Webb finishes wire-to-wire Michelob win

The challenges kept coming for Karrie Webb, on the course and in her mind. Once the best female player in the world, she found herself trying to play with a five-shot lead and not really sure how to go about it.

In the end Sunday, she did fine, overcoming all the mental battles she played with herself to win the Michelob Ultra Open in Williamsburg, Va., by seven shots, once again showing that she’s on her way back to being an elite player.

“I think the last four weeks proved to probably a lot of people and proved to myself, as well, that Kraft wasn’t a fluke,” Webb said referring to her victory in the LPGA’s first major, the Kraft Nabisco, in April.

Since that victory, her seventh in a major championship, Webb has two second-place finishes, a 10th and now, the LPGA Tour’s third wire-to-wire victory of the year. The 1999 and 2000 player of the year also is the only two-time winner this season.

She also took over the money lead, and her victory margin was the largest of the season on the tour. But despite a Hall of Fame résumé, she said her 31 career victories before Sunday were of no value as she was trying to figure out how to get No. 32.

“I haven’t played with a five-shot lead for a long time,” she said. “You’re trying to keep yourself in the same game plan as you’ve had for the last three days, but at the same time, you don’t want to make too many mistakes.”

Lorena Ochoa had her fourth second-place finish in her last five starts and her fifth in eight events this season. She also won in Las Vegas.

After a tap-in par on the final hole, Webb was hugging her caddie, Mike Paterson, when Paterson’s wife, Tanya, and two other caddies ran out and sprayed her with beer.

Champions Tour

Bobby Wadkins completed a wire-to-wire victory in the Boeing Championship, birdieing the 17th hole en route to a 1-under 70 and a one-stroke victory over 63-year-old Ray Floyd in Destin, Fla.

Wadkins finished with a 1-under-70 for a 10-under 203 total and earned $240,000 for his second Champions Tour title and first in five years.

British Masters

Sweden’s Johan Edfors sank two long birdie putts and finished with a 2-under 70 to win the British Masters by a stroke in Sutton Coldfield, England.

England’s Gary Emerson (67), Sweden’s Jarmo Sandelin (70) and Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher (71) tied for second.