US GOLF
BARELY four months after contracting a debilitating illness, D A Weibring staged a remarkable comeback to win the Greater Hartford Open emphatically in Hartford, Connecticut, yesterday.
Weibring shot a closing three-under-par 67 to clinch a four-stroke victory over fellow American Tom Kite in intermittent drizzle at the River Highlands TPC. He finished at 10-under 270 for his fifth victory on the US Tour, but his first outside the state of Illinois, where he was born.
Golf was the last thing on Weibring's mind when he awoke on February 26 with the right half of his face paralysed. He had Bell's palsy, which can last between three weeks and six months, and recur without warning. Even today he still has some sensitivity in his right eye.
But his golfing ability never left him, as he showed by dusting off the field yesterday to collect $270,000.
Weibring, 43, bogeyed the first hole, but that was his only mistake, and four birdies on the back nine put the competition away. ``It was a very emotional week,'' Weibring said. ``I was determined to stay in the present, and not worry about consequences.'' Final scores (US unless stated):
270 - D A Weibring 68, 65, 70, 67.
274 - Tom Kite 72 68, 66, 68.
275 - Dicky Pride 70, 70, 68, 67; Fuzzy Zoeller 75, 66, 66, 68; Mark Calcavecchia 71, 67, 68, 69.
276 - Joel Edwards 70, 70, 68, 68; Mike Brisky 71, 72, 63, 70.
Other notables: 283 - John Daly 68, 74, 70, 71. 284 - Jesper Parnevik (Sweden) 72, 69, 73, 70. 285 - Paul Azinger 69, 74, 72, 70.
q AMY Benz self-destructed with a closing five-over 76 and failed to win her first LPGA event in some 13 years on tour while Dottie Pepper turned it into her second victory in as many weeks by capturing the ShopRite Classic by four strokes on a rainy Sunday in Somers Point, New Jersey.
Pepper shot a two-under-par 69 in a final round that was twice suspended for a total of five hours by rain. She finished in darkness with a tournament-record 11-under 202 total in becoming the first player to win consecutive events since Britain's Laura Davies in 1994.
Marianne Morris, Swede Annika Sorenstam, and Michelle McGann tied for third on 207, a stroke behind Benz.
q ISAO Aoki shot a five-under-par 66 yesterday, pulling away from the field with three consecutive birdies and an eagle on the front nine for a five-stroke victory in the Kroger Senior Classic in Mason, Ohio.
Aoki, who had opened with a 63, finished at 15-under 198, with defending champion Mike Hill and Rocky Thompson tying for second on 203. Aoki won $135,000 for earnings this year of $828,008, second only to Hale Irwin.
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