By Alex Miceli

Newport, R.I. – Defying age, Juli Inkster made another run at a major title in Sunday’s final round of the Women’s Open. She fell short with a final-round 73 that left her three strokes behind Pat Hurst and Annika Sorenstam.

Inkster, 46, came into Sunday with nothing to lose after shooting a second-round 70, three shots out of the lead. It was a familiar spot for Inkster, who came from behind against Sorenstam in Prairie Dunes in 2002 when she had a final-round 66 to take her second Women’s Open title.

But the final two rounds at Newport were different; they would be contested over 36-holes on the final day, a test for the youngest full of stamina and not necessarily for a mother of two teenage daughters. If she had won, Inkster would have been the oldest champion in the event.

Dancing golfer? Juli Inkster celebrates on the 18th hole after draining her final putt. (Steve Gibbons/USGA)

She said prior to Sunday that she couldn’t look too far ahead.

Inkster stayed with that strategy to perfection as she stood at 2 under par for the day, a couple of times nosing into the lead. But bogeys on the final two holes in the third round dropped her behind Brittany Lincicome, Sorenstam and Michelle Wie.

Even with the poor finish, Inkster was still in contention, which was her goal at the start of the day. When birdied the first hole of the fourth round, Inkster again had a share of the lead. She plodded along making seven pars in a row. Inkster’s experience was showing through as she would later say it was the best she played all week.

But when she putted off the green for a bogey on the difficult ninth, age and fatigue may have gotten to her.

"Well, you know, you get tired, especially when you do stuff like putting it off the green on nine," she said. "It's just, like, how can you do that?  "I felt good all day.  I just never really got the putter going."

Inkster could do little on the back nine, and two bogeys and a sixth-place finish would be her reward for a fatiguing day.    

"I think my record kind of says I haven't lost much," said Inkster. "I've got a family. My priorities are different. But as far as my golf game, when I'm playing well I feel like I can play with anybody."

Finishing Strong

Stacy Prammanasudh’s claim to fame in her golfing career has been limited.  She did win 10 collegiate events at the University of Tulsa, which is the second most in school history next to hall-of-famer Nancy Lopez’s 11.  She could also hang her hat on the fact that she was a semifinalist in the 1998 WAPL, but as a professional golfer Prammanasudh can only point to her win last year at the Franklin American Mortgage Championship as a highlight.

Her Women’s Open record is blemished with four missed cuts and a T-22 at the 2002 Women’s Open at Prairie Dunes.

All that almost changed on Sunday as Prammanasudh shot a final-round 72 despite hitting only five greens in regulation and one-putting 14 times. That ncluded seven out of the last eight greens to finish tied for third, her highest career finish in a major.

"When I went to Nashville I was a leader board watcher," said Prammanasudh of when she won last year. "But this was the first time in this position at a major, and so I was comfortable at where I was. And I felt comfortable on the golf course, so I didn't want to look to change my emotions."

While her emotions were in check, obviously her game was lacking at times. She hit a small amount of greens. Still, she took some positives out of it.

"Just knowing that I'm able to control myself on the golf course," said Prammanasudh. "I know I can do it.  I know in the back of my mind I knew I was in contention."