European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 31, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 22 b the stars and stripes tuesday March 31, 1992 Yamaguchi puts world title away for Home crowd Oakland Calif. Up a olympic Champion Kristi Yamaguchi whipping her Hometown crowd into a frenzy sunday captured her second consecutive women a title and la Chen won China a first medal at the world figure skating championships by capturing the Bronze. American Nancy Kerrigan overcame a pair of miscues to win the Silver but Tonya Harding a new Quot softer gentler look did not catch the judges fancy ending any Chance for a repeat of the . 12-3 sweep in 1991. That and the absence of Japan a Midori Ito opened the door for Chen a surprising Bronze medal. Yamaguchi opened with a perfectly executed triple Lutz triple toe Loop combination to dazzle the sellout Oakland coliseum crowd. A i really did no to think about repeating when 1 came Here a said Yamaguchi who became the first . Woman to successfully defend her world Crown since Peggy Fleming achieved the feat in 1967 and 1968. Yamaguchi a performance was flawed Only by a fall on a triple salchow a jump that has been giving her troubles. �?o1 done to know what the Deal is with that jump a she said. A the practices had gone Well and the performance was going Well so i decided to try  the olympic Champion Shook off the fall and finished strongly earning nearly All 5.9s a a tenth away from perfection a for artistic impression. The Little Impact the fall had on the Marks was not surprising because in the world of International figure skating reputation and past performances count nearly As much As what happens on the ice that Day. Given that fact Many had thought Yamaguchi was a lock for the Crown once Ito pulled out because of an illness. Yamaguchi however Felt otherwise. Quot coming into today a performance i did not think the Gold was automatically mine a she said. Kerrigan a past Success definitely played a role in winning the Silver medal. In saturdays Short program Kerrigan was forced to put her hand Down on a jump but still managed to finish third because of the sports two tier scoring system. Frances Laetitia Hubert whose Overall Marks were better than Kerrigan a ended up fifth because the judges ranked the american higher. Kerrigan had a problem with the size of the Oakland coliseum a rink. In the Long program she got too close to the boards and was forced to single up on a Lutz. The miscue threw off her timing and moments later she was forced to put her hand Down while Landing a triple toe Loop. A i think the rink was a Little narrower than i was used to a she said. Quot but the real problem was that we did no to get enough practice time on it to get used to the  Harding tumbled from second after the Short program to sixth in the final standings because of a Long program that the judges found hard to figure out. The Portland ore., native has built her reputation on being the most athletic of the . Skaters. Yet she came into Oakland with a new set of programs designed to emphasize her artistic abilities. She landed just a pair of triple salchow in her program fell on her trademark triple Axel and garnered 5.0 Marks from two judges. A i achieved what i set out to do a she said. Quot i wanted to be Graceful on the ice. The jumps will  Kristi Yamaguchi shows Gold medal form in world championships at Oakland. Mochrie reaches Shore Rancho Mirage Calif. Apr if Dottie Mochrie needed additional inspiration during the final round of the Dinah Shore tournament she got it Courtesy of a rude Spectator on the 17th Hole. Mochrie went on to Birdie no. 18 and draw into a tie with pacesetter Juli Inkster then won the Lyga s first major event of the year sunday with a Par on the first playoff Hole As Inkster bogeyed. After she left her first putt on the 17th Hole just Short of the cup Mochrie turned abruptly and glared toward the gallery at Mission Hills country club. A when i left the putt Short somebody in the crowd shouted a loser a a Mochrie related. A a that la get you  Mochrie who shot a closing 69 to finish at 9-under-Par 279 for the $700,000 tournament Sank a 4-foot putt on the final Hole of regulation to draw even Dottie Mochrie. 1st major title with Inkster the two time Dinah Shore Champion who this time led the final Day until the 18th Hole. Inkster Cost herself a third Dinah Shore title when she left her 5-foot try for Birdie on no. 18 just on the lip of the cup. Mochrie had finished second in the Dinah Shore last year a Distant eight shots behind Winner Amy Alcott. The Victory in this year s tournament was the third of Moch Rie s career her first since 1990 and her first major title. Love conquers All even gallery bettors Ponte Vedra Fla. Apr Davis love 111 beat the Odds a the Odds being bandied about by some gamblers in the gallery a and went on to his most important Victory. Love eased some of the frustration of a recent playoff loss when he turned Back the late threats of Nick Faldo and towering Phil Blackmar and scored a four shot Victory in the tournament players championship on sunday. The fourth Triumph of his seven season career on the pea tour was secured with two great shots Down the stretch a a bold attack of a tucked pin on the Island Green of the 17th Hole and the clinching approach to the double dangerous 18th. Love won it with a closing 5-under-Par 67 and a 273 total 15 under Par Matching the tournament record on the pc at saw grass. The 6-foot-3 love the longest hitter in Golf in his Early years on the tour collected $324,000 from the purse of $1.8 million an pushed his seasons earnings to $585,361, in the most important Triumph of his career love also gained a 10-year exemption from qualifying on the tour a considerably easing the pain of a playoff loss to Fred couples in los Angeles last month. That was the tournament in which couples began his string of successes a first second second and first in consecutive weeks a and this is the one that ended it. Couples could not maintain the momentum from saturday when a course record 63 put him Back in the title Chase. The weary couples simply could not make a putt twice missing from about three feet and failing on at least a Hal dozen others from 8-10 feet. He finished with a wry smile and a 74 that left him in a tie for 13th at 281. Faldo the English Ace who scored consecutive masters Vic tories in 1989-90, and the 6-foot-7 Blackmar were within a shot of the Lead until both hit into the water on the 16th. The two water balls combined with loves finishing Rush to leave them Well Back in second and tied with Tom Watson and British open Champion Ian Baker Finch of Australia at 277. Faldo shot 74 and Blackmar had a 73 despite two shots into the water. Baker Finch matched Par 72 while Watson 42, shot 69. Love who started the final round three shots Back moved in front with a Chip in Birdie from about 20 Yards on the eighth Hole a in Defiance of some gamblers in the gallery. A some Guys in the gallery were betting 3-1 and 5-1 that 1  get it up and Down Quot love said. A i tried not to let it bother me but i just got mad. I just decided i was going to Chip it in on  he did