Injured Shoulder Doesn’t Prevent Carner From Winning Another LPGA Tournament

JoAnne Carner, though troubled by a pulled muscle in her left shoulder, fired an 2-under-par 70 in the final round Sunday and coasted to a six-stroke victory in the $200,000 Elizabeth Arden women’s golf tournament.

Carner, who picked up a winner’s purse of $30,000, had a four-round total of 280 to outdistance defending champion Patty Sheehan and Jane Blalock, who tied for second place.

Sheehan’s 5-under 67 was the low score for the final round, while Blalock had a 1-under 71 on the 6,092-yard Turnberry Isle course.

Carner held a five-stroke lead as play began under balmy conditions, but wasn’t comfortable even with that advantage because of the painful injury suffered during Saturday’s third round.

“I thought it was going to feel better today, but it didn’t,” said Carner, who had hurt her shoulder while attempting a bunker shot at the 10th hole.

“It’s the first time I hurt my shoulder that bad. There were times out there when I’d really have to flinch because of the pain,” she said.

Carner said she aggravated the injury twice before the final round began.

“I pulled a muscle on the practicing tee last night and again this morning,” she said. “The trainer gave me an ultrasound treatment and massaged it, but I really didn’t know what to expect.”

Carner was forced to change her strategy. Instead of counting on long drives, the Lake Worth, Fla., golfer concentrated on short putts to protect her lead.

“I usually shoulder putt, but I couldn’t even do that,” she said. “I had to go lower and use my wrist a lot.”

Carner, who won this LPGA event in 1982, felt assured of the title after No. 15 when Janet Coles got a triple-bogey on the par-4 hole--although the champion bogeyed the hole herself.

Tied for third place at 287 were Lauri Rinker, after a closing-round 69, and Coles and Alice Miller with 72s.