Dinah Shore Golf Tournament : Inkster Isn’t Enjoying Role as Front-Runner

Juli Inkster says it’s extremely hard to win a tournament as a front-runner, adding, “That’s why I can’t watch the leader board.”

Others in the field of the $500,000 LPGA Nabisco Dinah Shore tournament at Mission Hills Country Club might disagree.

Inkster is threatening to run away with the tournament. She shot a 69 Friday after a first-round 66 Thursday and is nine under par after 36 holes.

More significant, she has a four-shot lead over Beth Daniel, her closest pursuer.

The desert heat hasn’t taken its toll on Inkster, 28, who won the Dinah Shore tournament in 1984.

“On the back side I was tired, but it wasn’t the sun,” Inkster said. “I just have a cold, but I had a lot of fluids and stayed relaxed.”

Starting on the 10th tee, Inkster quickly extended her two-shot lead with birdies on the 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th holes. She had a bogey at the 15th hole, but birdied the 17th for a score of 32 at the turn, and then had two bogeys and a birdie at No. 4 on her back side.

“I played really well today,” Inkster said. “I made some putts and hit a lot of greens. I was aggressive and confident.

“It’s good when you can shoot 66 and then come back and shoot in the 60s again.”

Inkster said that her caddy, Worth Blackwelder, husband of Myra Blackwelder, who is in the field, told her to stay relaxed with his soothing Southern accent.

“He’s from Kentucky, but he is a real Duke fan,” Inkster said. “He kept telling me, ‘Coach K (Duke basketball Coach Mike Krzyzewski) would say to remain calm, plug away and not put on the full-court press yet.”

Inkster is, of course, aware that she has a substantial lead, but she doesn’t want to dwell on it.

“No tournament is ever a runaway,” she said. “I’m going to play like I’m trying to catch up, instead of being ahead.”

Inkster’s husband, Brian, the pro at the Los Altos Country Club, is in the gallery. But he’s trying to stay away from his wife.

“Brian stays as far away from me as he can,” Inkster said. “He’s a hole ahead of me. He’s my No. 1 fan and supporter whether I do good or bad. He’s also my teacher.”

Inkster has 11 career victories, three last year, since she joined the tour in 1983. When she won here in 1984, she beat Pat Bradley in a sudden death playoff.

That tournament is distinguished for NBC-TV halting play for about 10 minutes because the women were playing too fast.

Bradley, a leader at the time, was fuming, eventually losing to Inkster in the playoff.

Inkster was 10 under par Friday when she reached the par-four seventh hole. Her drive strayed to the right, landing in the rough in front of a fairway bunker, about 170 yards from the green. Then, she hit a six-iron that found the green, where she two-putted for her par on the 383-yard hole.

She lost a stroke on the par-three, 166-yard eighth hole by three-putting. However, she recovered to get her par on the 508-yard ninth hole.

“When I’ve won I’ve usually done it by coming from behind,” Inkster said. “I’m very much of a momentum player and it takes me a while to get going.”

Daniel, who shot a two-under 70 for a 36-hole total of 139, said she was shaky at the outset of her round and uncomfortable.

She had reason to be after getting a double bogey on the third hole, a par-four of 406 yards.

“From that hole on I played four under par,” Daniel said. “It (the round) could have been disastrous.”

Daniel, who is battling a viral infection, said she still has a fever, adding, “The heat isn’t helping matters.”

Asked why no one is apparently charging at the leader, Daniel said: “I thought the course played extremely difficult today. The pin placements were much tougher.

“Also, Juli has a history of playing well in majors. They turn her on.”

However, Daniel doesn’t believe that Inkster’s four-stroke lead is insurmountable.

“Not the way this course is playing,” she said. “On one day if you’re not hitting your driver well and hit it into the rough, you’d have a tough time putting it on the green.”

Daniel also said that it’s an advantage to follow an afternoon round with a morning round as Inkster has done because momentum can be sustained.

Daniel will be playing with Inkster today and she says she’ll ignore the leader.

“I’m not going to sit and watch her and be in awe,” Daniel said. “I don’t normally watch other people in my group.”

Golf Notes

Amy Alcott, the defending champion, faltered to a 78 Friday after shooting a 71 (149) Thursday. . . . Nancy Lopez is at 147 (72-75). . . . Tammy Green, who shot a 68 for a 36-hole total of 140, is alone in third place.