Associated Press
Thursday, April 27

STOCKBRIDGE, Ga. -- Karrie Webb is rested and ready to resume her domination of the LPGA Tour. She's come to the right place.

The Chick-fil-A Charity Championship, with Nancy Lopez serving as official host for the first time, begins Friday at Eagles Landing Country Club, a ball-striker's course that seems perfectly suited for the best ball-striker in women's golf.

Webb has been off the tour for a month after winning four of her first five events, finishing second in the other. She has been playing golf for fun or fishing near her Boynton Beach, Fla., home.

"It's trying to get into contention every week and having a chance to win that really gets me fired up," said Webb, who finished third at the Chick-fil-A tournament a year ago. "Hopefully, I can do that this week and give myself a chance to win on Sunday."

Webb leads the LPGA in just about every meaningful category and arrives in this event as the woman to beat, especially with her friend and chief competition, Juli Inkster, not in the field.

Lopez, who won nine tournaments in 1978 and eight in 1979, can identify with the hottest player on the tour.

"I remember how easy everything seemed to feel then," Lopez said. "When you're playing like that, you feel as though nothing can go wrong. You're totally confident. You don't fear anything. You stand on the tee and hit it in the fairway, and then you hit it onto the green and make putts."

Webb won three times in a row to begin the year after winning six times in 1999 and being chosen LPGA player of the year.

She likes the variety of shots that are needed at Eagles Landing and the emphasis placed on the tee ball. Just looking at the list of champions -- Laura Davies, Liselotte Neumann, Dottie Pepper, Rachel Hetherington -- indicates the demands of the golf course.

Except for No. 3, which the members play as a 434-yard par-4 and the LPGA makes a short par-5, there are no cheap holes on the course.

"You have to be able to work the ball off the tee a little bit and into the greens," Webb said. "I feel that I'm pretty capable of doing that."