Golden leads with final hole eagle

Kate Golden was as surprised as anybody.
Golden rolled in a 66-foot eagle putt on her final hole Thursday to cap a 5-under-par 67 that gave her sole possession of the lead, one shot better than Mi Hyun Kim, at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open.

"I didn't hit it very well Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, and was a little concerned about today," said the 35-year-old Golden, who has won only once in a decade on tour. "But it all kind of came together at the right time."

That time came at the 471-yard, par-5 ninth hole. Golden, who has missed six cuts in 16 tournaments this year, appeared set to end the day tied for second as she prepared to tee off.

But after gambling and hitting a 3-wood over the bunkers that guard the green, she sank a putt that broke left-to-right about 5 feet to edge Kim for the lead.

"I had putted that in the practice round, I knew it was going to move left to right," Golden said. "I thought, OK, just trust it and hit it out there. I just got the right line and the right speed and it just kind of fell right in dead center.

"Those are the ones that make you want to play again."

Kim had four birdies on the back nine, then parred out for her 68. In a five-way tie for third were Kelly Robbins, Hee-Won Han and Gloria Park of Korea, Michele Redman, and Michelle Ellis.

Moira Dunn, Rosie Jones, Laurie Rinker-Graham, Dorothy Delasin, Marisa Baena of Colombia, Korea's Jung Yeon Lee, and Catriona Matthew of Scotland were at 70.

Eom Ji Park, a 17-year-old amateur who was born in Korea and lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, shot a 73 for the best finish among the 15 Canadians in the field.

The 6,435-yard Summerlea Golf and Country Club, built on a bluff near the Ottawa River just outside Montreal, proved to be tough in the hot, humid, windy conditions as only 21 players bettered par.

Karrie Webb, who won the Women's British Open on Sunday at Turnberry, Scotland, wasn't one of them. She was pleased with her 72.

"I'm pretty satisfied," said Webb, whose only blemish on the round was a three-putt bogey at the par-4 16th hole. "It's a quick turnaround from the British Open to be playing already. I think my concentration and my focus out there wasn't as good as it can be. I hit a few loose shots, but I didn't do too much damage. I have to be a little bit more focused and iron out a few of the crinks I probably got sitting on the plane for all of Monday."

Robbins, who hasn't won on tour since 1999, came here trying to atone for a two-stroke loss a year ago to Annika Sorenstam in the inaugural year of this event, which replaced the du Maurier Classic. A three-putt double bogey and a near ace that failed to drop kept her from having the outright lead.

"I haven't won in a while, which is something that I'm being patient about," Robbins said. "I've been playing really good, especially the last few months. All in due time. As far as winning, I'm counting on that. I'm just kind of waiting for my turn to happen."

Diane Irvin made the 13th ace of the LPGA season, holing a 6-iron tee shot at the 159-yard, par-3 sixth hole. Robbins nearly had one of her own, but her tee shot at the 155-yard, par-3 eighth hole rolled to the lip of the cup and somehow stayed out.

"It looked good in the air, and when I got up there (on the green) I really don't know how it wasn't in. A lot of the ball was hanging over the lip," said Robbins, who began the day playing in a light rain. "That would have been kind of handy."

The tough field in the tournament, which is sponsored by the Bank of Montreal, included 16 of the top 20 money winners on tour this year. Sorenstam, who tops the money list, is not here. She was back home playing in the Swedish Women's Open.

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