Lpga Tour Championship Win Lets Rookie Top $1 Million Mark

Karrie Webb, capping a sensational rookie year, became the first LPGA golfer to earn more than $1 million in a season by shooting a 7-under-par 65 Sunday to win the LPGA Tour Championship at Las Vegas by four shots.

Webb’s fourth win of the year in the inaugural tour final gave her the $150,000 first prize, pushing her season earnings to a tour record $1,002,000.

The 21-year-old from Australia, who started the final round tied with Emilee Klein, shot a 2-under 34 on the front side, then wrapped up the tournament with birdies on three of the first four holes on the back nine.

By the time she raised her arms in triumph after making a 20-foot eagle putt on the par-5 15th, the tournament was well in hand.

Klein shot a final-round 69 to finish tied for second with Kelly Robbins and Nancy Lopez.

Laura Davies, who led Webb on the money list going into the tournament, could not overcome Webb despite shooting a final-round 67.

Greg Norman shot a flawless 3-under-par, final-round 69 at Sydney, Australia, and won the $800,000 Australian Open for the fifth time.

Norman finished at 280, eight strokes ahead of Wayne Grady, the 1990 U.S. PGA champion. Norman was the only player to finish with a sub-par total, shooting 280, 8-under-par.

South Africans Ernie Els and Wayne Westner won the World Cup of Golf at Cape Town, South Africa, with a remarkable 29-under-par aggregate, beating the United States team by 18 strokes.

It was a double triumph for the South Africans, who also finished first and second in the individual competition.

Paul Stankowski, winner of the Kapalua International two weeks ago, beat fellow American David Ishii with a birdie on the first extra hole to win the $1.35 million Casio World Open at Ibusuki, Japan.