Two Friends Tied After 72 Holes : Golf: Inkster and Sheehan will compete for U.S. Women’s Open championship in 18-hole playoff today.

The magic number was two in the final round of the U.S. Women’s Open.

Two good friends, Juli Inkster and Patty Sheehan, were marching up the 17th fairway on Sunday when the approach of a storm caused a delay of 1 hour 45 minutes.

On their return, two shots separated them with two holes to play.

Sheehan rolled in two birdie putts on the last two rain-soaked greens, catching Inkster with a 15-footer on the 18th, and setting up an 18-hole playoff today.

“I’ve had my chances before and let them get away,” said Sheehan, who blew a nine-shot lead in this event in 1990. “I just decided it was about time I showed some guts.”

She did, coming back from the brink of extinction to push the weather-plagued tournament to a fifth day.

“She made two great putts,” Inkster said. “My hat’s off to her.”

The two entered the final round in a tie at two under par, each shot a two-under 69 and finished regulation play at four-under 280 on the longest, most difficult course the women have encountered.

It was a head-to-head struggle between Inkster and Sheehan, playing together in the final twosome, throughout the day.

Donna Andrews was alone in third at 284 after a round of 70. Defending champion Meg Mallon was next at 70-287.

Dottie Mochrie, Michelle McGann and Canadian Gail Graham were at 289. Mochrie shot a 73, McGann a 74 and Graham a 75.

Inkster built a three-shot lead after Sheehan got away to a bogey-bogey start.

But on the 10th, Sheehan dropped a 25-foot birdie putt and Inkster three-putted for bogey, a two-shot swing that cut Inkster’s lead to one.

However, Sheehan bogeyed the par-five 12th after getting her second shot into a fairway bunker and the margin was back to two.

Sheehan’s 15-footer on the 15th trimmed it to one again, but she gave it right back with a three-putt bogey on the 16th. That put her two behind with two to go.

Both had driven the fairway on the 17th when the siren sounded, halting play.

Sheehan had to make two birdies to have a chance against the methodical Inkster, who missed only one fairway and one green.

The first test came on the 17th. After Inkster had lipped out a 12-footer that would have clinched it, Sheehan rolled in the 10-footer.

On the long 18th, Inkster drove the fairway and Sheehan was in light rough. But she got a drop from casual water and was back in the fairway.

Inkster hit a five-iron to about 18 feet and Sheehan hit the same club inside, to about 15 feet.

Inkster left her birdie putt about a foot short and Sheehan, the lines of strain clearly visible in her face, lined up the putt she had to have.

“My last thought,” she said, “was ‘get the damn thing to the hole.’ ”