Drama Is Big Part of Webb’s Victory

For Karrie Webb, it has been an incredible rise to the top of women’s golf, and now a spectacular comeback for her first major championship.

For someone accused of lacking personality, Webb’s golf has had a thrilling element.

Webb charged from five strokes behind to win the du Maurier Classic by making birdies on four of the last five holes Sunday at Priddis Greens, south of Calgary, Canada.

“I don’t ever try to think of myself as the best player in the world, but I played like I was today,” said Webb, who closed with her second consecutive six-under 66 for a two-stroke victory over Laura Davies.

Webb won for the sixth time this year, and she already has won 15 tournaments in an LPGA Tour career that began just 3 1/2 years ago. The du Maurier was the biggest one yet--her first major championship.

Her victory was clinched when Davies failed to make a 12-foot birdie putt from the fringe on the par-5 18th.

Webb shared a tearful embrace with her mother, who travels from Australia to see her daughter play once a year.

What a week to watch.

“It feels awesome,” said Webb, who finished at 11-under 277. “I just can’t ever imagine that this would happen to me so quickly.”

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Brent Geiberger, son of Al Geiberger, won the Greater Hartford Open by three strokes after shooting a three-under-par 67 to finish at 18-under-par 262, a tournament record. The old mark of 266 was set last year by Olin Browne, Stewart Cink and Larry Mize.

Al Geiberger, who was playing in a seniors tournament in Utah, said, “I was getting high-fives from everyone out there. I went down the fairway feeling like I had won the tournament.”

The Geibergers last year became the first father and son to play in the same PGA Championship.

Brent also became the first son of a tour winner to win a tournament since Guy Boros, the son of Julius Boros, won at Vancouver in 1996.

By the time Al Geiberger teed off Sunday morning some 2,300 miles away, his son had the tournament all but wrapped up.

The Greater Hartford Open tee times were moved up two hours and the field was grouped in threesomes starting on the No. 1 and No. 10 tees to finish ahead of severe thunderstorms predicted for late afternoon.

“I realized he was going to finish early, so I was a basket case,” Al Geiberger said. “Before I teed off, he was at the turn with a five-shot lead. My mind was obviously not on my own game.”

Al Geiberger shot a one-under 71 and finished 14 shots out of first place in the tournament.

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Dave Eichelberger parred the first playoff hole and won the Novell Utah Showdown at Park City when Dana Quigley’s three-foot par putt hit the cup and rolled past.

Eichelberger won the U.S. Senior Open three weeks ago.

Quigley had nine birdies in his final-round 64 at the 54-hole tournament, but he hit his par putt on the extra hole too hard.

Quigley shot a 16-under 126 over the last two days, tying a Senior PGA Tour record for the final 36 holes.

Final Scores

DU MAURIER CLASSIC--Par 72

Karrie Webb: 66--277 (-11)--$180,000

Laura Davies: 72--279 (-9)--$111,711

Juli Inkster: 69--280 (-8)--$81,519

Dawn Coe-Jones: 74--283 (-5)--$63,404

GREATER HARTFORD OPEN--Par 70

Brent Geiberger: 67--262 (-18)--$450,000

Skip Kendall: 66--265 (-15)--$270,000

M.Calcavecchia: 64--266 (-14)--$130,000

Justin Leonard: 67--266 (-14)--$130,000

Ted Tryba: 68--266 (-14)--$130,000

Pete Jordan: 67--267 (-13)--$86,875

Dave Stockton: 67--267 (-13)--$86,875

NOVELL UTAH SHOWDOWN--Par 72

x-Dave Eichelberger: 68--197 (-19)--$202,500

Dana Quigley: 64--197 (-19)--$118,800

David Graham: 63--199 (-17)--$89,100

Hale Irwin: 67--199 (-17)--$89,100

x-won on first playoff hole.

* Complete scores, Page 10