Victorian professional Alison Whitaker has backed Karrie Webb to bounce back from her Australian Ladies Masters disqualification at next week’s Australian Open.

Webb was scratched from the Ladies Masters following her second round at Royal Pines on Friday after she signed off on an incorrect scorecard.

It was disappointing exit for the 39-year-old as she chased a record ninth Ladies Masters crown, but Whitaker is tipping the former world No.1 to shrug off the incident at the Victoria Golf Club for the Open starting on Thursday.

“You never want to see anything like that happen to anyone, especially someone whose been inspirational to all of us,” Whitaker said of Webb’s disqualification.

“I’m sure she’ll bounce back next week.”

Whitaker herself will need to rebound from a Royal Pines setback after she stumbled late in her third round on Saturday with the top of the leaderboard looming.

The 28-year-old had picked up seven shots in the opening 15 holes of her third round to be one shot off the lead.

But a double bogey on the par-4 17th and then a bogey on the par-5 18th meant she had to settle for a four-under par 69 to end the day six shots behind leader Cheyenne Woods.