Associated Press
Wednesday, March 15

PHOENIX -- If Karrie Webb still has anything to prove against the LPGA's best, her opportunity is at hand.

	Karrie Webb has 19 titles in less than five years on the LPGA Tour.

Forget next week's Nabisco Championships, the first of the LPGA Tour's four majors. The Standard Register Ping, which begins Thursday, has all of the top 100 money-winners from last season.

The list begins with Webb. The defending champion will be trying to make it five titles in a row and four on the tour. She has earned $345,000 in official money this season, averaging a remarkable 69.27 strokes per round.

If the Australian Ladies Open, a non-tour event, counted, Webb could tie Nancy Lopez's record of five consecutive championships set in 1978 by repeating at Phoenix. Instead, she will be trying to put herself in position to match Lopez by winning this week and next.

She hopes to do it by applying the kind of concentration that left Webb oblivious to her Tiger Woods-like run until last week.

"As far as Nancy's record, I was asked that question after I won in Hawaii, and I faked it through, saying I didn't know if I beat it or not, because I didn't know what it was," Webb said. "You're never going to beat so many records that she set. But now that I know it's five in a row, that would be great."

Among those waiting to capitalize if Webb falters are Annika Sorenstam, who qualified for the Hall of Fame with her victory Sunday at Tucson; Juli Inkster, who won five tournaments last year to Webb's six and also qualified for the Hall; and four-time Phoenix winner Laura Davies.

Webb beat Sorenstam in a playoff March 4 in Hawaii.

"I don't know Annika away from the golf course, but I have a lot of respect for her game," Webb said. "She's a great player, and the fact that she made the Hall last week, that's a great achievement."

Webb won four titles in her 1996 rookie season and became the first woman to earn more than $1 million -- the only record she admits to pursuing. That inspired Sorenstam to win six titles and $1,236,789 in 1997 and four and $1,092,748 in 1998.

Webb's victory in her head-to-head duel with Sorenstam in Hawaii was her 19th career title in just over four years on tour. Sorenstam won her 19th championship in just over six years at Tucson.

"The hard work is paying off," Sorenstam said. "Karrie has been playing at a high level, and she's been doing that a long time. I can't have two weeks (of strong play) and know I'm there. I need consistency, and the next few weeks will tell that."

Davies won at Los Angeles five weeks ago, one of four women to win a tournament this year while Webb was elsewhere.

Others entered include Betsy King, who won the Hawaiian Ladies Open, 1998 rookie of the year Se Ri Pak and 12-time winner Liselotte Neumann.

In a sport where youth is no detriment, add former Arizona State star Grace Park, this year's rookie points leader.

The unknown factor is the new venue. The tournament is being played at the Legacy Golf Resort because the familiar Moon Valley Country Club is being rebuilt.