Golf Roundup : Okamoto Is Winner at Honolulu

Ayako Okamoto shot an even-par 72 Saturday and held off a late challenge from JoAnne Carner to win the $300,000 Hawaiian Ladies Open at Honolulu.

Carner, who fell out of a tie for the lead with a bogey on the 17th hole after rallying with three birdies on the back nine, missed a 12-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole that would have forced a playoff.

Okamoto finished with a 54-hole total of three-under-par 213 on the 6,220-yard Turtle Bay Resort course on Oahu’s north shore.

Okamoto, the 1987 LPGA Player of the Year, earned $45,000 for winning in her first LPGA Tour appearance of 1988.

Carner shot a 73 and finished tied at 214 with Deb Richard, who tied for the day’s best round with 68.

Beth Daniel, Kathy Postlewait and Thursday’s leader, Jan Stephenson, were two strokes back at 215. All shot 72s.

Four golfers, including Friday’s leader, Joan Delk, finished three stokes back at even-par 216. Delk faded on the back nine and finished with a 76.

Okamoto never dropped more than a stroke on the day. She bogied the 1st, 4th and 15th holes, but birdied the 2nd, 5th and 13th holes.

“Even though I got bogeys, I got birdies,” Okamoto said through an interpreter. “Plus, Joan Delk and JoAnne Carner didn’t have too many birdies.”

Bob Charles shot a two-under-par 70 to take a one-stroke lead after two rounds of the inaugural $300,000 Aetna Challenge seniors tournament at Naples, Fla.

The New Zealander’s 139 led a pair of South Africans: Harold Henning, who had a 69, and Gary Player, who posted his second straight 70.

Australian Bruce Devlin was among three players at 141, missing a three-foot putt for par at the 18th hole. Bobby Nichols shot a 66, and first-round leader Dave Hill birdied the last hole for a 73, matching Devlin’s two-round total.

Chi Chi Rodriguez, the top player on the Senior Tour last year with seven victories, shot a 68 and was tied at 142 with former Masters champion Gay Brewer, who had a second straight 71.

Greg Norman shot a three-under-par 69 to increase his lead to four shots after three rounds of a $175,000 tournament in Canberra, Australia.

Countryman Peter Senior is closest to Norman’s 15-under-par 201. Senior, who shot a third-round 70 on the 6,972-yard Royal Canberra course, is at 205.

West German Bernhard Langer is third going into today’s final round after a 70-207.