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| JUBILANT: Karrie Webb of Australia poses with the championship trophy after the final round of the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup at Wildfire Golf Club in Phoenix, Arizona. (AFP |
Australia’s Karrie Webb won her second title in three LPGA events this season, firing a six-under par 66 on Sunday to take the inaugural LPGA Founders Cup by one stroke.
Webb appeared destined for a playoff with Brittany Lincicome, but the American took only her second bogey of the 54-hole event at the 18th hole to give the Aussie veteran her 37th career LPGA title on 12-under par 204.
“Brittany played great this week, played great today,” Webb said. “I’m just glad to be standing here as champion.”
Webb, a seven-time major champion, won the HSBC Women’s Championship last month in Singapore but was six strokes off the pace when the final round began.
Victory in the $1 million event brought no prize money for the 36-year-old LPGA Hall of Famer, with all prize money going to charity. Half the money went to LPGA youth programs while top-10 finishers directed donations of the rest.
Webb donated $100,000 to the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation to combat paralysis and in a surprise move announced after the victory donated $100,000 to charities working on the Japanese earthquake and tsunami relief effort.
“The Japan people have done a lot for me, Japanese companies as well, and I feel like I need to give back to them,” Webb said.
The Cup paid tribute to the 13 founding LPGA players, three of whom greeted players Sunday as the exited the 18th green.
“I’m really honored to win the inaugural Founders Cup,” Webb said. “It’s a great concept and we need to honor these ladees more than we do. The reason we’re playing today is because of them. It means a lot to me to be champion.”
Singh seeks glory
Delhi: India’s Sujjan Singh is hoping home advantage will help him turn impressive form into a first Asian Tour victory at the SAIL Open starting today.
The 30-year-old will do battle at the Delhi Golf Club with former Asian Order of Merit champion Jyoti Randhawa and rising Indian star Gaganjeet Bhullar, as well as Australia’s Marcus Both and Thai star Pariya Junhasavasdikul.
After finishing tied fifth at the Avantha Masters in India last month, Singh, who is second on the Order of Merit, has his sights set on a maiden Asian Tour win at the $300,000 event.
“My goal is to keep my ranking, hopefully move up in it and win on the Asian Tour. I’ve won on the Indian Tour so winning on the Asian Tour is my next goal,” he said.
“I think of going for a win each week but I’m more confident this week because I’m playing on a course which I’m more familiar with.”
Jacquelin triumphs
Sicily, Italy: Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin won the weather-delayed Siclian Open here yesterday clinching a one-stroke victory over Anthony Wall of England thanks to a closing round of 68.
It was the 36-year-old’s third EPGA title and it came four years after his last victory.
Jacquelin and Wall, whose last title win came in 2000, resumed with six holes to play after thunderstorms had brought an abrupt end to play on Sunday evening.
The Englishman, who trailed by one shot overnight, twice drew level, but a double-bogey six at the 421-yard 17th proved to be fatal to his title chances.
Wall came back with a closing birdie at the last, but Jacquelin’s par made him the champion with a three-under-par 68 and a 12-under aggregate of 272. Spaniard Jose Manuel Lara finished in a tie for third place with Swede Joel Sjoholm after a double bogey at the last, but they were five shots off the pace.