Bauer uses nice finish to regain confidence

Last year's rookie of the year finished tied for fifth.
By BRIAN RICHESSON
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
VIENNA -- Beth Bauer's father would have been proud.
Entrenched in a season-long slump, the 2002 Rookie of the Year used the Giant Eagle LPGA Classic to revive her young career.
"I've been waiting for this round all year," said Bauer, who shot a 7-under-par 65 Sunday at Squaw Creek Country Club. "It's good to finally play well. Gosh, this means so much to me."
Father's Day
Bauer's father, John, passed away in 1994. He was a teaching professional and her first golf coach.
On Father's Day, she found her stride.
"I didn't think about it until Lorie [Kane] said something about it in the tent," said Bauer, 23, a Florida native. "This will give him something to smile about in heaven."
Bauer played well in the first two rounds and entered play Sunday at 3-under, showing signs of breaking out of her slump.
"I was struggling with the driver for a while, and when you can't hit the fairways, it ruins your confidence," Bauer, who had missed the cut in six of her last eight tournaments, said.
She and Kane played so well together Sunday that they attracted a huge crowd at the 18th green.
"I was nervous on those last couple of holes because I've been struggling," said Bauer, who tied for fifth place at 10-under 206. "I hope this round has changed my outlook."
Pak's putts
Joining Bauer in fifth place were former Giant Eagle champion Se Ri Pak and Catrin Nilsmark.
Pak would have made another run at the title, but she kept leaving her putts short of the hole.
"I hit the ball well. I hit my irons inside 10 feet" of the hole, said Pak, who tied for fifth place. "I had great birdie opportunities, but the ball just stopped before the cup."
Pak was only three shots off the lead when the final round began, and she got to within two shots of the leaders Sunday.
"It doesn't matter how good you hit the ball," Pak said. "You still have to make the putts."
Setting the pace
Before Kane broke the tournament record with a 63 Sunday, Meg Mallon and Amy Fruhwirth tied it with 8-under 64s earlier.
Mallon went low by taking an aggressive approach.
"I took the philosophy today to hit one extra club and throw it over the pin," said Mallon, who tied for eighth place at 9-under 207 with Fruhwirth and Jeong Jang.
"As the day went on, I got more confident."
That strategy worked. Most of Mallon's putts ranged from 4 to 6 feet, which resulted in nine birdies in the final round.
"It took two days for me to adjust" to the course's wet conditions, Mallon said. "I took risks on some occasions, but I figured I had to take that chance today."
Fruhwirth tied her career low round by hitting irons directly at the pin and making short putts.
"I was swinging solid. I knew that early on today," she said. "The clubs I was hitting were the perfect distance, and I got up-and-down when I needed to."
It was only a matter of time, Fruhwirth said, before her consistency resulted in good scores.
"I didn't feel like I played that much worse [Saturday]," she said of her 1-over 73. "I felt I was swinging just as well, but it was just a matter of letting it happen."