Karrie Webb made a birdie
on her first hole of the 2000 season today, wound up with a 7-under-par 65 for
the first-round lead in The Office Depot pro-am, and showed that she could be
up for an encore to last year's record-setting season.
Webb had eight birdie putts
inside 15 feet on the Heritage course at Ibis Country Club to take a two-stroke
lead over Juli Inkster and Liselotte Neumann.
"I was surprised how well
I hit the ball when I started practicing again last Thursday," the 25-year-old
Australian said. "But that doesn't matter if you can't take it to the golf course.
I guess I was more surprised how well I putted today. You never know how you're
going to putt after taking time off."
Webb was the dominant force
on the LPGA Tour last year in much the same way Tiger Woods took over the men's
tour. She set an earnings record at over $1.5 million and shattered the scoring
record with a 69.43 average, thanks to 22 top-10 finishes in 25 tournaments.
She also won player of the year.
And just like Woods opened
his season with a victory last week in Hawaii, Webb also could be headed for
a great start.
Her opening 65 wasn't the
only sign that little had changed from a year ago.
Right behind was Inkster,
who challenged Webb throughout the year and finished second to her in every major
category. Inkster, who became only the fourth woman to complete the career Grand
Slam and also qualified for the Hall of Fame, had her 67 on the Heritage course,
along with Neumann.
Beth Daniel, who will be
inducted into the Hall of Fame in November, had a 68 for the best score on the
Legend course. She was tied with Tina Barrett and A.J. Eathorne, the second-year
pro from Canada. Nancy Lopez, who missed most of last year after knee surgery,
had a 2-under 70.
Se Ri Pak, coming off another
four-victory season, struggled to a 78.
Webb, who won the first
of her six titles last year in The Office Depot, Webb birdied her first hole,
the par-4 10th, from 10 feet and four of the last five on the back nine to turn
in 31.
She added three more birdies
on the front nine, her only bogey coming when she missed the green on the par-3
sixth hole and two-putted from 20 feet.
The first two days are
a pro-am. Webb is playing with her parents, Robert and Evelyn, and Al Janc, representing
one of her sponsors. Webb has 11 family members in town from Australia, and has
a history of playing well in front of them.
Her mother was in Canada
in August to watch Webb birdie four out of the last five holes and win the du
Maurier Classic for her first major championship.
"My father is a 15-handicap
and my mother is a 22," Webb said. "I was concerned that they were going to be
stressed out or something. But after the first few holes and we all had hit some
good shots, everyone kind of relaxed."
