An emotional Karrie Webb’s thoughts were with grandmother in hospital after claiming a drought-breaking LPGA Tour victory for her.
Webb overcame a five-shot final day deficit to win the $US1.5 million Shoprite Classic in New Jersey by two strokes from China’s Feng Shanshan with a three-under-par 68 final round on Sunday.
It was Webb’s 39th win on the LPGA Tour but the first in over two years since the 2011 Founders Cup.
And it came after a tough week for the seven-times major champion.
Webb said she’d been distraught because her grandmother had been very sick in hospital back in Australia.
“My grandmother is ill at home and we thought she was going to pass,” Webb said. “She told me that I had to win this tournament for her.
“She’s on the mend now but still in the hospital.”
Webb, who is expected to move into the top 10 in world rankings with this victory, said the win not only would please her grandmother but it also validated the hard work she had put into improving her game.
“It never gets old and it never gets any easier,” Webb said.
“I am just glad I pulled it out.”
Second-round leader Feng stumbled to a four-over 75 during her final round to fall into second place at two-under 211, while South Korea’s Park Hee-Young placed third after firing a 71 for 212.
Playing in wind gusting over 40km/h, Webb had two birdies, an eagle and a bogey, capping the round with a five-foot birdie at the par-5 final hole. She also made six par-saving putts of 5-6 feet.
She got off to a hot start.
She parred the first hole then made birdie on the second and followed that with an eagle on the par-five third to move to four-under.
Her only bogey of the day came at the par-four sixth, but she capped her round in style with a birdie on the par-five 18th.
“Coming down I thought I needed to make one birdie because I didn’t think I could just par in and feel comfortable, so great birdie on the last,” said Webb.
Feng stumbled out the gate on Sunday with two double bogeys in the first five holes. She had three bogeys and one birdie on the back nine.
It was a disappointing preparation for her defence next week of her LPGA Championship major title in suburban Rochester, New York.
Her triumph in that tournament last year made her the first Chinese player to win an LPGA Tour event.
Feng, of Guangzhou, said the windy conditions threw her off.
“Today was tough,” Feng said. “It was tough conditions. I did OK even though I played plus four.”