Golf Roundup : Hammel’s Effort Is Good Enough

Penny Hammel began play Sunday looking to finish in the top three and qualify for next year’s Dinah Shore tournament at Rancho Mirage. But she ended up tying the course record with a 65 to beat Nancy Lopez and win the $175,000 LPGA Jamie Farr Toledo tournament at Toledo, Ohio.

Hammel’s seven-under-par 65 tied the course record set last year by defending champion Lauri Peterson. Hammel, 23, ended up with a four-day total of 10-under 278 to win $26,250. It was her first major tournament victory.

“To tell you the truth, my biggest goal was to get into the top three so I could get into the Dinah Shore,” Hammel said.

Hammel, a non-exempt rookie from Decatur, Ill., began the final round in a tie for sixth, two strokes behind co-leaders Lopez and Lauren Howe. Lopez finished second after shooting 68 for a 279 total. She earned $16,187 for second.

Lee Elder, who was going to retire from golf three years ago, won his second straight Seniors tournament, taking the $30,000 first prize in the Senior PGA Digital tournament at Concord, Mass.

The 51-year-old Elder defeated Jerry Barber and Don January with a 12-foot birdie putt on the first sudden-death hole after shooting an eagle on the 18th to climb into a three-way tie for the top at the end of the regulation 54 holes.

Elder, who shot 73-67-68--208, had started the final round on the 6,518-yard Nashawtuc Country Club course two strokes behind Barber, the leader.

Barber and January collected $16,500 for finishing in second-place tie.

At Tokyo, defending champion Tatsuko Osako of Japan shot an even-par 72 for a six-under-par 210 total and won the $147,000 Recruit-Travail Cup Championship by four strokes. Osako, 33, earned $25,000.

At Stockholm, Australian Ian Baker-Finch shot a last round six-under-par 66 to win the $170,000 Scandinavian Open. Baker-Finch, 24, finished with a 72-hole total of 274--two shots ahead of his fellow Australian Graham Marsh (71). It was Baker-Finch’s first win on the European tour.

Johnny Miller finished in a three-way tie for third.