Webb the one to make the running
KARRIE Webb starts most tournaments these days with a target on her back.
So it came as no surprise yesterday when British superstar Laura Davies claimed the winner of this week’s Australian Open would be the person who completed the four rounds one shot clear of the Queenslander.
Such is the price Webb pays for her success on the world stage. Her resume features more than 35 wins worldwide, including seven in majors, and, at the age of 32 she shows no signs of slowing down, having recently completed one of the best years of her career.
In 2006, Webb won five tournaments,
including the Nabisco Championship - her seventh major title - and finished the year behind only Sweden’s Annika Sorenstam and Mexican Lorena Ochoa in the world rankings.
After a few lean years by her own high standards, Webb is once again the player to beat.
“If you’re one shot ahead of Karrie this week, you’re going to win,” Davies said.
“That’s my plan - to stay ahead of her.”
Despite Davies’ praise, Webb won’t have it all her own way at Royal Sydney.
The Open field is full of players capable of making a challenge, most notably Davies, the defending champion, and France’s Gwladys Nocera, who finished second on the European money list last year.
Youth abounds as well, with last year’s Ladies Masters champion Amy Yang taking time out from her year 12 studies to continue her professional career.
Webb, though, will start favourite and she is already looking beyond this tournament.
Her major aim is to claim the world No.1 ranking from Sorenstam.
“I feel like I have the ability to be the best player in the world again,” Webb said. “That’s the very far distant carrot. I don’t know how far away it is.
“That’s the ultimate one. I feel like I moved up a long way to getting closer to No.1 last year.
“I feel like I have the ability.”
To that end, Webb talks about process. When she was the best in the world, Webb said she relied on talent and talent alone.
These days she has a better grasp on what it takes to be successful.
“I did it once before and I think the difference between then and now is I don’t think I really knew what process it took me to get to that,” she said.
“I rode a big wave of confidence for five or six years. Mentally I didn’t have a process of how I went about that.
“So when things went lean for a while I didn’t have that process to go back and draw upon.
“I feel like I am in a better position now if I do go through a lean time.”
