Webb Wins First Major Title

Karrie Webb had beer running off her head, a tearful embrace with her mother and finally something to really celebrate her first major championship.

The top player in women's golf found the missing piece to a magnificent season Sunday, staging a dramatic comeback on the back nine of Priddis Greens for a 6-under 66 to win the du Maurier Classic.

Starting the final round five strokes back, Webb followed crucial par saves with birdies on three of the last four holes to finish at 11-under 277 for a two-stroke victory over Laura Davies.

"It feels awesome," said the 24-year-old Aussie, who won for the sixth time this year. "There's no more pressure from anyone. I don't have to answer questions about winning a major. I just don't have words for it."

Juli Inkster's bid to win her third straight major championship and a berth in the LPGA Hall of Fame never materialized. Still, she birdied five of the last eight holes for a 69 and finished alone in third at 280.

Davies had a three-stroke lead with five holes to play, but she failed to answer Webb's charge. She three-putted from about 30 feet on the 17th to fall one stroke behind and needed a birdie on the par-5 18th to force a playoff.

But Davies left her approach in the rough, chipped to the fringe and ran the birdie putt 4 feet by on the left. She missed that for her second straight three-putt, giving her a 72.

"If Webby hadn't been so good on the day, level par would have won," Davies said. "She's just the best player on tour this year. She proved it again."

Webb won $180,000 for the victory, her 15th of a career that began only four years ago, to break the tour's season record with $1,254,051 in 18 events. Annika Sorenstam set the previous mark of $1,236,789 in 1997.

"This is her first major, and probably the first of many," said Dawn Coe-Jones, who closed with a 74 and finished fourth to be the top Canadian in the field.

Webb went 66-66 on the weekend, capping a remarkable comeback in which she was 4-over late in the second round Friday. She made birdie on 18 of the final 40 holes.

Still, the tournament belonged to Davies. She stuck with her strategy of using driver only on the par-5s and opting for position with irons off the tee on the other holes. Davies was 8-under on the par-5s going into the final round, but had to settle for par on the first four Sunday and then bogeyed the last one.

"If she doesn't make any mistakes, she's got it in the bag maybe one or two birdies," Webb said. "I whip up three in a row, and I think that had to catch her off guard."

But Webb's charge began with pars.

She faced a chip from the rough on a hill to a green that sloped away from her, but nestled it down to 3 feet. After missing the green on the 13th, she made a 20-foot par save.

"The putt I made on 13 was probably the one that won it for me," Webb sad. "That gave me a lot of momentum coming in."

She hit it to within 8 feet on the next three holes for birdies, pumping her fist after each putt as if she sensed victory was closing in. After a two-putt par on the 17th, she hit a 3-wood into the back rough on the 18th, chipped to 5 feet and made the birdie putt.

Just like Inkster in the LPGA Championship and Payne Stewart in the U.S. Open, Webb took only 12 putts over the final nine holes.

"I don't ever try to think of myself as the best player in the world," Webb said. "But I played like I was today."

After a birdie on the first hole followed by 15 straight pars, Davies had to change her mode from cautious to courageous, and for a short time she was. Her approach from the right rough on No. 16 got a good kick onto the green and stopped 5 feet away for birdie that gave her the lead at 11-under.

But she finally missed a short putt for par on the 17th and failed to birdie the 18th.

Inkster's bid to become only the fifth player to win three majors in a year got off to a slow start. Needing a quick start to get her confidence in the putter going, she missed a tricky 6-foot birdie putt on the first hole and three-putted from 12 feet for double bogey on No. 4.

By the time she finally got it going, it was too late. She spent the final holes making birdies and cheering Webb on to victory.

"The first two days, I hit it poorly and putted. The last two days I hit it well and couldn't putt," Inkster said. "Go figure. That's golf. I'm sure there are 141 players who would love to finish third."

For Inkster, the LPGA Hall of Fame will have to wait. And at this rate, it won't be long before Webb is there, too.

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