PHOENIX – 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.” Lincicome said she had no idea her stumble at 18, her first bogey since the sixth hole on Friday, had cost her the title.
“I had no idea where I was,” she said. “It puts a bad taste in your stomach. I did so many things to maintain my position all day. It’s a little bitter, but coming in second, it’s really cool.”
