Webb has a whirl in the winds

KARRIE WEBB, the 42-year-old former world No 1 woman golfer from Australia, much prefers to be described as experienced rather than a veteran.

It was that experience gained from winning 41 LPGA titles, including seven majors, that stood her in good stead yesterday at the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open.

Having noticed that another of her more experienced rivals, Cristie Kerr had defied strong crosswinds to post an opening 66 in the worst of the conditions, Webb feared that she would struggle to even get close to matching the American.

But having turned in one-underpar, Webb proceeded to rattle off six birdies on the back nine to sign for an even more impressive sevenunder-par 65.

‘I think we got lucky with the weather,’ said Webb. ‘When we were warming up it was really cold and I looked at the scoreboard and saw Cristie was six-under and I wondered what course she had played.

‘But I hung in there through the front nine and made a nice birdie on nine to turn on one-under and then started to hit it close and made the most of my birdie chances.

‘Johnny Scott, my Scottish caddie, who has been with me for a couple of years, is very experienced when it comes to links golf and we work well together.

‘Having my experience also helps because you can’t afford to get ahead of yourself on days like this and, when you drive the ball well, it helps take the stress away of trying to make pars from the long stuff.’

Kerr, meanwhile, appears to enjoy all things Scottish, judging by her reaction to a visit to a whisky distillery earlier in the week.

‘On Monday we visited Loch Lomond distillery,’ she revealed. ‘I’d never been to Loch Lomond before and it’s gorgeous. It was amazing to learn about the whiskies. There are just as many subtleties in whisky as there are in wine, and to see how they are made and distilled and blended is fascinating.

‘We tasted their nine-year signature cask whisky, which is a little bit of a Highland style, and it was amazing.’

Kerr, who will make her ninth Solheim Cup appearance next month at Des Moines in Iowa, added: ‘I controlled my ball really well, with the crosswinds and trajectory.

‘Links golf is one of my favourite forms of the game because you need to use your imagination and be more artistic, and it seems the tougher the conditions, the more I like it for some reason.’

Fellow American Stacy Lewis carded 69 to share third place despite describing the course as ‘super hard’ in the conditions.

Lewis, also a two-time major winner, shares Kerr’s love of links golf, adding: ‘It’s an adjustment but when the Scottish became an LPGA event, it was immediately on my schedule. It’s difficult, but I think I always play better in those conditions.

‘It’s about thinking your way around a golf course and having strategy. You might even miss a green on purpose because that’s the easiest place to get up and down.’

There wasn’t a great deal to cheer on the home front, with Ellon’s Michele Thomson and Glasgow’s Kylie Henry the best placed of the Scots on one-over following matching 73s, while North Berwick’s Catriona Matthew carded a 74.

World No1 So Yeon Ryu of South Korea carded a 71 — three better than New Zealand golden girl Lydia Ko.

COLIN MONTGOMERIE is two shots behind Bernhard Langer, who carded a two-under-par 69 to lead after the first round of the British Senior Open in tricky conditions at Royal Porthcawl in Wales.

“I just wondered what golf course Cristie played”