The Independent-Record from Helena, Montana • 9

I r- 4 w- aj i I fim gjs to r(oy Drawer baseball The Helena Brewers host the Medicine Hat Blue Jays at 7 p.m. in Pioneer League baseball ac tion at Kindrick Legion Field Dn 3-shot winner at testy Shoal Creek BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) One by one the would-be challengers to Wayne Grady fell victim to the trees and trouble, a placid pond and the cussed rough of Shoal Creek. One by one, defending champion Payne Stewart, 43-year-old Gil Morgan and Fred Couples dropped away in the PGA Champ-oionship Sunday, their faces reflecting the strain applied by the unyielding pressure of the most difficult course the touring pros have encountered in years. sS'V layout.

Stewart was the first to go in the muggy, 90-plus degree heat. 7- HE HIT HIS THIRD SHOT INTO a pond in front of the llth green. When the ball got wet, Stewart lost his chance to become the first man in 53 years to defend this title. The ball in the water led to a triple-bogey 8, a snowman in golfers parlance. Stewart blew to a 79, including 41 on the back, and fin- ished 10 shots back and tied for eighth at 292.

I believed in my bonles I was going to win, he said, shaking his head and managing a weak smile. At least I didnt shoot 80. Morgan, anon-practicing optometrist from Edmond, who shot a 65 on Saturday, at one point was a single stroke off the pace. But he let a tee shot get away to the right far to the right on the par-3 13. HE TOOK TWO MORE STROKES to reach the rock-hard putting surface and took a double bogey.

Morgan matched par 72 and wps third at 286. Couples, a hard-hitting, laid-back guy called Boom Boom by his fellow pros, lost a little of his California cool as well as the lead in the golf tournament with the string of four consecutive bogeys beginning on the 13th. Three of them came on missed putts of 3-4 feet; the other after a visit into a bunker. He, too, shot 72, and finished second, three-strokes behind Gradys winning 6-under-par 282. When I needed it, the touch just wasnt there, he said.

fli (More on GRADY, page 2B) Shoal Creek wants U.S. Open 0 with a racial controversary and the PGA Championship behind them, Shoal Creek officials cast their eyes on the possibility of playing host to the U.S. Open. Shoal Creek made a bid to host the 1996 U.S. Open, said Robert T.

Sommers, director of communications for the United States Golf Association. The 1991 Open is scheduled for the Hazeltine Golf Culb in Chaska, the 1992 at Pebble Beach, Golf Links; 1993 at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, N.J.; 1994 at Oakmont, Country Club; and the 1995 at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southhampton, N.Y. Edberg posts easy victory Stefan Edberg, living up to his new No. 1 tennis ranking, needed, just 50 minutes Sunday to defeat Brad Gilbert in the final of the ATP Championship. Edberg, the top seed, rolled past Gilbert 6-1, 6-1 in a rematch of last years final at the Jack Nicklaus Sports Center.

Gilbert beat Edberg 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (7-5) last year. Gilbert was limited to 27 points in the two sets. Edberg, who took over the No. 1 ranking ahead of Ivan Lendl when he reached the semifinals here, spent almost as much time icing a sore ankle after the match as he did on the stadium court. It was the most lopsided outcome of a singles final since the ATP has taken place in Mason, Ohio.

Only one game went to deuce. This is one to remember, with all the things that have happened this week, said Edberg, who has won 17 straight matches and his last three tournaments, including Wimbledon. This will always be special to me. Im always going to remember this week. Edberg served notice early that Sunday was to be his day.

Gilbert served to open the match and Edberg went up 30-40 with a backhand passing shot. Gilbert then hit a forehand volley long and Edberg was on his way. Edberg collected $170,200 for the victory, while Gilbert, the No. 4 THE HARDEST DAMN GOLF course Ive ever played in my life, Fuzzy Zoeller called it. The most frustrating 18 Ive ever seen, Nick Faldo said.

Unrelenting, Hale Irwin said. Only Grady, a 33-year-old transplanted Australian, could handle it. Grady, now a resident of Orlando, and for six seasons a member of the American tour, won by three strokes. He didnt do anything foolish, said Stewart, who played in the same twesome with the new champion. He kept his composure.

AND THAT WAS ALL HE HAD TO do while others were losing theirs. Grady, who has a record of 29 runner-up finishes around the world, needed only a one-under-par 71 in tha final round and a lucky bounce off a pine tree to acquire his second American title and his first in golfs major championships. His task was eased by the self-inflicted damage suffered by Stewart, Morgan and Wayne Grady celebrates after sinking a birdie putt on the fourth hole during Sundays final round. Couples. All were in contention at one time or another.

All backed away on the much-maligned seed, who is ranked seventh in the world, took home $89,600. II.S. upset In baseball Kim Do-Wan and Chung Min-Tae combined to strike out 17 American batters as South Korea shocked the United States 5-3 at the world baseball championship Sunday in Edmonton, Alberta. Second baseman Park Jung-Tae tagged American starter Aaron Sele with a three-run homer in the sixth inning it was South Koreas first hit of the game and pinch-hitter Kong Eui-Sik hit a two-run double in the eighth. The South Koreans collected only three hits against Sele and reliever Phillip Stidham.

The loss is a heavy blow to U.S. medal chances. The Americans must hope the powerful Cubans lose to either South Korea or Taiwan, leaving the United States with a shot if it can beat Cuba on Wednesday. Graf captures 50th title with her 50th pro singles title in hand, Steffi Graf willstart on the next 50 at the U.S. Open.

Graf won her 50th title Sunday in her final tournament tuneup for the Open, defeating Manuela Maleeva-Fragniere 6-3, 6-2 in the Great American Bank tournament final for the second -straight year. After running her match record this year to 46-3, the top-ranked Graf pronounced herself ready for the final Grand Slam event of the year. Graf, who marks her third anniversary as the No. 1 player in womens tennis on Aug. 17, became the third woman in the 22-year open era to win 50 or more tournaments.

Chris Evert has 157 titles and Martina Navratilova 152. (Top) Helena pitching coach Mike Coombs argues a call with the umpire. (Left) Helena catcher Rob Beck fires the ball to first after picking up an Infield bunt that was mishandled by Brewer pitcher Don Pruitt (right) In the third inning. Great Falls Ira Smith was safe on the play. (Staff photos by Brad Ricker) (rs emuslhi lirewers eigpin By TOM STUBER IR Sports Writer 3 .1 1 Were struggling and we need someone to get some clutch hits, said Calhoun.

Someone needs to take charge. The clutch hitting Calhoun was refering to could have been used in the first and sixth innings as Helena scored only one run after loading the bases in each inning. The Brewers stranded 11 runners on the afternoon. Helena pitching coach, Mike Coombs, provided some good entertainment in the second inning as he argued a controversial bunt by Michael Carter. Coombs contended that Carter's bunt went off his body making it a foul ball, but the umpire didnt see it that way and Coombs incensed arguing got him into the showers early for the second time this season.

Helena, 22-26, will be at home and a costly three-run home run to clean-up hitter Mike Busch that gave the Dodgers a lead they would not relinquish, 4-3. In the fourth the Dodgers led off with four straight singles that plated three runs and chased Pruitt. Calhoun brought Eric Patten in from the bullpen and Patten promptly got Helena out of the inning by retiring the first three batters he faced But the BrewersJnow trailed by a 7-3 count. Helena got' single runs in the fifth and seventh innings to close within two runs at 7-5, but the Dodgers negated those runs by scoring two of their own in the eighth using a hit batsman, an error, three walks, and two singles to run the score to 9-5. Mike Couture launched a solo homer to left field, in the Helena half of the eighth, to finish the scoring.

dos hard single right at Dodger starter Pedro Martinez (6-2). Martinez then proceeded to hit Tim Carter with a pitch to load the bases and when he walked Bob Benjamin, he forced home Michael Carter for a 1-0 Helena lead. After the Brewers left the bases full to end the first, Great Falls pulled even in the second on a Junior Perez RBI single with two out. The Brewers looked determined in their half of the second as Chris Wheat rocketed a one out single into center field and Randy Hood followed that with a bomb of his owfl in the form of a two-run horrter over the left field wall giving Helena a 3-1 lead. A short-lived lead it was, however, as the top of third saw losing pitcher Don Pruitt (3-4) give up a one out walk to Don Maurer, a single to left to Gary Ingram, The strains of Aerosmiths Seasons of Wither was playing at Kindrick Legion Field before the Helena Brewers 9-6 loss to the Great Falls Dodgers Sunday afternoon at Kindrick Legion Field.

And it couldnt have been more appropriate as the Brewers saw their chances for post-season play'wither to next to nothing. At 11 games out, the Brewers find themselves searching for new goals now as a means of motivation for the remainder of the season. Helena manager Gary Calhoun stated, 40 wins is still one of my goals. Things started out well for the Brewers as they took an early lead in the first inning when Michael Carter connected for a one out single, stole second, and advanced to third on Vince Castal- RALLY CAP RIVALRY A rally cap rivalry ended when the Boston Red Sox scored a two-run homer in the 14th inning to beat the Seattle Mariners in Seattle Saturday night 4-2. Red Sox second baseman Marty Barrett and others appeared wearing shaving cream and soda cups, after earlier wearing their mits on their heads.

The Mariners bench started with shiek caps, then came out wearing bandit masks with caps inside out and backwards. (More on BREWERS, page 2B) Dtf'c Ibeem) fliryooig yeir feir-ClDteinnipini putting has been poor," she said. We found some faults, with Marlin helping, and by using a video camera. Hopefully, there'll be an improvement. HANSON SAID THAT THEY worked on her alignment and grip, turning the right hand under the club to help take a hint of wris-tiness out of her stroke.

Hanson said that Ritzman's putting stroke, although basically sound, had a tendency to break down a Little bit in the left hand, allowing the right hand to take over. He said they also straightened out her arms slightly by having her choke down on the club. It appeared after the practice sessions that she was keeping the putter lower throughout the stroke and that her hands were working better as a unit than before, Hanson said. It will probably take her a while to get comfortable with her putting adjustments. KALISPELL (AP) About 20 years ago, not too long after the Kalispell Golf Association added its second nine holes at Buffalo Hill, future tour pro Alice Ritzman practiced her golf relentlessly.

Then a high school player, she hit hundreds of buckets of practice balls and spent countless hours on the putting green. Shed pick the not-so-busy times and play the course alone, and it was an unwritten rule to let her play through. THE BRIEF PAUSE OTHER members had to make letting her pass by was hardly trouble, because even then her swing was a delight to witness, especially the long shots. A few years later she beat Helen Tremper of Missoula in a playoff for the women's state amateur title at Buffalo Hill. Ritzman returned to Kalispell for her 20th high school reunion two eeks ago and 1 worked in about 10 hours of putting practice with Buffalo Hill teaching professional Marlin Hanson, a 1967 Flathead High School grad and a longtime friend.

,7 In 1989 the 37-year-old LPGA veteran had her best year ever on tour, finishing 15th on the money list with winmngs of more than $180,000. Her previous best year had been 1986, when she was 25th and made $84,400. BUT AFTER A FAST START this year ith a third place finish in her first tournament, Ritzman has not had the kind of year shed hoped it might be. The year is far from over, however, and she has banked $86,633 to bring her career earnings in the neighborhood of $725,000. I changed clubs this year because of a money dispute ith my sponsor of about six years (Yamaha! and wound up with a shoulder injury early in the season, Ritzman said.

She has returned to using equipment by Ping, her old sponsor, and is feeling comfortable with her game again. I'm hitting the ball really well, but my 4- i kU 0 I 1 K. When good-luck rituals go wrong.