King Takes A Dip After Leader Dives Lpga Hall Of Famer Tops Robbins, Wins Dinah Shore Title

Betsy King, clad in a white robe with “Nabisco Dinah Shore 1997 Champion” emblazoned across the back, stripped off her soggy golf shoes and socks and shook her still-dripping hair.

She hadn’t really expected to be the one to take the traditional winner’s dip into the lake surrounding the 18th green at Mission Hills Country Club.

“I thought I wasn’t going to win, so I was just sort of watching Kris (Tschetter) and Amy (Fruhwirth), trying to finish second,” King said Sunday after overtaking the fading Kelly Robbins to win the Dinah Shore for the third time.

“Kelly was hitting it well, had made some birdies, and I thought she was going to win. Suddenly, she just wasn’t making the shots.”

King, also the champion in 1987 and 1990, overcame a three-shot deficit over the last eight holes. King, who entered the LPGA Hall of Fame two years ago and almost simultaneously went into a tailspin, shot a closing 1-under-par 71 to finish 12-under for the tournament, the first major championship of the year.

She finished two shots ahead of Tschetter, who came almost all the way back from a second-round 76. Tschetter shot a 70 and also passed the struggling Robbins.

Tracy Hanson of Rathdrum, Idaho, shot a final round of 72 to finish at 296, while Robin Walton of Clarkston shot a 75 to finish at 298.