Founders Cup - Final Round

Karrie Webb came from six shots down at the start of the day to win the inaugural RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup, making it back-to-back wins for the Hall of Famer and 38 career victories on Tour.  Brittany Lincicome and Paula Creamer finished tied for second at -11, one shot behind.  Cristie Kerr was fourth, two behind, while Angela Stanford finished fifth, three back.

Overnight leader Stanford started up by three and held on until she reached the 8^th hole, where she missed a two-and-a-half footer for par while Lincicome dropped a long birdie putt.  The final twosome were tied at -10.  Webb had reached -9 with birdies at 5, 6 and 8.  A 10-footer for birdie at 11 moved Karrie into a three-way tie for the lead.  Playing just ahead, both Creamer and Kerr were making their own runs at the faltering leader - Paula birdied 8, 9 and 11 to reach -7 while Cristie birdied 11 to draw within two at -8.

Creamer continued to climb as she dropped a 25-footer at 13 to go -8.  Stanford had 15 feet for birdie at 11 but missed it right.  At the same hole, Lincicome was forced to pitch back to the fairway from a terrible stance in a bunker and played her third to the par-5 short of the green.  Lightning struck as Brittany chipped in for birdie, taking the lead at -11.  After burning the right edge from 18 feet at 13, Webb knocked in a five-footer at 14 to tie for the lead.  Stanford's woes continued at 13 when her long first putt rolled 20 feet past the hole into the fringe.  The resulting bogey dropped Angela two back and she never recovered.

Meanwhile, Kerr had bogeyed 14 to ruin her late run but Creamer kept on keeping on.  Paula dropped a 10-footer at 15, a 12-footer at 16 and a seven-footer at 17 (her eighth birdie in thirteen holes) at reach -11.  This did not earn a share of a lead because Webb had birdied 15 (her 15-footer for eagle just missed) just prior.  Lincicome came through that same par-5 immediately afterwards and birdied as well, kicking in a four-footer.  Creamer parred 18 to reach the clubhouse at -11, needing help to make a potential playoff.

Webb missed from 15 feet at 16 and from 12 feet at 17.  Lincicome had 18 feet at 16 and missed.  Karrie came up short with her approach at 18, chipped up to three feet, backed off the putt once and sank it to get in at -12.  Brittany had 15 feet at 17 but missed it right and went to 18 still tied.  She missed the fairway left with her tee shot but the rough this week wasn't penalizing (dormant grass) so she had a good lie.  Her approach landed just short of the green and stopped.  She chipped a little too strong, rolling about eight feet past the hole and her par putt slid just right.

Every year since 2007 I've had an inkling that Karrie Webb was about to start The Big Downward Slide out of my rankings and every year I've been dead wrong.  Never more so than this year, where I picked her #23 in my preseason rankings and she goes out and finishes T3, 1 and 1 in the first three events.  Sometimes I'm glad to be wrong.  Congratulations Karrie!