Hurst Has Worn It All But Down

By THOMAS BONK

March 29, 1998 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. — It’s the final round of the Nabisco Dinah Shore, where the question of the day today isn’t only who’s going to win it, but what’s the wardrobe going to be?

It probably can’t be any more extensive than what was seen in Saturday’s third round at Mission Hills. And for your highlights, watch the Weather Channel.

Saturday had it all, warm sunshine alternating with rain and cold and wind.

Helen Alfredsson found the whole experience sort of unusual.

“You could basically wear your whole suitcase,” she said. “Shorts one minute, then you’re fully dressed with mittens the next.” With 18 holes to go, Pat Hurst is still the leader. She’s starting to seem as much a fixture out here as that pond on 18, basically because it’s the same position she has been in since Thursday.

Hurst’s third-round 70 has given the 28-year-old from San Leandro, Calif., a one-shot lead over Liselotte Neumann and a three-shot lead over Karrie Webb and Alfredsson.

Donna Andrews is in fifth place at 214 after a 71 and there are five tied at 215, including Laura Davies and Nancy Lopez.

As for Hurst, she’s in only her fourth pro year, but she has shown a veteran’s savvy in the cliche department.

Hurst, a former softball player, touched all the bases when she said that anything can happen, she’s going to play one shot at a time, but she’s not going to put any pressure on herself.

One thing’s for sure: There’s no tomorrow.

She finished with five pars, which might be less than thrilling, but the way Hurst played No. 9 through No. 13 was dynamic enough. She had three birdies in the five-hole stretch, including a two-putt birdie on the par-five 13th when she reached the green in two with a three-wood.

The distance that Hurst achieves when she launches the ball impressed at least one of her challengers.

“She hits it a long way,” Neumann said.

While Hurst was birdieing the 11th, Neumann was bogeying it after missing the green. Neumann eventually spun a five-footer for par out of the hole. Once that ball stopped rolling, she dropped into a tie with Hurst at five under.

They both birdied the 13th, when Neumann rolled in an eight-footer and Hurst followed with her two-putt birdie from long distance. Still tied at the 16th, Neumann missed the green and wound up with a bogey when she two-putted from 10 feet.

Afterward, Neumann said she never really felt comfortable, at least on the front.

“It sort of felt like it was a struggle the whole time,” said Neumann, who nevertheless felt slightly better after she downed a turkey sandwich at the turn.

As far as excitement, Webb’s round was pretty much over as soon as it started. She birdied the first two holes, then recorded 16 consecutive pars to finish with a 70.

Still, it was a nice day in the rain for Webb.

“I didn’t miss one fairway,” she said. “I can’t do that when the weather is fine, so what does that mean?”

Good question. Here’s another: What does it mean when only one player shoots a round in the 60s? Annika Sorenstam moved up 23 places to a tie for 11th with her 69. Maybe it means that Mission Hills plays tough in poor conditions.

Alfredsson signed her scorecard for a 70 and said she really didn’t mind the rain and the wind or the sun for that matter. In fact, she made fun of it all.

“You’re changing your clothes all the time, umbrellas, towels . . . gee, life is so rough,” she said. “I don’t think we should sound like we’re whining.”

For now, Hurst has a grip on the lead like she held the steering wheel on the golf cart at the age of 11, when she decided to pick up the game so she could drive carts.

The last time Hurst won a tournament wire to wire was the NCAA when she was a sophomore at San Jose State. She can’t promise she will do it again today, but there is one thing Hurst guarantees.

If she wins, Hurst will not jump into the pond at No. 18. And she has a good reason.

“I don’t know how to swim,” she said.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Dinah Shore Leaders

At Rancho Mirage--Par 72; 54-Hole Scores

Pat Hurst: 68-72-70--210 -6

Liselotte Neumann: 69-71-71--211 -5

Karrie Webb: 71-72-70--213 -3

Helen Alfredsson: 70-73-70--213 -3

Donna Andrews: 71-72-71--214 -2

Laura Davies: 75-70-70--215 -1

Helen Dobson: 70-74-71--215 -1