Okamoto Triumphs in LPGA : Birdie Putt on 18 by Defending Champ Tops Colleen Walker

Ayako Okamoto said Colleen Walker had a “perfect putting stroke” Sunday and that she was watching Walker’s hands to see what she was doing.

How ironic.

It was Walker’s putter that deserted her on key putts of four feet on the 16th hole and three feet on the 17th hole of the $225,000 San Diego Inamori Classic at StoneRidge Country Club.

Those putts, which Walker said went off the heel of her putter, combined with a birdie on the 17th hole by Okamoto--set up by a beautiful 90-foot chip that hit the pin--gave Okamoto a one-stroke victory over Walker.

Okamoto overcame a one-shot deficit in the final three holes and shot a 69 for a 12-under 272 to win in San Diego for the second straight year. It was her tour-leading second victory of the season and moved her to the top of the money list with earnings of $125,301.

Meanwhile, Walker was a runner-up for the second straight week. Last week, she finished two strokes back of Amy Alcott in the Nabisco Dinah Shore.

“This is a little more disappointing because I three-putted two holes coming in,” said Walker, who resides in Brandon, Fla. “I hit the ball well, but I’m disappointed over the putts.”

And over not being able to win a tournament this year.

Walker leads the LPGA tour with six Top-10 finishes this year. She is third on the money list with $105,498.

Walker has shot a tour-leading 16 rounds under par. She has placed in the top eight in five consecutive tournaments.

But Walker is still in search of only her second career victory in seven years on the tour. She won the 1987 Mayflower Classic.

Heading into the 16th hole, Walker said she “felt good, but I wouldn’t say confident.”

If there was any time the reserved Walker would have felt confident, this was it. Walker had birdied No. 16 and No. 18 in the first round and had birdied No. 17 in the previous three rounds.

“I thought maybe Colleen would make one mistake, but not two,” Okamoto said through Margie Kato, her manager and interpreter. “But I really felt I would have to catch up to have a chance of winning.”

So what happened?

Walker three-putted and missed a four-foot putt for par on the par-three 169-yard 16th hole.

Then, after Okamoto birdied the 17th hole, Walker three-putted and missed a three-foot putt for a birdie on the par-five 448-yard 17th hole.

“I hit both (putts) in the heel of the putter,” Walker said. “On the first one, I don’t know if I hit it quick. I pulled up on it too quick.”

And when Walker gave her an opening, the opportunistic Okamoto showed her poise and experience.

Okamoto said that playing head-to-head with Walker in a match play type of competition was “very difficult for her.” But she felt it was “better to chase someone than to be chased.” Okamoto parred No. 16 to tie Walker at 11-under. Then she birdied No. 17 after chipping a nine-iron from 90-feet that hit the pin and bounced to within a foot of the hole.

She led by a stroke over Walker and two strokes over veteran Judy Dickinson, who played alongside Okamoto and Walker, and who finished in third.

Dickinson was three or four shots back of the leader for most of the afternoon, but after getting an eagle on No. 17 with an eight-foot putt, she trailed Okamoto by just two strokes, which is where she finished after parring No. 18.

On the par-three, 173-yard No. 18, Walker’s tee shot rolled downhill after hitting the green and landed 20 feet from the hole. Her birdie attempt fell two feet short.

“It hit something,” Walker said. “It bounced up in the air.”

Okamoto’s tee shot on No. 18 landed 22 feet from the hole. Her birdie attempt was to within two feet of the hole, and she tapped in for par and the victory.

The victory surprised Okamoto, who tied for 35th at the Nabisco Dinah Shore last week and said she felt sluggish the first two days (69-71) this week. But then she took a one-stroke lead over Walker with eight birdies and a tournament record 63 Saturday.

“When she started today, she was almost sure Colleen would win because Colleen’s been through hard times and has the experience,” Kato said, interpreting for Okamoto.

Okamoto three-putted the first hole Sunday for a bogey to pull back into a tie with Walker. Walker birdied the third hole to take a one-stroke lead, but gave it back with a bogey on No. 4. Walker birdied the fifth and sixth holes and Okamoto birdied the sixth and seventh holes so they were tied after the front nine at 11-under.

On the back nine, Walker took a one shot lead with a birdie on No. 13, but then came her bogey on No. 16. Okamoto had eight pars and a birdie on No. 17.

And she defended the title she won in last year’s Kyocera Inamori Classic with a one-stroke victory over Betsy King.

When asked what she will remember most about her win this week, Okamoto said through Kato: “Why I play so well when there is a Japanese sponsor.”

Okamoto, last year’s leading money winner with $466,034, also became the first woman to win two events on the LPGA tour this season. Okamoto won the Orient Leasing Hawaiian Ladies Open.

For Okamoto, 37, this was her 13th career tour victory in eight years. For Walker, 31, capturing the top spot has proved to be elusive--particularly this year when she continues to be in the hunt, week in and week out.

“Like I said all week, I’m going to be patient,” said Walker, who will play in the Ai Star/Centinela in Los Angeles this week. “You never know what will happen next week.”