Inkster wins Compaq Open

Juli Inkster slipped to a 4-over-par 76 but held on to win the Compaq Open by one shot today in her first tournament in Sweden.

Juli Inkster slipped to a 4-over-par 76 but held on to win the Compaq Open by one shot today in her first tournament in Sweden.

One ahead after tying the course record Saturday with a 67, the Hall of Famer from Santa Cruz, California, struggled in the high winds and dropped three shots on the last two holes at the Barseback course in southern Sweden.

"It was really tough out there and the wind was completely different which meant I had to change my game plan," Inkster said. "But it's good to have won and, if I'm invited, I'll be back to defend next year."

Inkster finished with a 282 total, 6 under on a course that will host the 2004 Solheim Cup matches between the United States and Europe.

Sweden's Sophie Gustafson, an LPGA regular who won the British Open at Royal Birkdale a week ago, was alone in second at 283 after a 72.

Jane Leary of Australia had the shot of the day - if not the tournament - as she made a rare double-eagle on the long fourth hole using a 3-wood.

"I had about 190 meters (210 yards) to the pin," said Leary, who works as a policewoman for six months a year in Sydney to afford playing on the European Tour. "I saw the ball roll in. It was my first albatross."

She tied for 27th at 292.

Annika Sorenstam of Sweden, ranked second in the world behind Australia's Karrie Webb and a former two-time winner of the Compaq Open, was third at 284.

Sorenstam moved into the automatic top seven in the Solheim Cup rankings . The United States will defend the title against Europe at Loch Lomond, Scotland, Oct. 6-8.

European captain Dale Reid will name Europe's team in a week, after the European Tour event in England. Sorenstam will not play there and could be overtaken in the standings, but she is expected to receive one of Reid's five wild-card selections if not making an automatic berth.

Three English players, Laura Davies, Trish Johnson and Alison Nicholas, have clinched their places on the team along with Gustafson and Patricia Meunier Lebouc of France.

Davies, last year's Compaq Open champion, slipped to a 77 to share 11th with Sherri Steinhauer of the United States, former U.S. Open champion Liselotte Neumann of Sweden and six others.

England's Kirsty Taylor, one behind Inkster going into the final round, struggled to an 80 and wound up eighth at 287.

Collated final Scores & totals in the LPGA Compaq Open, Barseback Golf Club, Malmo (GB & Irl unless stated)

282 J Inkster (USA) 71 68 67 76 (£45,000) 283 S Gustafson (Swe) 72 68 71 72 (£30,450) 284 A Sorenstam (Swe) 69 71 71 73 (21,000) 285 C Matthew 75 70 70 70 (£16,200) 286 J Moodie 75 69 73 69, T Johnson 71 73 73 69, A Munt (Aus) 70 75 69 72, K Pearce (Aus) 72 76 67 71 287 A Nicholas 71 69 73 74, K Taylor 70 68 69 80 288 S Waugh (Aus) 73 72 73 70, S Eklund (Swe) 69 72 75 72, S Steinhauer (USA) 73 72 71 72, L Neumann (Swe) 74 69 72 73, S Gronberg Whitmore (Swe) 74 73 68 73, K Marshall 70 69 74 75, C Hall 73 72 69 75, L Davies 71 73 67 77, N Karlsson (Swe) 70 72 69 77 290 M Lojdahl (Swe) 74 71 73 72, S Cavalleri (Ita) 71 71 74 74, A Rogers 71 71 73 75 291 P Meunier Lebouc (Fra) 73 73 76 69, A Gottmo (Swe) 73 72 75 71, F Dassu (Ita) 76 71 72 72, B Pestana (Rsa) 78 72 68 73 292 G Sergas (Ita) 72 76 71 73, J Leary (Aus) 72 76 71 73, C Schmitt (Fra) 74 75 68 75, C Koch (Swe) 71 72 73 76 293 D Reid 74 75 72 72, M Arruti (Spa) 76 74 70 73, R Hakkarainen (Fin) 74 72 71 76 294 M Monnet (Fra) 75 74 73 72, I Tinning (Den) 76 74 73, J Van Hagen (Ned) 75 70 74 75, S Mendiburu (Fra) 73 70 75 76, J Head 72 71 73 78, L Kreutz (Fra) 74 73 68 79 295 S Head 75 76 73 71, A Berg (Swe) 73 73 75 74, J Morley 76 70 71 78 296 V Stensrud (Nor) 78 73 72 73, L Brooky (Nzl) 76 75 72 73, M Cosenza (Ita) 71 74 76 75, A Larraneta (Spa) 78 70 73 75 297 V Michaud (Fra) 74 74 76 73, R Carriedo (Spa) 75 74 73 75, L Maritz (Rsa) 74 74 73 76 298 I Maconi (Ita) 73 74 75 76 299 M De Boer (Ned) 83 77 74 75, R Lautens (Swi) 74 73 75 77, S Dickens 72 75 75 77, L Hed (Swe) 75 76 71 77, T Fischer (Ger) 73 71 74 81 300 A Gertsson (Swe) 76 71 80 73, H Dobson 76 75 73 76 301 M Hjorth (Swe) 72 79 76 74, E Esterl (Ger) 77 73 76 75, L Tadiotto (Bel) 76 75 73 77, L Ericsson (Swe) 76 75 73, H Alfredsson (Sweden) 74 75 74 78 302 M Lunn (Aus) 77 73 75 77 304 R Kirkwood 78 71 77 78 305 K Orum (Den) 74 76 77 78, M Hedblom (Swe) 75 71 80 75 306 T Surface 78 73 79 76