Stanford Ends 0-for-56 Slide

1 Who’s hot: Angela Stanford, winner of the ShopRite LPGA Classic in New Jersey, who almost made it back-to-back triumphs at the U.S. Open. Before those two weeks, Stanford was winless in 56 starts.... Juli Inkster (third in New Jersey, eighth at the Open, second in last week’s Canadian Open).

2 Who’s not: Karrie Webb, at least by her standards. Webb missed the Open cut for the second year in a row and was never a factor in Canada.... Seven-time tour winner Michelle McGann, 138th on the money list.

3 Biggest surprises: Korea’s Jeong Jang (five top 10s), who might have won the Open if not for an eight on the par-three fifth hole. In her previous two years, Jang recorded three top 10s.... Becky Morgan, 13th on the money list. Morgan, in her third year on the tour, has never finished better than 80th.

4 Biggest disappointments: Solheim Cup member Emilee Klein, 86th on the money list.... Three-time tour winner Dorothy Delasin, with only two top 10s in 15 appearances.

5 Best round: Hilary Lunke’s one-under-par 70 to win the 18-hole Open playoff against Stanford and Kelly Robbins.... Hall of Famer Beth Daniel’s closing 68 in Canada, leading to her first triumph since 1995. At 46, she became the oldest to win an LPGA event.

6 Worst round: A 75 by Scotland’s Mhairi McKay in the third round of the Open. McKay, the leader by four shots at the halfway mark, followed with another 75 on Sunday.... Also, in the Open’s third round, Inkster’s 74, which included five bogeys in seven holes on the back nine.

7 Best shot under pressure: Lunke’s 15-foot winning putt at the Open, capping a magical week.... Stanford’s two remarkable birdie putts at 18, in regulation and the playoff, also deserve notice.

8 Worst shot under pressure: Annika Sorenstam’s second at the Open’s par-five, 72nd hole, reminiscent of Greg Norman’s block in the final round of the 1986 Masters. All Sorenstam needed was a birdie, and she could have earned her third Open title and first since 1996.

9 Coming attractions: The last major of the season, the Women’s British Open at Royal Lytham & St. Annes in England. Webb, the defending champion, will have a chance to salvage a disappointing 2003.

Michael Arkush

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LPGA Tour at a Glance

RESULTS

*--* Date Tournament Champion Jan. 25-26 ConAgra LPGA Skins Game Karrie Webb March 13-16 Welch’s/Fry’s Championship Wendy Doolan March 20-23 Safeway Ping Presented by Yoplait Se Ri Pak March 27-30 Kraft Nabisco Championship P. Meunier-Lebouc April 4-6 Office Depot Hosted by Amy Alcott Annika Sorenstam April 17-20 LPGA Takefuji Classic Candie Kung April 25-27 Chick-fil-A Charity Championship Se Ri Pak hosted by Nancy Lopez May 1-4 Michelob Light Open at Kingsmill Grace Park May 8-11 Asahi Ryokuken Int. Championship at Rosie Jones Mount Vintage May 22-25 LPGA Corning Classic Juli Inkster May 30-June 1 Kellogg-Keebler Classic Annika Sorenstam June 5-8 McDonald’s Championship Presented Annika Sorenstam by AIG June 13-15 Giant Eagle Classic Rachel Teske June 19-22 Wegmans Rochester LPGA Rachel Teske June 27-29 ShopRite Classic Angela Stanford July 3-6 U.S. Women’s Open Hilary Lunke July 10-13 BMO Financial Group Canadian Beth Daniel Women’s Open

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UPCOMING EVENTS

*--* July 17-20 Sybase Big Apple Classic Gloria Park (D) July 23-26 Evian Masters Annika Sorenstam (D) July 31-Aug. 3 Weetabix Women’s British Open Karrie Webb (D) Aug. 8-10 Wendy’s Championship for Mi Hyun Kim (D) Children at Tartan Fields Aug. 14-17 Jamie Farr Kroger Classic Rachel Teske (D)

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LPGA Money Leaders

*--* No Player Event Money 1 Annika Sorenstam 10 $1,214,063 2 Grace Park 14 $825,468 3 Se Ri Pak 13 $725,446 4 Hilary Lunke 14 $599,208 5 Juli Inkster 13 $573,897 6 Lorena Ochoa 13 $558,119 7 P. Meunier-Lebouc 12 $556,467 8 Angela Stanford 12 $555,540 9 Rachel Teske 14 $539,166 10 Rosie Jones 12 $536,162

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