Australian legend Karrie Webb couldn’t miss out on her “final alternative to compete at St Andrews” and can tee it up within the last main of the 12 months figuring out her legacy is robust within the crack area of younger Aussies now among the many main possibilities to win the Girls’s British Open this week.
World No.5 Hannah Inexperienced and her Olympic teammate Minjee Lee, each main champions themselves, have lengthy hailed the affect of Webb, the Olympic golf workforce captain who has gained extra majors than every other Australian, as a mentor to the present era of stars on the world circuit.
There are six Australians, all aged below 30, and all with skilled wins, within the area with Webb, vying for his or her share of the huge $13m prize pool in addition to their likelihood to hitch a star-studded record of Aussies, men and women, to assert the British Open.
Webb, now 49 and solely a sporadic participant on tour, gained the occasion twice in 1995 and 1997 earlier than it was elevated to main standing after which once more in 2001 when it was formally a significant, one in all her seven official main championship victories.
With the occasion again at St Andrews, Webb mentioned that whereas one other victory could also be a stretch, she couldn’t not play.
“I believe this might be my final alternative to compete at St Andrews, so even when it’s on the street earlier than I’m 60, these women are too good for me to be making an attempt to tee it up after I’m 56, 57,” she mentioned.
“So it’s very particular to be again right here. I used to be on the lookout for my yardage ebook from 2013. I missed the reduce and I used to be, like, subsequent time it’s right here I gained’t be enjoying golf once more, I gained’t be enjoying once more, so I threw it out, so I couldn’t discover it.
“I didn’t assume I’d be enjoying skilled golf at 49. I’m simply wanting ahead to having a great time on the market as a lot as you’ll be able to with the climate forecast, however simply see what occurs.”
Webb mentioned the evolution of The Open was linked to the expansion of the ladies’s tour, which she dominated, successful 41 instances in a profession that ensured her elevation to the Corridor of Fame.
“It’s at all times meant loads to me, really. Even successful it the primary couple of instances, as a non-major, I at all times got here into the Girls’s Open pondering of it as a significant,” she mentioned.
“In 2001, it turning into a significant, I believe was lengthy overdue. And the match’s solely grown loads since then. We began enjoying the Outdated Course and Carnoustie and Troon, locations the place ladies’s golf had by no means been performed earlier than.
“And I believe so far as the gamers go, I simply assume each era evolves into a greater model of the final. And I believe it’s thrilling to look at how good the ladies are. And I believe it’s in all probability simply deeper, the sphere, than after I performed in ’95. There’s so many ladies that you could possibly say they’re favourites for this week and none of them be up there, and 5 or 6 names that nobody’s ever heard of aside from a number of out on tour and you understand how good they’re.”
AUSSIES AT THE OPEN (world rating)
Hannah Inexperienced (5)
Minjee Lee (14)
Steph Kyriacou (49)
Gabi Ruffels (46)
Grace Kim (73)
Hira Naveed (111)
Karrie Webb (1003)