I told you so says jubilant Webb

BY Liz White | ALPG Tour | 2008 Women's Australian Open | Round Four | 03 Feb 2008

Karrie Webb has won her fourth Australian Open after an exciting two hole playoff against South Korea’s Ji-Yai Shin at Kingston Heath today.

Yesterday Webb stated she was the one to finish the job but not even she could have predicted it would be under such thrilling and nerve wracking circumstances.

The 33-year-old Queenslander had a titanic battle with Shin, the pair exchanging the lead several times throughout the day. Both shot the round of the day, a six under 67, to finish at eight under.

Webb said she was stung into action after glimpsing at the leader board when she was on the fifteenth.

“I thought maybe I would be one shot behind but I was surprised to see two shots behind,” she said.

“I said ‘Let’s try and give me three good birdie opportunities’ but if it doesn’t happen then I was really happy with a lot of the good things I had done out there.”

But as Webb has done so many times in her career she was able to answer. She drained an 8m putt on the 357m par four sixteenth to move within one and then sunk a two metre putt on the 170m par three 17th to grab her share of the lead.

Standing on the 18th green Webb’s 6m birdie putt for the Patricia Bridges Bowl just turned below the hole.

The 19-year-old Shin, watching in the scorer’s hut, could hardly believe it.

On the first playoff hole, the 375m par four eighteenth, Shin had a slight advantage with her ball placed nicely on the fairway and Webb’s ball sitting in the light rough on the left hand side of the fairway.

Shin, who won 10 times on the Korean Tour last year, immediately applied the pressure with an immaculate approach shot that landed just under four metres left of the pin. Webb responded brilliantly sticking her six iron approach shot to four metres. Both missed their birdie putts and so headed back down to the 18th to do it all again.

The second play-off hole was virtually a repeat performance off the tee, but this time Shin overplayed her approach and landed just on the back of the green apron.

The door was ajar and that was all Webb needed. She calmly landed her seven iron approach in almost identical position to her two previous shots on the 18th. It was a case of third time lucky for Webb as the left-to right curling putt found its way to the bottom of the cup.

“I took my time on the second playoff hole because I really couldn’t see that much break and I really had to go in there and trust that it was going to do that.”

Webb is hoping today’s back to back Open victory will set up a good year on the USLPGA.

“Obviously it gives me a lot of confidence. It is no guarantee that it will turn into a great year in the States but it is definitely getting me off to a great start and giving me a lot of confidence that I needed right from the word go.”

Britain’s Melissa Reid finished in outright third with a total of 288 after carding a three under round of 70 today. The young 20-year-old showed she has what it takes, grabbing the lead halfway through today’s final round before Webb and Shin went on their birdie blitzes.

Reid went out in a blistering 33, three under the card and played solid par golf on the back nine. One shot behind Reid was Gold Coast based Korean, Amy Yang, who shot a three under round of 70 today to finish at two under 290 overall.

Overnight leader Lindsey Wright couldn’t get it going today and finished equal fifth on one under after shooting a two over round of 75. The Queenslander was joined by a host of other players, including Sydney’s Joanne Mills, Korea’s Na Yeon Choi, Japan’s Yuki Sakurai and West Australia’s Kristie Smith.

Smith had a great tournament, finishing leading amateur posting a 73 for the day to finish one under for a total of 291. It was an outstanding performance from the 19-year�€“old who at the halfway mark was the tournament leader. Despite dropping back to equal fifth overall, Kristie said she will take a lot out of this week.

“I have learnt a whole lot of new things, just to stay patient out there and really compose yourself and stay focussed. You have to hit a lot of quality shots and you have to hole the putts when you need to,” she said.

Tournament drawcard Laura Davies will be hoping for better things next week at the ANZ Ladies Masters. She finished in 51st place with a 10 over total of 302. Nikki Garrett finished tied for 55th on eleven over while fellow young Aussie hopeful Sarah Kemp, missed the cut.