Webb lands sixth ANZ title

Australia’s Karrie Webb won her sixth ANZ Ladies Masters and her second title in as many weeks with a final-round 68 at Royal Pines Resort on the Australian Gold Coast.

The 32-year-old from Ayr in Northern Queensland, who won the previous week’s MFS Women’s Australian Open at Royal Sydney, finished on a total of 19-under-par 269, two strokes ahead of 18-year-old Ji Yai Shin of South Korea.

America’s Cristie Kerr claimed third position on 16-under-par after a final round 68 while Sun Ju Ahn of South Korea, who led the tournament’s first two rounds, had a 70 for fourth place on 14-under-par.

Ruby Tseng from Taiwan, who has just turned 18, had a final round 66 to take outright fifth position. Australia’s Michelle Ellis, the third round co-leader with Webb, had a final round 75 which included two double bogeys at the eighth and 13 holes.

She finished in joint sixth place with Scotland’s Clare Queen on 12-under-par.

Queen, who took the risk of travelling to Australia without a place in the tournament, entered as an alternate and her trip played off as she had a final-round 68 for her career-best finish in a professional tournament.

Webb, who won this event four times in a row from 1998-2001 and then again in 2005, became only the second player to win the same Ladies European Tour event six times after Sweden’s Annika Sorenstam won the Swedish Open in 1997 1998, 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006.

Her perfect start to the 2007 season suggests that she is back to her best form.

“I am probably playing as close to as well as I have ever played,” said Webb. “I can’t really rest on my laurels with this because as good a form as I am in it’s not being the best player in the world and I have to get to that stage.”

Webb stormed into the joint third-round lead with Ellis after setting a course record 62 on Saturday. She came from seven shots behind the second-round leader to take the joint lead entering the final round and began day four with a birdie at the first hole.

Webb added further birdies at holes four, five and seven on the front nine. After Ellis double bogeyed the eighth hole, Webb had a two stroke advantage. She then eagled the par-five ninth hole for an outward total of 31, six-under-par and had reached 21-under-par with a four stroke lead by the turn.

A run of three bogeys and one birdie on the back nine was good enough to seal the victory, although she missed short putts on 17 and 18.

At the par-three 10th hole she was given a one stroke penalty for marking her ball when it was on the fringe, just off the green.

The Ladies European Tour season resumes with the Tenerife Ladies Open at Golf Del Sur, San Miguel de Abona, from May 3-6, 2007, and some of Europe’s top players are already looking forward to the start of the European season.

Becky Brewerton, of Wales, who finished in a tie for eighth place with Jo Young Ran of South Korea, Italy’s Veronica Zorzi and Australia’s Rachel Hetherington in the ANZ Ladies Masters, was one such player.

She said: “After a great start to the season with the World Cup and two good finishes I just want to keep playing. I wish we were starting now!”