Australia’s most prolific major winner celebrated a special birthday in December. To mark the occasion, we acknowledge her legacy with 50 feats and achievements.
Karrie Webb captured our imagination when she burst onto the scene as a teenager by contending at the 1994 Australian Ladies Masters at Royal Pines on the Gold Coast. Little did we know at the time she would become a household name and one of the greatest golfers to ever draw breath.
Webb’s feats on the golf course over the next three decades are nothing short of sensational. As the girl from Ayr celebrates her 50th birthday, Australian Golf Digest thought it appropriate to put Webb’s career into perspective by reflecting on the achievements that define her playing style, character and standing in the game of golf.
Born on December 21, 1974, in Ayr, North Queensland as one of three daughters of Robert and Evelyn Webb.
Received her first golf clubs at the age of 8 as a Christmas present from Webb’s grandparents.
Shot 150 and 135 in her first competitive 18-hole rounds at Ayr Golf Club to win an encouragement award. Webb later discovered that she had actually finished in last place.
Badgered Ayr Golf Club greenkeeper and accomplished amateur Kelvin Haller to teach her how to play. Haller became her first coach and continued to teach Webb after he suffered an electrical workplace accident in 1990 that left him almost paralysed and confined to a wheelchair.
Inspired by Greg Norman to become a professional golfer after watching the Great White Shark win the 1986 Queensland Open at Coolangatta & Tweed Heads Golf Club. Webb’s grandparents gave her an entry ticket as an 11th birthday present and she flew from Ayr by herself to stay with an aunt in Tweed Heads.
Spent a week at Greg Norman’s home in Florida as a teenager. Webb practised, played and worked out alongside Norman who later admitted how impressed he was with her commitment.
Rose to prominence in 1994 with a runner-up finish as an amateur at the Alpine Australian Ladies Masters behind future Hall of Famer Laura Davies. Webb also won the Australian Stroke Play at Brisbane Golf Club and represented Australia for the sixth occasion before turning professional.
Achieved her maiden professional victory at the 1995 Women’s British Open on Woburn Duke’s course where the 20-year-old won by six strokes to become the youngest winner in tournament history. Webb won the Women’s Open again in 1997 by eight strokes at Sunningdale, however neither victory was considered a major championship at the time.
Braved the pain barrier from a broken bone in her wrist to finish second at the 1995 LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament, earning playing status for the next LPGA season.
Won in just her second start on the LPGA Tour, winning the 1996 HealthSouth Inaugural in a playoff at Walt Disney World’s Lake Buena Vista course near Orlando, Florida.
Recognised for an outstanding debut season on the LPGA Tour in 1996 when she was awarded the Louise Suggs Rookie of the Year. Webb notched four victories and created history when she became the first woman to surpass earnings of $US1 million in a single LPGA season ($US1,002,000). She became the first rookie to be the tour’s leading money winner since Nancy Lopez in 1978.
Captured her first major title by winning the 1999 du Maurier Classic at Priddis Greens Golf & Country Club in Alberta, Canada. At one-over through two rounds, Webb posted consecutive rounds of six-under 66 (including four birdies on her last five holes) to pip the great Laura Davies by two strokes.
Communicated with wheelchair-bound coach Kevin Haller via e-mail by sending video footage of her swing while on tour. With limited movement in his right arm, Haller would look at the vision and telephone or e-mail suggestions if he noticed something was amiss.
Became an ambassador for the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation dedicated to curing spinal-cord injury through research. Given coach Haller’s predicament, Webb pledged her support for “Superman” actor Reeves, who was left a quadriplegic after a horse-riding fall.
Romped to a 10-stroke victory at the 2000 Nabisco Championship to claim back-to-back major titles. Webb finished at 14-under par at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California, where just seven players remained under par.
Ran with the Olympic torch in the lead-up to the 2000 Sydney Games. The patriotic decision to take a three-week sojourn away from the LPGA Tour may have cost her the chance to become the first woman to surpass $US2 million in official earnings in a single season.
Powered Australia to victory alongside Rachel Hetherington at the 2000 Women’s World Cup of Golf at The Mines Resort in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Webb had a great friendship with Hetherington, with whom she would bet on the annual State Of Origin rugby league series between Queensland and New South Wales. Whoever’s state lost would have to buy the other a restaurant dinner.
Didn’t miss a cut in the 22 tournaments she entered in the 2000 LPGA season. Webb had seven official wins (eight including the World Cup) along with 17 top-10 results. Her worst tournament score that year was 76.
Won a staggering 13 official LPGA tournaments across the 1999 and 2000 seasons, including three majors. Webb was recognised as LPGA Player Of The Year in both years based on a formula that rewards top-10 finishes. She was undisputedly the world’s greatest woman player at the time.
Captured the first of five Women’s Australian Open titles at Yarra Yarra in 2000 with a tournament record score of 22-under-par 270. She would regain the Patricia Bridges Bowl in 2002 (Yarra Yarra), 2007 (Royal Sydney), 2008 (Kingston Heath) and 2014 (Victoria).
Revived the local cinema in Ayr after it fell into financial hardship. Established in 1910, Webb’s parents, Robert and Evelyn, managed the Burdekin Delta Cinema from 2000 until they retired and the theatre was sold in 2022.
Became the seventh and most recent golfer to successfully defend the US Women’s Open. Webb triumphed by five strokes at the Merit Club in Illinois in 2000 and then cruised to an eight-stroke victory at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in North Carolina in 2001.
Played through grief to win the 2001 LPGA Championship after learning her grandfather, Mick Collinson, had suffered a stroke on the eve of Sunday’s final round. Leading by three shots, Webb’s parents convinced her not to withdraw and she honoured Collinson by holding on to win by three in a courageous performance at DuPont Country Club in Wilmington, Delaware. At age 26, Webb became the fifth and youngest woman to complete the career Grand Slam. Sadly, Collinson passed away just hours before Webb made it home to Queensland.
Featured in the 2001 ‘Battle Of Bighorn’, a Monday night TV extravaganza in American prime-time when she paired with David Duval against Tiger Woods and Annika Sorenstam, who triumphed on the first playoff hole under floodlights.
Completed the ‘Super Grand Slam’ by capturing the 2002 Women’s British Open at Turnberry on the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. The two-stroke victory over fellow Australian Michelle Ellis and Spain’s Paula Marti gave Webb the distinction of winning all five major championships available at that point in her career.
Produced her best against the best, winning six major titles in a three-year span (August 1, 1999 to August 11, 2002). For perspective, Tiger Woods won seven majors in the same period.
Sought guidance from Brisbane teaching professional Ian Triggs in 2003 when Kelvin Haller’s health deteriorated along with the need for coaching assistance while on tour.
Inducted into both the LPGA Hall of Fame and World Golf Hall of Fame in 2005 when she became the youngest member (male or female) at the age of 30. Webb took just five years to acquire the 27 points needed to be eligible for the LPGA Hall of Fame. She was inducted once she had completed the required 10 seasons on tour.
Rebounded from a so-called form ‘slump’ from 2003-2005 – her first winless LPGA season came in 2005 – to capture five LPGA titles in 2006. In her first full 20 seasons as a professional (1995-2014), Webb failed to win a tournament in a calendar year just
once (2012).
Holed out with a wedge for eagle from 106 metres on the 72nd hole to force a playoff at the 2006 Kraft Nabisco Championship (now Chevron Championship). Webb birdied the first extra hole to defeat Lorena Ochoa and win her seventh major title. The 31-year-old celebrated by making the traditional leap into Poppies Pond at Mission Hills for the second time with caddie Mikey Paterson.
Shared an incredible rivalry with Sweden’s Annika Sorenstam. In their prime they won 17 of 45 major titles contested and 104 LPGA tournaments in 12 seasons (1995-2006). They were the only women to be the LPGA Tour’s leading money winner from 1995-2005 (Sorenstam eight times, Webb three).
Achieved a career-high of No.2 on the Women’s World Golf Rankings in 2007. Much of Webb’s best golf came prior to the launch of the Rolex-sponsored ranking in 2006. It remains an anomaly that she never ascended to world No.1 given her dominance at her peak.
Revered by her LPGA peers as one of the finest ball-strikers in women’s golf. Webb possessed one of the most efficient golf swings that consistently held up under pressure. She was also admired for her course management and mental toughness.
Nurtured the next generation of Australian golf by sponsoring the Karrie Webb Series, the tournament ranking for amateurs run by Golf Australia. Since 2008, Webb has rewarded the leading two amateurs by hosting them at her Florida home and during the week of the US Women’s Open. It says a lot about Webb’s commitment that she hosted them during the most prestigious tournament in women’s golf, knowing it would hinder her preparation to win the Harton S. Simple Trophy for a third time. Past scholarship recipients include Minjee Lee, Su Oh, Hannah Green, Grace Kim and Gabi Ruffels.
Helped salvage a haemorrhaging LPGA Tour after the controversial reign of commissioner Carolyn Bivens when several long-time tournament sponsors departed. Bivens resigned with two years remaining on her contract in 2009 and Webb played an important role in steering the LPGA through troubled times.
Provided design input during the construction of Hamilton Island Golf Club for Peter Thomson and Ross Perrett. The par-71 layout that overlooks the Whitsundays and Coral Sea is ranked No.30 on Australia’s Top 100 Golf Courses. The trio later collaborated on the course proposal for the 2016 Rio Olympics when Thomson and Perrett were both impressed by Webb’s instinctive design flair and comfortable confidence.
Matched the feats of Tiger Woods and Sam Snead when she won the Australian Ladies Masters for an eighth time at RACV Royal Pines Resort on the Gold Coast (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2013). Woods was an eight-time winner of the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill as well as the WGC–Bridgestone Invitational. Snead won the Greater Greensboro Open eight times at two venues.
Suffered an agonising defeat at the 2014 Evian Championship in her quest to win an eighth major title at the age of 39. After leading by one stroke on the 72nd tee, Webb missed a four-metre putt for par just moments after Korean teenager Hyo Joo Kim sank what would be the winning birdie.
Placed great faith in caddie Michael ‘Mikey’ Paterson, who carried Webb’s bag from 2000-2015. Webb’s pursuit of excellence and brutal practice regime would have tested any caddie, but Paterson endured.
Transformed herself into one of the game’s finest bunker players late in her career. In her 1996 LPGA rookie season, Webb ranked a lowly 154th in Sand Save Percentage (31.17 percent). In 2014 Webb linked with American instructor Mike McGetrick and led the tour in sand saves (57.47 percent). In 2016 she was second on tour with a Sand Save Percentage of 61.04 percent – at the age of 41.
Recipient of the William and Mousie Powell Award in 2016 as a player “whose behaviour and deeds best exemplifies the spirt, ideals and values of the LPGA”.
Retired from a full-time playing career with 56 tournament victories, including 41 LPGA Tour wins (tied 10th all-time). Webb triumphed in the United States (32 wins), Australia (13), Britain (three), Japan (three), Canada, Malaysia, France, Singapore and Germany.
Topped the LPGA Tour’s moneylist three times (1996, 1999, 2000). Webb is currently second on the LPGA career moneylist with earnings of $US20.29 million, behind Annika Sorenstam ($U22.58 million).
Honoured as a three-time recipient of the Vare Trophy for the LPGA season’s lowest scoring average per round (1997, 1999, 2000). Webb’s best scoring average was 69.43 in the 1999 season when she registered 22 top-10 results from 25 tournaments with just two missed cuts.
Sank 6,268 birdies and holed 125 eagles in 1,759 rounds during her LPGA career.
Posted 133 bogey-free rounds at 516 tournaments across her LPGA career.
Teamed with course architect Ross Perrett to develop a masterplan for Indooroopilly Golf Club, which has 36 holes wrapping around the Brisbane River. The Perrett Webb association had the blessing of Peter Thomson, who hoped she would join his design firm once her playing career concluded.
Defeated great rival Annika Sorenstam to win the 2022 Senior LPGA Championship. Competing against players aged 45 and above, the four-stroke victory at Salina Country Club in Kansas was Webb’s first senior women’s major and 57th tournament win. In 2025, she will be eligible to make her US Senior Women’s Open debut at San Diego Country Club.
Captained the Australian team at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Webb took on the non-playing role vacated by Ian Baker-Finch from the previous two Olympics.
Described by five-time Open champion Peter Thomson as Australia’s greatest-ever golfer.
Food for thought: Should Karrie Webb be credited with 10 major championships?
Officially, Karrie Webb won seven major titles. But of her three Women’s British Open titles (1995, 1997, 2002), only the latter was considered a major at the time.
Webb also won the 2006 Evian Masters, beating Laura Davies and Michelle Wie by a shot when it was co-sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour and the LPGA Tour. However it was not until 2013 that the Evian Championship was awarded major status and women’s golf adopted five major championships.
Theoretically, if you were to retrospectively anoint those majors at the start of Webb’s professional career in 1994, the Queenslander would be in rarefied air with 10 majors to her name.
Interesting stat
In her 1996 rookie season on the LPGA Tour, Karrie Webb had a Driving Distance Average of 250.45 yards (ranked eighth on tour). In her last full-time playing season of 2017, her Driving Distance Average was 250.21 yards (ranked 94th).
