First Tiger Woods, then Karrie Webb. This gambling city has been good to tour rookies this year.
Webb joined Woods, who earned his first pro win here last month, as a big Las Vegas winner Sunday, capping a sensational rookie year by shooting a 7-under-par 65 to win the inaugural LPGA Tour Championship by four shots.In the process, the 21-year-old Australian became the first LPGA golfer and the first rookie on any tour to make more than $1 million in a single season. The $150,000 first prize boosted her earnings to $1,002,000.
"It's just like a dream," said Webb, who broke down and cried while thanking her golf coach and parents during the presentation ceremony.
"It meant a lot to me to win the money list. It's good for the LPGA tour, too, because none of the men have ever done it."
Webb's fourth win of the year in the inaugural tour final was virtually guaranteed after she hit a 4-iron within 15 feet on the par-5 15th hole, then made the putt for eagle and a four-shot lead.
She parred the last three holes, then accepted congratulatory hugs from fellow players.
"There was a lot riding on today," Webb said. "I really wanted to win and achieve everything I have."
Webb, who started the round tied for the lead with Emilee Klein, shot a 2-under 34 on the front side, then wrapped up the tournament with birdies on three of the first four holes on the back nine and the eagle on 15.
"I was very pumped up today," Webb said. "I dream of being in positions like this and I never, ever, don't want to be there. I love it."
Klein shot a final-round 69 to finish tied for second with Kelly Robbins and Nancy Lopez. Robbins had a 65 Sunday, while Lopez shot a 66.
"I think you'll be hearing a lot more from both of us," said Klein, who, at 22, is only six months older than Webb. "I think we'll both be on the top for many years to come."
Laura Davies, who led Webb on the money list going into the tournament, was three shots back starting the day and could not overcome Webb despite shooting a final-round 67 on a warm and windless day at the Desert Inn golf course on the Las Vegas Strip.
"If you're going to get beat, you might as well get beat by one of the best," said Davies, who was in a group of three golfers at 11 under.
Davies had already locked up player of the year honors on the LPGA tour and was hoping to top the money list on both the American and European tours.
"I'm disappointed but I'll get over it," Davies said. "I've had nine wins. I've had a good year."
The long-hitting Webb, wearing sunglasses to shield her eyes from the desert sun, did not make a bogey in the final round as she took the lead on the third hole and stayed in front the rest of the way.
She joined Davies and Dottie Pepper as four-time winners this year on the LPGA tour.
Webb birdied Nos. 10 and 11 to go ahead by two shots, then made a 15-foot birdie putt on 14 to go ahead by three. Webb then hit an iron close on the par-5 15th, and curled the putt into the left side of the hole to close out the tournament.
Webb, who played her way onto the tour in qualifying school last fall, burst onto the scene by winning in her first tournament, the HealthSouth Inaugural, earlier this year.
She added two more wins and had already locked up the rookie of the year award coming into the tour championship.
Webb trailed Davies by about $45,000 on the money list, and both women had a chance to break the $1 million barrier by winning the 72-hole tournament.
Australian Open
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) - Greg Norman shot a flawless 3-under-par, final-round 69 Sunday and won the $800,000 Australian Open for the fifth time, with Tiger Woods a distant 12 shots back.
Promotional material for the tournament had billed it as "Tiger Stalks Shark."
When it was over, Norman, the Great White Shark, had left the Tiger - and the rest of the field - in his wake.
Norman finished eight strokes ahead of his nearest rival in winning for a second consecutive year.
He had a total of 280, 8-under-par, over the par-72, 7,046-yard The Australian Golf Club course.
Norman was the only player to finish with a sub-par total and earned $151,570 for his 77th career triumph.
"I just focused and stayed patient," Norman said, after carding three birdies and no bogeys. "I was nervous, but I knew I had to get the job done. It was very important for me to win here."
Norman's first won the Australian Open in 1980, but he never had won the event in Sydney, or previously won a tournament at the Jack Nicklaus-designed course. He hadn't won any tournament in Sydney for a decade.
South African Gary Player holds the record for the most Australian Open victories with seven. Nicklaus won it six times.
Norman received an enthusiastic reception from his home fans, who only get a chance to see him a few times each year.
"There were a lot of people here and the fact they were supporting me made it great ..." he said.
Norman birdied two of the first six holes to make sure there would be no repeat of his collapse at this year's Masters, where he blew a six-shot lead. It was his third win of the year.
Wayne Grady, the 1990 U.S. PGA champion who is winless in two years, had a 69 to finish second at 288.
Woods, who came close to missing the cut after an opening round 79, never got close to Norman.
Woods, the three-time U.S. amateur champion and a two-time late-season winner on the U.S. PGA Tour, finished tied for fifth at 292 after a closing 70.
"I was far below my best this week," Woods said. "I made a lot of mistakes both physically and mentally, and when you do that you usually don't win."
Norman said Woods will benefit from the experience.
"I think he got the flavor of what Australian golf courses are all about and will understand why Australian golfers are so successful," he said.
World Cup Of Golf
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) - South Africans Ernie Els and Wayne Westner won the World Cup of Golf Sunday with a remarkable 29-under-par aggregate, beating the runner-up United States team by 18 strokes.
The South Africans finished with a 547 total over the tight, 7,002-yard Erinvale Country Club course.
It was a double triumph for the South Africans, who also finished first and second in the individual competition.
Els and Westner's winning margin was a record for the $1.5 million tournament, now in its 42nd year.
South Africa's win ended four years of World Cup domination by the United States' Fred Couples and David Love, who had won the tournament every year since 1992. They did not play this year.
Until this year, the widest victory margin was 14 strokes, achieved by Couples and Love in 1994 and 1995, and by the U.S. team of Ben Hogan and Sam Snead in 1956.
"This was an unbelievable week," Els said. "Walking up the 18th today was awesome. The fans were fantastic - all 80,000 of them - throughout the week, which I am told is a World Cup record."
Els won the individual title for the International Trophy with a 272 score, 16-under-par, after a closing 5-under 67. Westner was runner-up at 275 after a 70.
Els and Westner shared $400,000 as the winning team, with Els getting an additional $100,000 as the individual champion.
This was only the third time in World Cup history that one country's players finished 1-2 in the individual competition.
Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer did it in 1964, and fellow Americans John Mahaffey and Andy North did the same in 1978.
This time, the U.S. team of Steve Jones and Tom Lehman finished second at 565, beating Scotland by one stroke. Jones, the U.S. Open champion, shot a 3-under 69 Sunday for 282, and British Open champion Lehman had a 71 for 283.