Walker’s Birdie on 18 Gives Her a Major Victory

Colleen Walker’s answer was quick when she was asked how long it had been since she won an LPGA tournament.

“Five years and a baby,” Walker said Sunday at Oakville, Canada, after pulling away from a crowded leader board with a near-record final round of eight-under-par 65 to finish a four-day 14-under 278 and win the du Maurier Classic by two strokes over Liselotte Neumann of Sweden.

Walker’s last victory was in 1992, and last October she gave birth to a son.

Walker had eight birdies, including 20-foot putts on Nos. 7 and 18.

Neumann parred the final four holes in shooting a 69 and finished at 280, one stroke in front of Betsy King, who closed with a 69, and Kelly Robbins, who had a 72.

*

Phil Mickelson cruised to victory in the Sprint International at Castle Rock, Colo., and secured a Ryder Cup berth in the process.

Mickelson had five birdies and a bogey in his final round--worth nine points under the modified Stableford scoring system used in this event--and finished with 48 points for a seven-point winning margin over Stuart Appleby.

Mickelson’s victory was worth 150 Ryder Cup points, vaulting him to from ninth to fifth place, behind Tiger Woods, Tom Lehman, Justin Leonard and Jim Furyk.

Mickelson set tournament scoring records for 36 holes (27 points) and 54 holes (39 points).

*

Hale Irwin birdied the last two holes for a two-stroke win over Jerry McGee and Bob Wynn in the BankBoston Classic at Concord, Mass.

Irwin had dropped into a three-way tie with McGee and Wynn when he bogeyed the 16th hole. But the closing birdies gave Irwin a closing five-under-par 67, a 54-hole total of 13-under 203 and his sixth victory this year.

*

South Africa’s Gary Player, 62, won his 162nd professional title, closing with a two-under-par 70 for a nine-under 207 total and a one-stroke victory over Spain’s Jose Maria Canizares and England’s David Creamer in the Wentworth Senior Masters at Virginia Water, England.