A 71 Doesn’t Detour Webb’s Record Run

Australian Karrie Webb had her worst round in the Women’s British Open on Sunday but still won by eight strokes with a tournament-record 19-under-par 269.

Webb, who shot a course-record nine-under 63 Saturday to gain an eight-stroke lead, mixed three bogeys and four birdies in a final- round one-under 71 at Sunningdale, England.

Rosie Jones birdied the 18th for a 71 and finished second at 277. World No. 1 Annika Sorenstam was third at 278 after her best round of the tournament, a 67.

Webb easily bettered the tournament record of 274 set by Jane Geddes in 1989, and her eight-stroke winning margin equaled that of Karen Lunn, who beat Brandie Burton by that margin in 1993. Burton was fourth this time at 280 after a final-round 67.

It was Webb’s second British Open championship in three years and her second victory on the LPGA Tour this season. She won the Susan G. Komen International in South Carolina in April.

“I am over the moon,” she said. “I played great golf all week and everything just fell into place. The British Open is such a special tournament to me because it’s the first one I ever won.”

The sunny weather of the first three days gave way to gloom and rain, and Webb’s sparkling form also lost its shine.

Webb, 18 under after three rounds, lost three strokes to Jones in the first three holes. Jones birdied the first and the third, while Webb bogeyed the second.

At No. 2, Webb hit her tee shot to an awkward spot just short of a road that splits the fairway. She hit her second into the rough, chipped past the pin into a gully and chipped again to 10 feet before two-putting.

Webb then got two strokes back with a birdie at the fifth and a Jones bogey at the sixth. The five-stroke difference returned when Jones bogeyed the seventh and ninth for a front-nine 38.

Sorenstam began the round with three consecutive birdies. Two more at the seventh and eighth had her out in 31 before her sixth birdie at the 14th. She then bogeyed the 18th to fall back into third place.

England’s Lisa Hackney eagled the par-five 12th en route to a 71.

Defending champion Emilee Klein shot a 75 for 288.

American Cindy Schreyer, who was at 220 after three rounds, was disqualified for signing the wrong score in her opening round of 70. Schreyer had moved some metal fencing--defined by the rule book as an immovable obstruction--to play a shot and failed to mark down a two-stroke penalty.

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Gil Morgan shot a one-under 71 in the rain for a one-stroke victory over Bob Duval at the First of America Classic at Ada, Mich.

It was Morgan’s fourth Senior PGA Tour victory of the season.

Morgan, who has won five times since joining the senior tour last September, finished three rounds at the Egypt Valley Golf Club course with a nine-under 207 total.

Englishman John Morgan finished third, three strokes back.