WHATEVER the secret is, she'll take some more of it. Karrie Webb had not won an LPGA tournament for two years when she closed out the Champions event in Singapore a few weeks ago; yesterday, at her next start, in Phoenix, Arizona, she won again.
The 36-year-old was still laughing at the change of fortunes yesterday, and unable to explain it. ''I don't know! I either need to not question it, or try and work it out,'' she told The Age from Phoenix.
Webb's 38th LPGA career title came with a withering 66 to finish the Founders Cup at 12-under-par. She signed her card and waited as Brittany Lincicome finished her round, the American tied for the lead coming down the 18th but refusing to look at a leaderboard, as is her policy. But Lincicome missed the 18th green and could not make a par-saving putt from just beyond two metres that would have sent her into a playoff with Webb.
The Founders Cup tournament is unique in that the million-dollar prizemoney is entirely donated to charities and golf development - half toward a girls' golf foundation, and the other portion to charities of the players' choices. Webb split her $200,000 prizemoney between the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Foundation and the relief fund for the Japanese earthquake victims. She has a longtime link with the Reeve foundation that stems from her association with life-long coach Kelvin Haller, a quadriplegic from the age of 16.
''It's near and dear to my heart to be associated with them,'' she said afterward. ''I think they'll understand that I am splitting the 200,000 between them and the relief efforts in Japan. You know, I've been glued to the TV watching it for the past 10 days and it's just unbelievable what's going on over there.''
Most of the best female players in the world, including world No. 1 Yani Tseng, were in the field. Webb was trailing overnight leader American Angela Stanford by six shots when she hit the course yesterday.
Her win is a perfect warm-up for the first of the women's majors in California in a fortnight, and her first back-to-back tournament wins since the Australian Open and Masters in 2007.
''I just went out there to play,'' she said. ''I didn't think much about it, really. I thought if I went low I'd have a chance, but I didn't really go out there with the mindset of trying to catch up as quickly as I could and win. I was looking to play a solid round and see where that put me.''
Her hot streak began midway through the second day of the three-round tournament, when she was one-under-par. She went 11-under from that point. ''The putter's been working pretty well all year,'' she said. ''I made some putts. But I hit it pretty good today. I didn't make any bombs today.''
While she has never truly lost the passion to play and tour, she has certainly questioned her motivation in recent years, particularly in an environment where dozens of young, hungry players are joining the circuit every year. She believes the Singapore victory may have eased the tension upon her. ''I wouldn't say I'm freer on the course, but I just wasn't pounding myself to get up there in contention. It feels good to be on the golf course right now.''
Webb had jumped back to No. 10 in the world and will push higher with yesterday's triumph. In three LPGA starts this year, she has finished third (in Thailand), first and first.
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