Webb again the Queen at Royal Pines
IN: News | ALPG | ANZ Ladies Masters (2007) | Wrap | by Bruce Young | 11 Feb 2007
» Round Four Photo Gallery - 2007 ANZ Ladies Masters
What shaped as an intriguing battle between perhaps Australia's greatest ever golfer and five other players within three shots of the lead heading into day four took only nine holes to develop into the 'Karrie Show' for the second consecutive week.
Just seven days after she had walked away with the MFS Women's Australian Open, Webb had opened up a four shot lead by the turn and although she stumbled a little over the closing nine holes, she had done enough early in the day to create a cushion that would allow her the luxury of a few late hiccups.
Webb had turned a seven shot deficit into a four shot lead within 27 holes and the task she supposedly faced after round two was well and truly a thing of the past.
Ellis and Webb, who had shared the lead into the final round, traded blows at the first both making birdie and taking their lead to two over Shin who responded at the second to move within one of her playing partners. Surprisingly, Webb was unable to birdie the par five third but both Ellis and Shin did and Ellis was ahead by one over Webb and Shin. Webb was about to commence a run of birdies that would see her establish control of the event by the time she reached the 7th tee.
A birdie from 8 feet at the 4th was followed by another from 20 feet at the 5th and another from 14 feet behind the flag at the 7th. Although Shin was able to stay in touch with a birdie at the 6th, she and Ellis had fallen two behind the rampant Webb.
At the 8th hole, the shot that still plagues Ellis when under pressure, the blocked shot right, reared its ugly head at the worst possible moment. There is out of bounds between the golf course and the adjacent Crowne Plaza Hotel at that hole and so far right was her tee shot that Ellis did not even bother investigating. The resultant double bogey saw her slip back to fifteen under and after being one ahead of Webb after three she was now four behind.
If that was a nail in the coffin of one of her nearest challengers, another was about to be added at the par five 9th when Webb hit her 2nd to 25 feet and once again the putt poured into the hole at the perfect speed and she had raced to 21 under after a front nine of 31 and had a four shot lead over Shin with two further back to Ellis.
Cristie Kerr had threatened at times this week to be Karrie's nearest challenger and while it appeared her chance had gone after a good but unspectacular start to the day, she moved into contention for a top three finish and perhaps better when she birdied from 12 feet at the 11th hole to move to 15 under and within six.
At the 10th Webb incurred a one shot penalty when she inadvertently marked her ball when believing it to be on the green. It was actually just off the green and she called over the rules official who confirmed her mistake. She took bogey but her lead was still three. She seemed unfazed by it all.
At the next Webb missed the green left and the chance was there for her to let the mental mistake at the 10th compound itself but she pitched to 7 feet and holed what was probably, in the overall context of the tournament, a very important putt to save par. When Shin took bogey at the same hole she led by four.
Ellis' brave challenge for a top finish, and perhaps even the title, finally came to an end when she drove it in the water at the 13th, again the result of a tee shot going right and she would take double bogey. Webb added a par there to remain at 20 under and was four ahead of Shin, five ahead of Kerr and seven ahead of Ruby Tseng, Ahn Sun Ju and Ellis.
One player who had emerged from the ruck on day four was Taiwan's Ruby Tseng. Tseng turned professional in the last month or so and, as a player who had finished third here last year as an amateur, she was looking to repeat her last round heroics in 2006 when she produced a last round of 64. She turned in 32 after a magnificent second to the 9th had set up a five foot eagle chance which she converted. She added birdies at the 13th and 17th to move to seven under for the day and 14 under for the tournament.
She had made up a huge slice of ground on the leaders over the weekend having started the third round at four under. Tseng is a remarkable talent in this writer's eyes having watched her on several occasions during the course of this week and in her previous visits to Royal Pines. Her piercing ball flight in the equal of any player in the field and the 18 year old appears on track for a stellar professional career.
Unfortunately Tseng would bogey the last but the ANZ Ladies Masters has again provided a great vehicle to display her considerable talents.
Cristie Kerr had created many chances on day four but converted very few. She was still three under for the day however when she reached the par five 15th. Finally she was able to make another putt at the 15th and when she had she was at 16 under and, along with Shin, Webb's nearest pursuer.
Shin hit two good shots to the par five 15th and was able to two putt for birdie and appeared as if she could close the gap to three although Webb had other ideas as she rolled in a 15 foot putt for birdie to move to 21 under and walked to the 16th tee still four ahead, this time of Shin. Kerr was at 16 under.
Kerr saved par at the last after missing the green left and kept intact her record of no bogeys in 72 holes.
"That's a first for me," said Kerr later. "I played well but honestly didn't feel I made many putts this week. I didn't know what to expect, this week being my first event of the year but overall I am very satisfied with my performance."
When asked what her goals are for this year, Kerr responded "I want to win a major, to keep winning tournaments and to keep getting better." Clearly this was a very good start.
Webb saved par at the 16th after missing the green right but surprisingly bogeyed the 17th after driving it in the fairway bunker. She missed the green from there and at the last three putted for another bogey but only her pride was hurt as she ran out the winner by two over Shin Ji Yai who missed a very makeable birdie putt at the last and by three over Cristie Kerr.
Ahn Sun Ju finished in fourth place at 14 under and five behind Webb while the leading Australian after Webb was Ellis who eventually finished in a share of 6th.
Afterwards Webb faced the media. "I'm probably playing as well as ever," she said when asked that specific question. "I'm striking the ball very well and the fact that I am putting as well as I am takes the stress off and helps in my overall play."
"When I got to the 9th hole today I was thinking about how many birdies I had had but to be honest I hadn't thought about how much ground I had made up since Friday evening," she answered to the question on the eleven shot turnaround she had put on the field since the completion of her Friday afternoon round.
"I was not really thinking of doing this well when I started in Sydney. I always go into tournaments expecting to win and I had put a lot of hard work in the weeks leading into Sydney but I can't say I was expecting to win two tournaments in a row."
Webb's improved attitude towards her work and her profession continues to reap rewards as it has done over the last twelve months. "The mental side of things has done a 180 degree turnaround. I am finding it much easier now to get involved in the shot rather than getting too bogged down with the outcome. The penalty on the 10th was a good example as I just got on with it made a good up and down at the next. I knew I had a four shot lead so I was not going to let it bother me."
Webb is a roll on as she heads to Hawaii to play two consecutive events there. She has made the dream start to a season which could well see her on track to regain the title of the leading player in the world. Officially she has never held that previously as until last year there has never really been a ranking system to determine such. Now there is and if and when she gets to that coveted number one position she will look back on these past two weeks as a major catalyst in her quest for that goal.
"I know it will not be easy to chase down Annika and Lorena but all I can control is what I do and if I keep doing what I have been doing the past twelve months then I have a chance."
