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Lincicome has tough finish in Arizona event

By DAVE THEALL
Published March 22, 2005

Golf can be such a cruel game.

Brittany Lincicome shot a brilliant 6-under 66 in Saturday's third round of the LPGA Safeway International in Arizona to move into a tie for fourth place, a stroke behind tournament favorite Annika Sorenstam .

But the fourth day on the desert course in Superstition Mountain, playing in the same two-some with the queen of women's golf, did not result in a happy ending for the 19-year-old Seminole rookie.

Lincicome hit two errant shots into the sandy desert on the front nine, which led to a double bogey on the par-4 fourth hole and triple on the par-4 seventh. One other bogey going out resulted in a 6-over 42.

She settled down to come in shooting 1-over 37 by birdieing the par-5 18th for a 79. That left her in a six-way tie for 20th - good for $15,410, her biggest pro payday.

In the four rounds, Lincicome averaged 14 greens in regulation, 31 putts and 270 yards with her driver.

She did finish a stroke ahead of reigning U.S. Women's Open champion Meg Mallon and rookie Paula Creamer of California, another teenage phenom who's a strong rookie of the year candidate.

LPGA SAFEWAY NOTES: Lincicome was tied with LPGA Hall of Famer Juli Inkster at 8-under 208 after the third round.

One of them had to be paired with Sorenstam in the next-to-last group, and it was Lincicome. Mexico's Lorena Ochoa and Soo-Yun Kang of Korea, first and second after 54 holes, were the final pair.

Television commentator Dottie Pepper said that playing with Sorenstam, the world's No.1 golfer most of the past 10 years, may not have been to Lincicome's advantage Sunday.

"But later on down the road, the experience of playing with Annika will prove to be beneficial," Pepper said.

Tampa's Dawn Coe-Jones struggled in the final round. Winds were in the 15-20 mph range, and she shot 76 for a 3-over 291.

Sorenstam made up a four-stroke deficit over the final three holes to tie Ochoa, then survived the first playoff hole for her 58th tour victory. Sorenstam is the tour's all-time money leader with more than $15-million.

TAMPA BAY FUTURES: Clearwater's Jenny Gleason had her best round of the tour's visit to East Lake Woodlands in Sunday's finale.

Playing on her home course, Gleason finished strong with three birdies on the back nine for a 1-under 71 and share of 18th place. Her last birdie, on the 166-yard par-3 17th, was the most dramatic. A tee shot settled pin high on the left, 18 feet away from the cup but on a slope.

Meredith Duncan , an opponent in her threesome, then landed a tee shot to within an inch of Gleason's. Duncan's attempt missed wide right.

Seeing how severely the put broke, Gleason went 2 feet high and witnessed her putt slowly but acutely curl toward and into the cup for Birdie 2.

For the day, Gleason had four birdies and three bogeys.

"Overall I'm pleased, but I left a lot of strokes out there," said the 24-year-old Gleason, a former Clearwater High School and UNC-Greensboro player.

"It wasn't a great round," she said. "My short game saved me as usual, and I hit some good iron shots."

FUTURES NOTES: Gleason's caddie was Julie Tormeno .

She played for Countryside High the same four years Gleason was a prep at Clearwater. Tormeno went to Florida State and now teaches in a Brandon elementary school.

Gleason will play in the LPGA official developmental tour's third match of the season, the Jalapeno Classic, April 21-24 in McAllen, Texas.

The tour then moves to El Paso for the IOS Futures.

East Lake Woodlands member Tom Jewell headed the winning team in Wednesday's Pro Am.

Contributing to the rain-shortened 7-under 29 victory were David Smith and Tommy Throng of Lake Jovita and 11-year-old Dakoda Dowd of Clearwater. As a sixth-grader, Dowd was a member of Northside Christian's state championship team last fall.

"She's amazing," Jewell said. "I never saw anyone that young play so well."

The group's pro was Canada's Jan Dowling , who may be seen regularly on the Golf Channel's Big Break III Challenge Show.

STATE TITLE: Gulfport's Felix Bertucci was the medalist in Friday's Florida State Seniors qualifier in Lakeland. He crafted a 1-under 71 to advance to the championship, April 12-14 in Ocala.

PINELLAS INTERCLUB: Cypress Run Country Club was among four winners in last week's match at Countryside Country Club.

Cypress Run shot 8 strokes under its quota in the 12-club event to receive 10 points in the overall standings.

Seminole Lake was the runner-up, capitalizing on its nine points to take over first. Innisbrook is second in the standings and the Vinoy third.

John Geheb and Bill Siraco of Cypress Run captured two-man team honors with a 13-under 59 in a better-ball format.

The pro division crown was won by Chuck Eade of Belleview Biltmore. His 72 was one stroke better than Belleair's Jim Slattery and two ahead of the Vinoy's Stephen Johnson (74). Chris Slattery , who recently moved from Innisbrook to Countryside, tied for fourth (75) with Joe Castellano of Cypress Run.

The match was played on Countryside's Lake and Pine courses.

CGA Dunedin's Andrew Turker , who is used to playing in cold weather as a member of the upstate New York Cornell University team, prevailed under adverse conditions at Clearwater Country Club. His 77 held up for the win March 14.

Wayne Banting and Joe Lallier (67) shared first in the net division.

LARGO SCRAMBLE: The bimonthly match was won by the team of Skip Parminter , Howie Knudsen and Tom Shaw , all of Largo, and Bob Panko of Wisconsin. They collaborated on a 14-under 48 in a full field of 24 teams. For information on entering, call (727) 518-3026.

JUNIOR TOURNEY: The 10th annual Innisbrook Classic will be played this weekend, starting Friday, on the resort's Island Course. The field features 132 low handicap players from 19 states and Italy.

TV ALERT: The year's first women's major tournament, the Kraft Nabisco Championship, will be shown on ESPN2 at 5 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and on ABC on Saturday and Sunday at 4:30 and 4, respectively.

Amateur Morgan Pressel , 16, of West Palm Beach, is in the field, along with LPGA rookie Paula Creamer and Michelle Wie , 15, of Hawaii. Grace Park won in 2004.

[Last modified March 22, 2005, 01:21:16]