Webb cruises to Sydney win

Australia’s Karrie Webb cruised to a six-shot victory in the MFS Women’s Australian Open at the Royal Sydney Golf Club.

Overnight leader Webb carded a final-round 72 to reach 10-under-par and fend off Taiwan’s Yun-Jye Wei, who shot 74.

Spain’s Paula Marti (69) and Finland’s Minea Blomqvist (69) shared third place at two under. America’s Brittany Lincicombe was one shot further back with South Korea’s Ji Yai Shin (fifth).

Australia’s Katherine Hull fired a course record seven-under-par 65 in the final round, with six birdies on her back nine for an inward total of 30. South Africa’s Ashleigh Simon, 17, was the leading amateur and finished joint 20th.

Webb, 32, who won five tournaments in 2006, lifted the Patricia Bridges Bowl for the third time having previously won the title in 1999 and 2000 at Yarra Yarra Golf Club. She earned a first prize of 75,000 Australian, (£30,000 or 50,000 US dollars).

“It’s a great start to the year,” said Webb after landing her 45th tournament win in a 13-year professional career.

“It was a bit of a struggle today. I didn’t feel as though I had as much control over my swing as yesterday but I managed to keep it under control.”

Webb, who has won seven Majors including the 2006 Kraft Nabisco Championship, last won the Mizuno Classic in November.

She rocketed to world number three at the end of last year after two quiet years and hopes to regain her status as world number one in the forthcoming season. Winning her first tournament of 2007 indicates that she is on track to do so.

Webb has been working on the mental side of golf as well as the physical and even when her ball striking is not 100 percent, she believes she can grind out a score, which she believes is the reason for her return to form last year.

Webb explained: “There are one or two weeks of the year if you’re lucky where you hit it absolutely perfectly. You don’t get many weeks where you feel totally in control but for the other 23 weeks, if you’re able to get the ball in the hole, that’s what gives you a better chance of becoming number one in the world. That’s what I did last time (in 1999 and 2000).

“I think I’m a better player than seven or eight years ago. It’s hard for people to understand that but the standard has got better. I’m definitely physically better and mentally.”

Webb added that only during Saturday’s third round was her swing up to her own lofty standards but that her short game was magnificent throughout the tournament.

“They were very fast and firms greens,” she said. “I do take a lot from this week.”

Webb led by one after her second round and began the final round four shots ahead of Wei, her only real title challenger in the final round.

Wei, who is ranked 39th in the World and who has won three tournaments on the Japanese tour, challenged Webb on the front nine but fell away on the back nine.

She was three adrift at the turn, having recorded two birdies at the second and seventh holes, but was four-over-par on the back nine. Webb birdied the long 13th coming home but then dropped two shots at the 14th and 17th holes. It was all over for Wei after she double bogeyed the 15th hole.

All eyes will turn to Webb next week as she contends for the ANZ Ladies Masters title at Royal Pines on the Gold Coast. The last time she won both Australian titles was in 2000, which turned out to be the best year of her career.