Welcome to the Webb and Davies show

BY Liz White | ALPG Tour | 2010 Women's Australian Open | Round Three | 13 Mar 2010

They may as well call the Handa Australian Open the Karrie Webb/Laura Davies show.

The pair have won the last four Open titles between them and after both shot sub par rounds today, it looks like being a race in two at Melbourne’s Commonwealth Course tomorrow.

Two of the games greatest players, they have collectively won over 120 titles worldwide. It’s a stunning contrast to the third player in tomorrow’s final group, Italian Giulia Sergas. After eight years on the tour she remains winless.

Webb fired off a bogey free three under 70 today to give her a 6 under 213 total _ one shot ahead of Sergas and two shots over the defending champion, Laura Davies.

Should the Queenslander win tomorrow it will be her fifth Australian Open and the third time she has won both the ANZ Ladies Masters and the Open in the one year.

But such matters do not distract the 35-year-old. She will just let her clubs do the talking.

“I have to actually win tomorrow before I do that,” she said.

“I still have a good 18 holes left. Hopefully I still have some golf left in me.”

It was a wonderful display from Webb today; she rarely missed a green in regulation. The LPGA Hall of Famer is even amazed herself.

“I am surprised that some of my best golf has come after such a long layoff. This is the first time in many years that I have played four in a row. I feel I have a good one left in me.”

She says tomorrow’s final grouping should be great for the crowd.

“I think it will be fun. She (Davies) is very capable of shooting a low number and so are a number of other players.”

Wedged in between the two giants of the game is Italian Giulia Sergas, who yesterday revealed she is a kind of course whisperer, talking to the fairways and greens throughout her round.

But unfortunately today there were a few crossed wires as the 30-year-old scrapped around the demanding sandbelt layout, shooting one double bogey and three bogeys for a 2 over round of 75.

“I tried but I wasn’t hitting it where it was pointing at,” she laughed.

“It was like ‘I told you here, what are you doing?’ so I had to kind of take different ways today.”

It was a far cry from yesterday’s bogeyless 4 under 69.

One player who can shoot a 69 on the tight Commonwealth course is Britain’s Laura Davies who shot a 2 under 71 today.

After her first round, where she held a two shot lead, Davies said she didn’t like being the front-runner. It affected her sleep too much. Going into tomorrow’s final round two shots back, Davies will most likely sleep like a baby tonight.

She won’t even be bothered that she was forced to hit several wonderful miracle recovery shots today, none more so impressive than her 221m 2 iron from behind the trees to set up an eagle putt on the par 5 13th.

“That’s how I play normally,” she said.

“I’m not saying I am brilliant, I am saying I am normally in the shit.

“I play conservative when I think it is best.”

So is one of the game’s biggest hitters looking forward to playing with Webb and Sergas tomorrow?

“Not if I play like that,” she said.

“If I play like I did on Thursday it will be great fun. You can’t predict who is going to win.

“Anyone could have a good round. It happened to me last year. Maybe I can do it again.”

Katherine Hull is in outright fourth on 3 under 216 but World No 7 Yani Tseng remains a threat, tied with 17-year-old Korean Soo-Jin Yang in fifth position, on 2 under 217.

Britain’s Melissa Reid, who has finished third in both her last two outings at the Australian Open, believes she is not out of the tournament, sitting five shots back from Webb.

“I still fancy my chances of winning,” she said.

“I just said to Marty my caddy, if we get a few going on the front nine there is no reason we can’t shoot a low one tomorrow.”

Reid believes the key to firing low is all about patience and understanding.

“You just have to respect this golf course, you can miss the green by a yard and you’ve just got double written all over it,” she said.

But Davies believes the main rival to her chances of going back to back is Karrie Webb.

“Nothing against Giulia but Webby has won what, five (sic) Opens already and seven Masters, she likes this little time of the year in March, doesn’t she?”

Come tomorrow afternoon, it may well turn out to be her favourite time of year.