GOLF ROUNDUP : Daniel’s Par Enough for Victory in Hawaii

Beth Daniel shot even-par 72 and held on as the competition stalled Saturday to post a three-stroke victory in the $350,000 Hawaiian Ladies Open.

Daniel finished the 54-hole tournament at six-under-par after shooting two birdies and two bogeys on the rain-soaked 6,206-yard Ko Olina Golf Club course on Oahu’s west shore.

She earned $52,500 for the victory, her 19th on the LPGA Tour.

Daniel hit 17 greens but was left with few easy birdie putts.

“I drove the ball extremely well today, but I couldn’t get my irons that close,” Daniel said.

Benz and Patty Sheehan tied for second. Benz shot 73 and Sheehan 71.

The International team won two of four matches against the United States in the Chrysler Cup at Sarasota, Fla., surprising both teams.

“We’re doing a little better than I thought,” International team captain Gary Player said. “There’s a little light at the end of the tunnel, and it ain’t a train, either.”

The International pairings of Bob Charles-Bruce Devlin and Harold Henning-Roberto DeVicenzo won their team better-ball stroke play matches. U.S. winners were Lee Trevino-Chi Chi Rodriguez and Miller Barber-Al Geiberger.

With each victory worth seven points, the split left the U.S. seniors ahead 26-18 going into today’s final round at the Tournament Players Club.

The International team can regain the cup by winning five of the eight individual stroke play matches Sunday, which will be worth five points each. The U.S. team needs at least three wins and a tie for a victory.

Rain forced cancellation of the third round of the Hong Kong Open, and tournament director Harry Murdoch said the event would be shortened to 54 holes.

American Ken Green is the 36-hole leader at nine-under-par 133.

Murdoch said that the rain and the poor state of the 6,760-yard Royal Hong Kong Golf Club course forced the reduction to three rounds.