In Victory Comes Fame for Inkster

Julie Inkster became the 17th member of the LPGA Hall of Fame on Sunday, dominating the final round of the $800,000 Safeway LPGA Golf Championship at Portland, Ore., to win by six strokes.

She shot a two-under-par 70 and led the 54-hole tournament almost from the beginning, finishing at nine-under 207. Tina Barrett and 1998 U.S. amateur champion Grace Park tied for second.

After hitting her approach shot within 12 feet on the final hole, Inkster three-putted, then received a champagne shower from other players.

“It’s great to have your peers there and rooting you on,” Inkster said. “I think a lot of people were pulling for me, which really makes it nice.”

Inkster won her fifth tournament of the year and 22nd of her career. The 22 victories, five of which are majors, gave her the 27 points required for Hall admittance.

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Duffy Waldorf won the Texas Open for a second time after making a 45-foot birdie putt to defeat Ted Tryba on the first hole of a playoff at San Antonio. With the victory, Waldorf, who shot a four-under 68 to finish with an 18-under 270, received $360,000. He also won the Texas Open in 1995. . . . Gil Morgan shot a seven-under 63 to win the $1.4 million Kroger Senior Classic at Mason, Ohio. Morgan had a three-round total of 198.