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Inkster's 65 Leads Women's British Open

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By ROBERT MILLWARD The Associated Press

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 1, 2008

SUNNINGDALE, England - Juli Inkster had the sort of opening round Annika Sorenstam was hoping for at the Women's British Open, a bogey-free 7-under 65 that left the 48-year-old American one shot ahead of the field.

While Sorenstam struggled to a 72 in what the Swede says is her final major before she quits tournament golf at the end of the season to start a family, Inkster went out among the earliest in the field to shoot an eagle and five birdies. Her 65 matched the lowest opening round at a Women's British Open.

Inkster, whose last major title was the 2002 Women's U.S. Open, is a stroke ahead of seven players - Ji-Yai Shin, Ji Young Oh, Yuri Fudoh, Momoko Ueda, Jo Head, Laura Diaz and Stacy Prammanasudh. Defending champion Lorena Ochoa was three strokes behind.

Inkster's opening round gives her a realistic hope of becoming the oldest winner of a major and the second player to complete a career Super Slam.

That's the Kraft Nabisco, LPGA Championship, U.S. Open, British Open and the now defunct du Maurier, a combination only Karrie Webb has completed. Not even Sorenstam can do that, because she missed out on the du Maurier.

A win in Sunningdale also would mean that Inkster would have gone a women's-record 24 years between her first major - the 1984 Kraft Nabisco and du Maurier - and her last. Jack Nicklaus went 24 years between his first and last majors - the 1962 U.S. Open and 1986 Masters.

While Sorenstam's decade of domination has brought 10 majors and 72 tournament victories, the product of a fiercely competitive nature and ability to grind out results, Inkster said her own longevity reflects something else.

"I always thought I would play about five years and have a couple of kids and retire," said Inkster, a mother of two teenagers. "I'm kind of unique. I really love the game, and I go out and play for fun. I think with Annika it's a lot of hard work. Every time she tees it up she's expected to win. Her work ethic is just grind, grind, work out, hit balls.

"I don't think Annika could come out here and finish 15th on the money list and live with herself. Me, I'm OK with that. I enjoy what I do. I love playing golf, but it's not the end of the world for me."

Inkster acknowledged she was getting close to retirement.

"I'm not sure that I'm going to play next year, but I have plans to finish out this year and then I'm going to re-evaluate and see."

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