Associated Press
Sunday, March 5

KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii -- Karrie Webb worked a little overtime for her fourth victory in four 2000 starts.

The 25-year-old won the Takefuji LPGA Classic on Saturday, beating Annika Sorenstam with a 10-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a playoff. Sorenstam missed an 11-foot birdie putt in the playoff.

"It's even better when you beat one of the greatest players in the game," said Webb, who forced the playoff with a 4-foot birdie putt on the final hole of regulation.

Webb, who earned $120,000 to push her tour-leading total to $325,000, won The Office Depot in January in Florida and the Australian Ladies Masters last week in her only other LPGA starts. She also won the Australian Women's Open two weeks ago.

She has 19 official LPGA victories in only five seasons, including six last year when she set records with $1,591,959 in earnings and a 69.43 stroke average. She also won the LPGA's 1995 Women's British Open before gaining tour membership.

She forced the playoff with the birdie on No. 18, chipping to 4 feet from the fringe to set up the tying putt.

"I felt I could easily get to the green," Webb said of her second shot on the 457-yard par-5. "I hit a 3-iron and came up short so I was really fortunate to get up and down.

"That was not the best spot, but I was on the right side of the hole. I wanted an uphill putt."

She also didn't want to give Sorenstam a chance.

"I wanted to make sure I got it close," Webb said. "I didn't want to leave the door open for Annika."

Sorenstam, one victory away from qualifying for the LPGA Hall of Fame, just missed a birdie putt on the final hole of regulation.

"I'm disappointed, but I'll just have to deal with it," Sorenstam said.

In the playoff, she left her birdie try just short.

"The line was right, but that's a big undulating green," she said. "It was an 11-footer and it had a 5-foot break. That's a big break. I just wanted to get the right speed, but it just died at the end."

Webb finished with a 3-under 69 and Sorenstam closed with a 70 for 9-under 207 totals on the Kona Country Club course. Sorenstam had only one bogey in the round, three-putting from seven feet on the 490-yard sixth hole.

Janice Moodie, who started the final round in second place, shot a 71 to finish third at 8-under 208. Sally Dee closed with a 67 to finish fourth at 6-under 210.