Karrie Webb of Australia lines up a putt during the third round of the 2014 HSBC Women's Champions golf tournament in Singapore on March 1, 2014. PHOTO: AFP
Australian veteran Karrie Webb punched out of a greenside bunker for a brave birdie on her final hole as she stared down her challengers at the HSBC Women’s Champions on Saturday.
The 39-year-old displayed nerves of steel as she escaped from the bunker and then drained a five-foot pressure putt in front of the large gallery to maintain a narrow, one-shot lead in Singapore.
Webb, a 40-time winner on the LPGA tour who is enjoying resurgence this year, toughed it out over 13 barren holes before her round came alive with three birdies in the last five.
Her two-under-par 70 gave her an aggregate score of 11-under 205, one ahead of fellow former winner Angela Stanford, with Spain’s Azahara Munoz and Taiwan’s Teresa Lu a further two shots back at par-72 Sentosa Golf Club.
“The birdie on the last was important for me, for momentum,” said Webb, who has a boxing kangaroo logo on her cap. “Whether I had made my putt or not I would have still been tied for the putt at worst.
“But just momentum-wise, I hit a really good shot off the tee there. My bunker shot wasn’t as great as I would have liked but I hit a very confident putt which gives me good feelings going into tomorrow [Sunday].”
Meanwhile, Suzann Pettersen’s chances of seizing the world number one ranking this week looked slim after two late bogeys left her with a 70, six shots off the lead.
Park In-Bee, whose top ranking has come under sustained threat, scored 71 to be eight shots adrift, and newly professional New Zealand teenager Lydia Ko, 16, fell out of the reckoning with a 73.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 2nd, 2014.
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