Though she’s won 41 times on the LPGA Tour – including seven major championships – Karrie Webb said she still felt nervous on Thursday in her first event since November 2020. She said she even messed up her warm-up routine after a parking issue but was soon back to her impressive ways. In a tie for 38th at 1-under following rounds of 71-72 in the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio, Webb made her 436th career cut as an LPGA Tour Member in official stroke-play events, which ranks third behind Catriona Matthew (442) and Cristie Kerr (474).
“I think I felt good that I wasn't playing in the group in front with Lexi and Nelly, because I would've been 40 or 50 yards short of them the last two days. That was good at least. I think it's just the unknown, not being super sharp. Because if you're playing a lot, you get used to handling the pressure,” Webb said after four birdies and three bogeys over 36 holes. “When you haven't had that on you, it is a lot more overwhelming than doing it week in and week out.”
Webb said she was happy for a “really cool” pairing, playing alongside the 2022 Australian WPGA winner of the Karrie Webb Cup, Su Oh, and a fellow Hall of Fame member Inbee Park.
“Obviously, known Su since she was about 12 or 13. Then she won the Australian Women's PGA, which was the Karrie Webb Cup, a couple weeks ago. She actually told me she's taking me out to dinner tomorrow night, so have to find a nice place to get my reward,” said Webb. “But, no, it was really good. And I love playing with Inbee and her caddie, Brad, is Australian as well. We had a lot of fun out there.”
Oh, who is currently in a tie for 10th at -5, echoed Webb’s excitement. “It was great,” said Oh, who is a past Karrie Webb Scholarship recipient. “Then I got paired with her this week and then I was like, Did you pull some strings to play with me? She didn't, but, yeah it was really nice playing with her.”
This is Webb’s first cut made since the 2019 Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational alongside playing partner, Mariajo Uribe where the duo finished in a tie for 27th. But she’ll be battling the elements on Saturday and Sunday, with unseasonably frigid temperatures forecasted. “That's the reward for making the cut, right? Get to play in bad weather over the weekend,” joked the native Australian. “Yeah, been a while since I played in cold weather, so see how it goes. Lots of layers and try and stay as warm as possible. Yeah, just deal with it.”
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