-par 65 Sunday and won the du Maurier Classic by two strokes over Liselotte Neumann of Sweden.

A 40-year-old native of Jacksonville, Fla., Walker hadn’t won on the LPGA tour since 1992 and had only two top-20 finishes in her last 17 events. Now she has a major title to her credit and over $2 million in career earnings.

Walker, who won $16,000 all last year as she gave birth to a son in October, took the winner’s share of $180,000 with a 14-under 278 total at the 6,267-yard Glen Abbey Golf Club course.

“The ball went everywhere I wanted it to,” Walker said, who won her eighth LPGA event. “Every time I was close I made the putt. This is one of the best rounds of golf I’ve ever played.”

Her 8-under 65 was one stroke off the best final round ever recorded in an LPGA major, a 9-under 64 by JoAnne Carner in the 1978 du Maurier in Toronto.

Walker had eight birdies, including 20-foot putts on Nos. 7 and 18, the latter the one that sealed the victory.

Walker’s son Tyler, her husband Ron Bakich and dog Hershey all joined her at the tournament.

“It’s my foursome on the road,” Walker said with a laugh. “(With the baby) it’s not more relaxed but it’s more scheduled. It’s helped my golf.

“You spend the mornings fixing bottles, juice and fruit, diaper bags and then you focus on golf.” Early in the round, four golfers were tied for the lead at 10-under and six others were one stroke back. Walker, who started the day at 6-under, went by the whole group and never looked back.

“I never thought I had a chance to win with that leaderboard and I didn’t even glance at it,” Walker said. “At 18, I looked up for the first time and thought I’d better try to knock this one in for birdie.”

Neumann, who earned $111,711, parred the final four holes in a 69 and finished at 280, one stroke in front of Betsy King, who closed with a 69, and Kelly Robbins.

King bogeyed 18 for the second consecutive day, and the only legitimate threat after Walker got to the clubhouse was Juli Inkster. But Inkster double-bogeyed 18 for a 72 and finished tied for fifth at 282 with Cindy Figg-Currier, who had a 70. Tracy Hanson of Rathdrum, Idaho, shot a final round of 71 to finish in a three-way tie at 288, good for a payday of $11,351.

The Glen Abbey course was perfectly suited to Walker’s style, who doesn’t overpower her drives but positions herself well on fairways.