Consistency Pays Off for Davies

Karrie Webb needed only two rounds to reach 11-under in the du Maurier Classic. Laura Davies used every bit of the 72 holes to get there.

Avoiding the inconsistency that derailed front-runners Webb and Meg Mallon, Davies shot a fourth under-par round, a six-under-par 66 on Sunday for a two-stroke victory at Edmonton, Canada in the final women’s major championship of the year.

“It was meant to be. It was one of those days,” said the 32-year-old English star, who added the title to previous major victories in the 1987 U.S. Open and the 1994 and 1996 LPGA Championship.

Davies left the Edmonton Country Club with $150,000 and the lead on the money list with $626,491.

Webb shot a 72 and Nancy Lopez closed with a 71 to tie for second.

“I knew what I had to do. I felt really good out there today,” said Lopez, winless since the 1993 Youngstown-Warren LPGA Classic. “I thought I had a chance. I haven’t felt that way for a long time.”

Webb, a 21-year-old Australian who has won two tournaments this year, took a four-stroke lead into the third round, but shot a 74 on Saturday to drop a stroke behind Mallon.

Mallon slipped in the final round, shooting a 74 to finish three back at 280.

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The old adage about tournaments not beginning until the final nine holes didn’t hold up in the Buick Open at Grand Blanc, Mich. Justin Leonard had his first victory locked up a lot sooner.

Leonard, who shot four-under-par 68 on Sunday for 22-under 266 total, beat Chip Beck by five strokes to become the seventh first-time winner on the PGA Tour this season.

The 24-year-old Texan played the front nine at Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club in four-under 32, opening a six-stroke lead over the rest of the field. After that, it was just a pleasant walk on a sunny afternoon.

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Dave Eichelberger, struggling all year on the Senior PGA Tour, outdueled local favorite Jim Colbert on Sunday for a two-stroke victory in the VFW Senior Championship at Belton, Mo.

Eichelberger, 52, who also won the 1994 Quicksilver Classic, shot a two-under-par 68, closing with a birdie on the tough par-four 18th hole after hitting his approach to three feet. He had a 10-under 200 total.

Lee Trevino, who started the day eight off the pace, eagled the par-five 13th to get within a stroke of the leaders at seven-under. But he dropped back with a bogey on the 14th and wound up with a 66 and a six-under 204 for the tournament to tie for third with Dave Stockton.