June 1, 2005

By BRUCE BERLET
Hartford Courant Staff Writer

WEST HARTFORD -- Allen Miller, a member of the PGA Tour for 15 years in the 1970s and '80s, called Liz Janangelo over to his cart during a 20-minute wait on the 18th tee in the rain-delayed first round of the Connecticut Women's Open Tuesday.

Miller, whose wife, Cindy, was paired with the two-time defending champion, wanted to help Janangelo with her future.

"She said something on 17 about being intimidated when she played in a LPGA event, pushing a little hard at another level," he said. "Having played out there as long as I did, it's really no different, but you're in awe because you're seeing people who are already living at the dream level.

"It's part of growing up on the tour, but as far as golf game-wise, she's as good as anyone out there. If she just plays her game, she could win right now."

Miller didn't get an argument from his wife, who holed a 30-foot chip for eagle 3 at No. 2 in a 1-under-par 72 that put her in a three-way tie for second with 1998 University of Hartford graduate and Golf Club of Avon assistant Lynn Valentine and amateur Isabelle Lendl, 13. The trio is four back of Janangelo, who used her length to set up six birdies, including two-putts on three of the five par-5s at Wampanoag Country Club, her home course.

"She's going to make a fortune in this game," said Cindy Miller, who played the LPGA Tour in 1979-81 and won the 2004 LPGA Teaching & Club Professional Championship to qualify for next week's LPGA Championship. "She's smart. She hits it good. She has all kind of talent. She can putt. She can think. And she's cute."

Miller, Valentine and Janangelo will tee off in the final group at 11:51 a.m. in today's final round.

Janangelo, who helped Duke win the NCAA Division I women's national championship May 20, will try to join Suzy Whaley as the second to win the State Women's Open three straight times. Whaley, who also will play in the LPGA Championship after winning the T&C Northeast Regional last year, is tied for 13th at 75.

Janangelo, Miller, Valentine and Whaley were among 60 of 101 starters who had to wait out a 95-minute delay. Janangelo was 4 under on the par-5 12th when lightning hit at 2:45 p.m., then birdied the hole after the restart and made a 15-footer at No. 15 to go 6 under.

A drive into the trees at the 17th led to Janangelo's only bogey, but she parred the difficult 18th, which Miller, Lendl and Valentine bogeyed.

"I played really well and kept the ball in the spots I needed below the hole," said Janangelo, who hit 15 of 18 greens in regulation and three of the par-5s in two. "And the pace on my putts was the best it's been a while, and that's key out here."

Valentine, who tied for seventh in 2004 but is playing in only her second event since hand surgery in August, hit a deer Tuesday on her drive from East Lyme.

"It was scary," she said.

Lendl had three birdies to finish two ahead of older sister Marika, 15, who had two birdies and a double-bogey 7 at No. 2. Daniela Lendl, 11, shot 90 and was one of 89 players to make the cut. The sisters have been living in Bradenton, Fla., with their father, tennis Hall of Famer Ivan Lendl, while attending the IMG Academies, which include the David Leadbetter Golf Academy.