Webb credits new attitude for return to winner's circle
IN: News | ALPG | ANZ Ladies Masters (2005) | Final Round | 28 Feb 2005
With her fifth victory at the ANZ Ladies Masters, Australia's Karrie Webb admitted that is was a change in attitude which helped her back to her top form.
The winner of 32 individual tournaments in her career, six major championships and a Super-Career Grand Slam after winning all five of the modern majors and twice a winner of the Player of the Year and Vare Trophy titles on the LPGA Tour, Webb began the 2005 season with a huge boost in confidence before she heads back to the USA for her 11th season as a professional.
"I've probably worked harder over the last couple of years than I have ever worked on the Tour and I've changed my attitude a bit but I wouldn't say I'm any less intense," said Webb, who when she chipped in for a crucial eagle three at the third hole to reel in teenage sensation Ai Miyazato during the final round of the ANZ Ladies Masters, fell to her knees and cheered, which some of her critics say she never does enough.
"Every now and then, (I show emotion) I don't keep my emotions in on purpose. I just think that's how I naturally react to things. It was a huge shot, I was just hoping to get it up and down and it went in. So I was very, very happy about that."
In her glory years of 2000 and 2001, Webb was simply brilliant on the course and some say lacking charisma off it.
Webb was highly critical of her performances, like many top sports personalities at the top of their trade, but to say she was dull and dour is a misnomer as Webb is one of the most laid back, friendly players you could possibly meet.
She is always willing to promote tournaments in which she competes. She offers a smile to everyone she meets, spends time with the people she needs to and despite some insidious and intrusive questioning from the media, Webb gives them the fuel they need to sell their papers.
"I try not to be so hard on myself nowadays and I think the difference is that each week I don't see it as a life and death situation and I know that to have a long career, I couldn't possibly keep up the intensity. I used to be so hard on myself and I think that fired me up to play well, but I don't respond to that as well and the criticism I give to myself."
"I actually stopped listening to it. I'm still hard on myself but as I get older it's less and less every year hopefully."
Webb, who only won once in 2004 and in 2003, is now looking forward to this year and with regular coaching from both Ian Triggs and Kelvin Haller, the 30-year-old from Ayr is now beginning to make the putts that agonisingly slipped by over the last two seasons.
At Royal Pines, she improved each day on the greens and after changing her putter after a lacklustre first round of 33 putts, Webb racked up 32, then 30 and needed just 28 on the last day to win her fifth title on the Gold Coast.
"Towards the end of last year, it was my putting but I felt very comfortable on the golf course as far as my swing was concerned and I hit the ball well, especially for the last five or six tournaments of the year, but I just didn't make the putts," she said.
"But for the most part, I didn't putt nearly as well as I have done in the past so obviously I've been working hard on that.
"But the biggest lesson I have learned over the last couple of years is that there is a fine line in this game. You can be so close and even in that last stretch of tournaments at the end of the year I only really had to ask for one or two shots each round, four shots over the course of the tournament and I could have won two or three of them."
"When I had that really hot stretch for a couple of years I got that extra shot per day and didn't struggle with that so it's a really fine line. I feel my game is a work in progress but I feel confident the way things are and the way I'm heading and I think in a year or two if I want to, I could go back to the way I was a few years ago."
"I haven't gone through what some people go through, it's just been a slower period than what I was accustomed to but last year, I've probably enjoyed the process more than I did when I was playing well."
"I think things happened to me at such a young age that it just progressively got better that I just expected it to happen and I thought I was appreciating it but I don't think I was. I just thought that was meant to happen to me."
"I always questioned why it was happening to me but I just thought it was meant to happen to me. When it wasn't, I had to rethink things, more than I did when I was 21 or 22. But last year, I probably enjoyed the process more than ever. If I want to play for another five or ten years I need to have that (enjoyment) or there wouldn't be much point being out there."
The point worth noting is that she is still out there, back to her best form and Karrie Webb has a new attitude to her game and a putting stroke reminiscent of her deadly best, 2005 could be the year that Webb has women's golf in a spin again.
Source - LET
