GOLF ROUNDUP : Kiggens’ First Victory Denies King

Lisa Kiggens made a 12-foot birdie putt on the final hole Sunday at Rochester, N.Y., to win the LPGA Rochester International for her first tour victory, postponing Betsy King’s entry into the Hall of Fame.

Kiggens, at 21 the second-youngest player on the tour, fired a career-best six-under 66 for a 15-under 273 total, one ahead of Dawn Coe-Jones, who shot 67, and two in front of King, who had a 69.

“I never looked at the (leader) board all day,” Kiggens said. “I didn’t know where I stood. I didn’t know I really had to make that putt on the last hole, and I think it helped me.

“I figured if I didn’t look at the board . . . I wouldn’t put any added pressure on myself.”

Kiggens had missed the cut in five of 12 tournaments this year. Her previous best finish in three years on tour was second place in the Oldsmobile Classic at East Lansing, Mich., two weeks ago.

Her first-place finish at the Locust Hill Country Club was worth $75,000 and pushed her career earnings to $217,148.

King, who was atop the leader board after each of the first three rounds, missed a short putt for birdie on the par-five 17th. She is one victory short of the 30 tournament victories that would gain her automatic entry into the Hall of Fame.

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Lee Trevino won the BellSouth Senior Classic by a stroke when runner-up Dave Stockton bogeyed the final hole at Nashville, Tenn.

But Trevino’s one-shot lead and a six-figure payday appeared doomed earlier as a shot at No. 11 headed for the water.

The ball hit the water, all right, but it didn’t sink. It skipped--twice--and ended up on a bank.

Given a reprieve, Trevino dropped a par putt--from 40 feet.

“When something like that happens,” Trevino said, “you feel like it’s your day.

“When I did that, I felt like it was my tournament. Not only do you have to hit the shots, but you have to have some luck.”

Trevino, who closed with a five-under 67, completed 54 holes at 199 for his sixth tournament victory of the season.

Stockton, who shot a 69 and finished at 200, couldn’t believe what happened at No. 11.

“I asked him if he thought God was a Mexican,” Stockton said.

“He was getting pretty good luck before that, but that sealed it.”