Inkster’s Open finale ends with rocky round

PINEHURST, N.C. – Juli Inkster sank her final putt for par, then tipped her cap and waved her putter.

The first hug came from her caddie, and a handful more came from the LPGA Tour players waiting just off the green.

For the Hall of Famer, it was a poignant farewell to the U.S. Women’s Open.

Inkster wrapped up what she has said will be her 35th and final appearance in the tournament Sunday with a 75 that left her tied for 15th at 7 over.

“I was disappointed in the way I played today, as a golfer, but that was my first thought,” Inkster said. “But as a person, I just felt a lot of pride that people root for me like that.”

Inkster – who turns 54 on Tuesday – has a long history with the U.S. Open, making the cut in her first try as an 18-year-old in 1978 and winning it in 1999 and 2002. She said this week that this would be her last U.S. Women’s Open.

The cheers for Inkster started Sunday when she walked to the first tee box in third place, and they kept coming right through her final walk up the 18th fairway.

In between, though, any hopes of a storybook ending came crashing down when she had five bogeys on the front nine. She added three more on the back to offset her three total birdies.

“It’s been really a fun week,” Inkster said, “and that’s what I’ll remember.”