Davies ends 20-month winless skid with LPGA Tour Championship

Monday, Nov. 23, 1998 | 10:13 a.m.

Laura Davies did just about everything she could to talk herself out of winning the LPGA Tour Championship.

Then, nursing a one-shot lead with nine holes to play, she decided to play her way to the title.

Davies birdied three of the final nine holes and held off charges by Brandie Burton, Karrie Webb and Pat Hurst to snap a 20-month winless streak on the LPGA Tour with a four-stroke victory at the Desert Inn Golf Club Sunday.

Davies admitted that, because of her slump, she was lacking the killer instinct she possessed when she was dominating the ladies' tour from 1994 to 1996.

"My mental approach wasn't exactly textbook this week," Davies said in the understatement of the week.

As early as Thursday, when she opened with a 6-under-par 66 and led the field by two shots, and again Saturday when she continued to lead by two, Davies admitted she was wondering how she would blow the lead.

"When you've done well, I think it's very difficult to accept mediocrity and that's how I've been playing this year," Davies said. "You start making yourself feel like you're even worse than you're actually doing and that's what I nearly did this week.

"I had a two-shot lead (Saturday) and I was generally miserable -- that's crazy."

The win, worth $215,000, was Davies' first on the LPGA Tour since March 1997. Burton, Webb and Hurst all finished at 7-under-par 281, four shots behind Davies.

Burton made the strongest push, firing a final-round 67, but ran out of holes. Webb finished with a 68 but it was Hurst who seemingly had the best chance of catching Davies.

Hurst began the day three shots behind Davies and was within one shot of the leader at 8 under when Davies made the turn.

Davies acknowledged that Hurst was the one player she feared during the closing holes.

"I kept thinking Pat Hurst," Davies said. "She did so well last year (in finishing second) and I kept thinking she likes the course, she's long enough to hit (hole number) 15 in two -- I did everything I could to blow my chances out there."

Davies appeared to be agitated for much of the round Sunday and, despite leading by three shots with three holes to go, didn't ease up until she hit her approach shot onto the green on the 72nd hole of the tournament.

"That's the only time I decided that that was it, I'd done enough," Davis said. "When I hit that shot into the last green, I must admit I really enjoyed that moment.

"Eighteen months is a long time without winning and it means a lot to people who are used to winning."

Hurst said she thought she had a real chance of catching Davis after birdieing three of the first nine holes to move to 8 under.

"I felt if we could put pressure on her early on, it would help us -- the whole field, that is," Hurst said. "I usually play the back side a lot better than the front so I felt like I was in good position to be three under after nine.

"Laura just hung in there tough, she played well."

Hurst said she was not discouraged with her second straight runner-up finish in the Tour Championship. Last year, Hurst lost in a three-way playoff with eventual champion Annika Sorenstam and Lorie Kane.

"There is only one winner each tournament," Hurst said. "I felt like I played well. I can only control what I'm doing out there and I did the best I could and that's all I can ask from myself."

Davies might be expecting a little more from herself, now that she has broken her winless streak.

"It felt like my first win, it honestly did," Davies said. "I've never been so nervous.

"I've got to think this will help me for next year. Even if it doesn't, this is a magnificent moment. You felt that you might never win again so it's just nice to win. Eighteen months without a win in America is a bit of a slump. It's just a great weekend for me."

But not a perfect weekend for Davies, who said she took her usual beating at the gaming tables.

"I never do well in the casinos -- ever," Davis said. "I enjoy it, but I always lose money. This is the first time I've left Las Vegas a winner."