PINEHURST, N.C. – There’s something about the Sandhills region of North Carolina that brings out the best in Karrie Webb.
It’s inspiring her again this week at Pinehurst No. 2.
With an even-par 70 Thursday, Webb moved into early contention to win her eighth major championship and third U.S. Women’s Open. Webb won her second U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles in 2001, another Donald Ross course just a few miles down the road from Pinehurst No. 2.
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“I do have good feelings here,” said Webb, who has already won two LPGA titles this year. “I came a couple of weeks ago, before the men played, and I loved it as soon as I was here. It does really remind me of Sand Belt golf in Melbourne [Australia], where you don’t always have a perfect lie, even in the fairway. And you have to be creative around the greens. And that’s definitely a recipe to play well in Melbourne and it is here, as well.”
If Webb, 39, wins her eighth major this weekend, she will pull away from Juli Inkster on the all-time major championship winners’ list and move into sixth place with Betsy Rawls. The all-time leader is Patty Berg with 15.