Seven-time major winner Karrie Webb’s influence on the next generation of Australian golfers is set to grow with the launch of a new coaching scholarship thanks to a partnership with Nippon Shaft.
The Karrie Webb Coaching Scholarship aims to acknowledge, support and further develop young female golf coaches who have aspirations to excel in their coaching careers.
It includes valuable opportunities for the winner to enhance their coaching skills and learn from world-class coaches and mentors from Australia and around the world.
Applications will open early in 2024 with Karrie and the Golf Australia High Performance team to select the successful applicant based on their potential and passion for coaching.
The coaching scholarship will add to Karrie’s continuing support of the successful playing scholarships which are awarded annually to two of Australia’s best women golfers based on their performances in the KW Series and Women’s Amateur Golf Ranking.
Nippon Shaft has joined as a partner of the 2023-2024 series which will be known as the KW Series presented by Nippon Shaft.
Organised by Golf Australia as part of its commitment to growing the game for women and girls, it features a series of events at both the amateur and professional levels across the country, starting with the Queensland Stroke Play event at Bribie Island and Pacific Harbour from August 21-25.
Nippon Shaft senior managing director Nobuyoshi Okita said: “Over the 18 years that Karrie Webb has been a brand ambassador for Nippon Shaft, the company has witnessed Karrie’s passion for helping mentor Australia’s next generation of elite female golfers.
“We’re delighted to be a part of helping these women reach their full potential, as well as providing our support to the new coaching scholarship.”
Each KW Series event, from August into the opening months of 2024, consists of a minimum of 54 holes and qualifies as a Women’s Amateur Golf Ranking event.
At season’s end, two players will receive a Karrie Webb Scholarship, valued at $15,000 per athlete, which provides financial support for international travel, playing experiences over the northern hemisphere summer and additional development opportunities.
One scholarship winner will be selected from the Karrie Webb Series presented by Nippon Shaft Order of Merit, while the other will be chosen from the top of the WAGR.
The series winner will also have the option to receive a Nippon Shaft fitting and add Nippon Shaft equipment to their bag.
Karrie Webb said it had been rewarding to see the enormous progress past playing scholarship winners had made in the game.
“We’ve seen Minjee Lee and Hannah Green win majors; Su Oh, Grace Kim and Karis Davidson graduate to the LPGA Tour; and Kirsten Rudgeley is a rookie on this year’s Ladies European Tour,” she said.
“It’s an honour to be part of their journey and to help them reach their goals.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the talent that emerges through the upcoming series and welcoming our next scholarship recipients.
“The new coaching scholarship is a great addition. We’ll be empowering and nurturing the next generation of female coaches, providing them with the resources and guidance necessary to thrive in their coaching careers.”
Golf Australia’s women and girls pathway manager Stacey Peters said: “Having Nippon Shaft on board as our presenting partner will help us take the Karrie Webb Series to the next level.
“The Karrie Webb Scholarship is very much sought after amongst our players and I’m sure we will experience a great series of events this year, as well as identifying our first recipient of the coaching scholarship.”
New points system
A new points system has been introduced for selected professional events within the 2023-2024 series. There will be elevated points for the ISPS Handa Australian Open, and any event that is co-sanctioned with LET, LPGA, JLPGA and KLPGA that has more than six amateurs competing.
Points and eligibility
Players earn points based on their finishing positions in the Karrie Webb Series events. To be eligible for the scholarship, players must compete in a minimum of six events.
Points accumulation
Players accumulate points from their best six finishes, irrespective of the total number of events they participate in.
Find out more about the Karrie Webb scholarship presented by Nippon Shaft here.
Upcoming events
- Queensland Strokeplay: August 22-23, 2023
- Bowra & O’Dea: August 28-30, 2023
- Mandurah Open: September 2-4, 2023
- Keperra Bowl: October 10-13, 2023
- The Dunes Medal: November 28–December 1, 2023
- ISPS Handa Australian Open: November 30–December 2, 2023
- Master of the Amateurs: January 9-12, 2024
