MI WAY PUTS KARRIE OUT
Webb slams missing leaderboard but Lee still storms through to title
KARRIE WEBB hit out at Dundonald organisers yesterday over the lack of a leaderboard at the last after being pipped by Mi Hyang Lee for the Scottish Open title.
Both the seven-times Major winner and Lee were in the dark over what they had to shoot in order to land the £170,000 top prize.
They ended up bagging birdies after former world No.1 Webb appeared to have one hand on the trophy when she chipped in from 50 feet at the 14th to establish a two-shot lead.
But the Australian missed out on a 42nd LPGA title by a single shot when she carded a double-bogey six at the penultimate hole after being forced to play out of a bunker backwards.
Webb, who also shed a shot at the previous hole, said: “I’d hit a perfect drive but it kicked into the bunker and I’ve no idea how it did that.
“I’m gutted. I was on a high after making the eagle then I had a very nice up and down on the next.”
But she was even more upset about being unclear about what she had to score. Webb said: “I didn’t know what I had to make. I assumed when I made my putt and there was no huge cheer it wasn’t to tie. But we didn’t know if Mi Hyang had birdied or not because there wasn’t a loud cheer like she had.
“Before I played my bunker shot on 18, I said to my caddie Johnny Scott I didn’t know if I needed to hole it or get it up and down.
“Imagine if you went for it and overplayed it and you only had to get it up and down.
“It’s pretty bad not to have a leaderboard on the last and it’s the first time there hasn’t been one on 18.”
Korean Lee was also consumed with doubt, believing she needed an eagle to force the tournament into extra time after coming from six shots back at the start of the fourth round.
But after the world No.49 claimed her second LPGA title with a six-under 66 to move to six under she could hardly contain her excitement. Lee said: “This is amazing. My clubs didn’t arrive until Wednesday and I had to rent a set from the pro shop for my practice round. But I made a lot of good putts and just thought about what I was doing hole by hole.
“I’ll take a lot of confidence from this win into the British Open this week.”
Webb’s 73 meant she shared second place with another Korean Mi Jung Hur, who matched Lee’s 66 for five under.
Carly Booth’s 73 earned a five-over finish on 293 with fellow Scot Catriona Matthew five shots behind after a 74.
● England’s Jordan Smith won the European Open at the second extra hole after he tied with defending champion Alex Levy on 13 under. Scot Richie Ramsay recorded a top-10 finish.
● Bernhard Langer won a record 10th senior Major title after a one-over 72 at Royal Porthcawl gave him a four-under finish to take the Senior Open Championship by three shots.