By Patrick Jones
GolfWeb Correspondent

STOCKBRIDGE, GA (April 26, 1998) -- Karrie Webb could not fully recover from her opening round 74.

The winner the previous week at the City of Hope Myrtle Beach Classic, Webb closed with rounds of 68-71 to finish in a tie for 15th.

It was Webb's lowest finish of the season in seven events. A two-time winner already this year, Webb had previously not finished worse than a tie for 12th at the Welch's Circle K Championship.

Battle of the Jones'

Atlanta resident Rosie Jones jumped out of the pack and grabbed the interest of the local fans by recording birdies on 3, 5, 6, 8 and 10 to move to 8-under. Jones, however, was not able to retain her torrid pace and challenge for the lead. She carded one bogey and seven pars down the stretch to finish at 7-under and in a tie for 8th.

Jones and "Hyphen" Jones (Dawn Coe-Jones) both shot 32s on the opening nine Sunday. Coe-Jones also tied for 8th.

These gals are good

Barb Whitehead extended the string of brilliant shots recorded during this event. Whitehead aced the 146-yard, par-3 No. 4 Sunday.

Tournament runner-up Lorie Kane recorded her first LPGA hole-in-one Saturday on the same hole.

Sherri Turner started the tournament's highlight reel in Thursday's opening round with a double eagle on the 18th hole.

What a finish

Speaking of No. 18, it provided players plenty of opportunity to improve their rounds. The par-5, 465-yard hole was the easiest of the tournament. Besides Turner's 2, it gave up nine eagles and 158 birdies against only 30 bogeys and five double bogeys.

The Lilly Legend race

Dale Eggeling maintained her lead this week on the Lilly Legends Series.

The season-long bonus pool offers a purse of $500,000 for players 40 and over based on their performance in LPGA tournaments throughout the year.

Eggeling entered the Chick-fil-A Charity Championship with a lead of almost 70 points over second-place Betsy King.

Eggeling shot rounds of 69-72-70- (5-under) to finish in a tie for 13th. King, meanwhile, retained her runner-up position by closing with a 68 to tie Eggeling.

The players in third through fifth entering the event -- Nancy Lopez, Patty Sheehan and Jan Stephenson -- all failed to make the cut.

Not exactly what she visualized

Michelle Estill, three shots back and paired with Liselotte Neumann and Pat Hurst in the final threesome, saw her chances quickly evaporate with double bogeys on No. 6 and 10. Estill dropped a total of five shots on the first 10 holes.

Indicative of her struggle was Estill's long birdie putt on the 163-yard, par-3 8th. The ball rolled 15 feet past and her par attempt came up an inch short of the cup.

Lotta was a good bet from the start

The law of averages were in Neumann's favor to win this tournament. Though she had not won the title before, Neumann's stroke average of 70.182 entering the event was the lowest in the tournament's history.

Runner-up Dottie Pepper, appropriately enough, entered the event with the second lowest stroke average (71.00) since the event began in 1992. Pepper was the titleist in the inaugural event.

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