Home favourite Webb cruises to six-shot victory

LET TOUR : Australia's Karrie Webb cruised to a six-shot victory in the MFS Women's Australian Open at the Royal Sydney Golf…

LET TOUR: Australia's Karrie Webb cruised to a six-shot victory in the MFS Women's Australian Open at the Royal Sydney Golf Club.

Overnight leader Webb carded a final-round 72 to reach 10-under-par and fend off Taiwan's Yun-Jye Wei, who shot 74.

Spain's Paula Marti (69) and Finland's Minea Blomqvist (69) shared third place at two under. America's Brittany Lincicombe was one shot further back with South Korea's Ji Yai Shin (fifth).

Australia's Katherine Hull fired a course record seven-under-par 65 in the final round, with six birdies on her back nine for an inward total of 30. South Africa's Ashleigh Simon (17), was the leading amateur and finished joint 20th.

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Webb (32), who won five tournaments in 2006, lifted the Patricia Bridges Bowl for the third time having won the title in 1999 and 2000 at Yarra Yarra Golf Club.

"It's a great start to the year," said Webb after landing her 45th tournament win in a 13-year professional career.

Webb explained: "There are one or two weeks of the year if you're lucky where you hit it absolutely perfectly.

"You don't get many weeks where you feel totally in control, but for the other 23 weeks, if you're able to get the ball in the hole, that's what gives you a better chance of becoming number one in the world."

Wei, who is ranked 39th in the world and who has won three tournaments on the Japanese tour, challenged Webb on the front nine but fell away on the back nine.

She was three adrift at the turn, having recorded birdies at the second and seventh holes, but was four-over-par on the back nine.

Webb birdied the long 13th coming home, but then dropped shots at the 14th and 17th holes.

But it was over for Wei after she double bogeyed the 15th hole.

All eyes will turn to Webb next week as she contends for the ANZ Ladies Masters title at Royal Pines on the Gold Coast. The last time she won both Australian titles was in 2000, which turned out to be the best year of her career.

Rebecca Caokley finished on 306 after a final round of 76.

SUNSHINE TOUR:As the skies darkened over the Wild Coast Sun Country Club, Jean Hugo calmly tapped in an 18-inch par putt at the first play-off hole to defeat Titch Moore and win the Sunshine Tour's Nashua Masters yesterday.

After a two-hour delay due to dangerous conditions, a steady two-hour downpour for most of the back-nine and a tie for the lead, Hugo watched anxiously as Moore left his putt to tie painfully short, glanced to the sky and finally draw a tension-free breath.

Hugo shot a final-round 70 while Moore added 68 for a total of 11-under-par 269, while Andre Cruse shot 67 to claim third place on 272. Ireland's Padraig Dooley finished in 35th place on 283 after a final round of 70.

US PGA TOUR: Overnight leader Jeff Quinney made a fine start to the final round of the FBR Open at Scottsdale, moving to 20-under-par for the tournament after 13 holes.

The tour rookie was four under for the day at the halfway stage and led they way by one from Bart Bryant and Aaron Baddeley.

Bryant was five under after nine holes, and followed with another birdie at the 14th.

Baddeley, second at the start of the day, reached the turn in 32 and birdied the 10th and 13th to move to 19 under.

CHALLENGE TOUR: Edoardo Molinari of Italy won the Columbia Masters at the Bogota Country Club in a play-off with local favourite Gustavo Mendoza after both players finished on five-under-par 279.

Overnight leader Michael Sims from Belgium and Columbia's Camilo Benedetti shared third place on 281.