Daniel Overtakes Meyers on the Final Two Holes

Throughout the LPGA Kyocera Inamori tournament, Beth Daniel was able to turn negative events into positive thoughts.

“I’d say that was the story of the tournament for me,” said Daniel, who struggled to make 18 pars on Sunday and shot a two-under 286 to win her first LPGA tournament in 20 months.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to death,” Daniel said. “I feel like I’ve got a monkey off my back. Every time I’d get in contention, I’d wonder if this was going to be the time.”

Thanks to her consistency and a couple of gifts from Pat Meyers on the final two holes, this was Daniel’s week.

While Daniel parred the final three holes, Meyers surrendered a one-stroke lead by going birdie, bogey, and double bogey.

On the final hole, Meyers pulled a five-iron into the water on her second shot.

That’s the primary reason Meyers finished two strokes behind Daniel, and why she drank beer and Daniel sipped champagne after Sunday’s final round at the Fairbanks Ranch Country Club.

With earlier challengers Amy Alcott and Betsy King out of the chase, the battle for the $26,250 first prize came down to Daniel and Meyers, tied for the lead at two-under par after 15 holes.

On the par-five 16th hole, Meyers sank a 20-foot birdie putt. It was the second day in a row that Meyers had birdied the 16th hole, and it suddenly put the pressure on Daniel, who had bogeyed 16 on Saturday.

“I hit what I thought what was an excellent putt,” said Daniel, but the six-footer slid just past the cup. She made a par, and trailed in the tournament for only the second time since the front nine in the opening round.

Meyers, whose only tour victory came at the Greater Baltimore Open in 1979 and whose top finish this year had been a tie for 10th in the GNA tournament three weeks ago, quickly gave up the lead.

“After missing the birdie putt on 16,” said Bill Buskey, Daniel’s caddy, “Beth said ‘I can’t be mad just because the putt didn’t break.’ ”

She wasn’t mad, but she was even more aggressive than normal.

She used a driver to blast her tee shot on the par-four, 380-foot 17th hole. Meyers, who said she was really trying to make another birdie on 17 and take a commanding lead, hit her tee shot into the right rough.

Meyers left her second shot short of the green, and chipped three-feet past the hole for what appeared to be a relatively easy putt for par. Daniel also had about a three-foot putt for par.

That’s when Buskey proved that a caddy does a lot more than just carry golf clubs.

“I told Beth to just mark the ball,” Buskey said, “and to let Pat putt first. The last time Meyers had a one-stroke lead, funny things happened, and for some reason, I had a funny feeling Meyers would miss the putt.”

She did. The putt rimmed the cup, and when Daniel calmly made her putt for par, it was new ballgame.

“I was a little upset after 17 and I knew 18 was such a demanding hole,” Meyers said.

Daniel blasted another aggressive drive on 18, and Meyers hit her drive just short of the bunker.

It was Meyers’ next shot that she, Daniel, and the announced crowd of 7,200 will remember for a long time.

“I really thought it would catch the left front part of the green,” Meyers said. “I couldn’t believe it when it hit the water.”

A couple of moments later, Meyers finished with a six and Daniel two-putted for par and the victory.