Diaz Wins First LPGA Title

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) _ Laura Diaz knows the difference between respect and awe. <br><br>In what amounted to match play down the stretch with Juli Inkster, an LPGA Hall of Fame member since 1999, the 26-year-old

Monday, March 25th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) _ Laura Diaz knows the difference between respect and awe.

In what amounted to match play down the stretch with Juli Inkster, an LPGA Hall of Fame member since 1999, the 26-year-old Diaz showed plenty of respect _ and a lot of self-confidence.

That self-confidence showed up as Diaz won by a stroke Sunday to collect her first professional title at the Welch's-Circle K Classic.

``We were both pretty focused on our own game,'' Diaz said.

``We still had holes to play. We also had some great players in front of us. We were talking, but not encouraging each other.''

Diaz sank a 3-foot birdie putt on the last hole to cap a 4-under-par 68 that left her at 18-under 270 at the finish.

Inkster, the 1999 champion, led after the second and third rounds, but shot a closing 71.

``She played good,'' Inkster said. ``She got off to a slow start, but she hung in there and got her putter working and hit some good shots and made some birdies.''

Diaz finished second four times and had eight other top 10 finishes last year _ good enough to win $751,466 and place ninth on the money list.

``I'm relieved,'' she said. ``The question, 'When are you going to get a victory?' I got a victory. The question is over.''

Grace Park matched the lowest round of the tournament with a 64 and tied Kelly Robbins, who shot 67, for third place at 273.

``I had a dream that I won, so I thought I would have a miracle,'' Park said. ``I thought I would shoot 62 or 82. I didn't know what to expect.''

Karrie Webb, with a 67, and amateur Lorena Ochoa of the University of Arizona, who has won her last six college tournaments, shot 68 to finish four shots off the lead.

The five-player group at 275 included Annika Sorenstam, the two-time defending champion, and 1988 Tucson winner Laura Davies.

Diaz tied Inkster, 41, who has won six majors and 20 other titles, at 16 under with a birdie on No. 12, and took the lead for good on the 15th hole when she dropped a 9-iron within 6 feet and made the birdie putt.

On No. 17, Inkster's birdie attempt rimmed the cup, and Diaz saved par with a 6-footer.

Both players were on the green of the par-5 final hole in two. Inkster two-putted from 20 feet, and Diaz followed suit from 30 _ the matching birdie avoiding a playoff for the first time in three LPGA events this year.

Dorothy Delasin, who also began the round two shots behind Inkster, birdied the fourth and fifth holes to tie her at 16 under, but then bogeyed No. 6 and was never a factor after that.

Diaz went five holes without a par, three-putting for bogey on the first two _ her only bogeys of the tournament _ before running off three birdies with putts of 9, 15 and 9 feet.

On the 12th hole, she lofted a wedge within 3 feet for another birdie and moved into a tie with Inkster, who had just bogeyed No. 11, a 187-yard par-3, for the third time in four rounds.

Then it was direct competition between a promising young player and the veteran, who followed birdies on Nos. 3 and 10 with bogeys on Nos. 4 and 11, and squandered another birdie at the sixth when she had a bogey on No.8.

``I just couldn't get anything going there on that front side, she said. ``I felt like I was always trying to kick-start myself.''