It was Webb's fourth consecutive win in the same tournament, a feat achieved previously only by England's Laura Davies in the Standard Ping Register in Phoenix from 1993-97. Davies, who has won the Masters twice at Royal Pines, played this week but missed the cut after rounds of 77 and 76. In men's golf, the feat of winning a title and then successfully defending it three more times is just as rare. The Masters was co-sanctioned with the Evian Ladies European Tour and counted for both the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit and Solheim Cup points. After the first event for 2001, Matthew heads the Order of Merit with 666.67 points, ahead of Corinne Dibnah and Kathryn Marshall tied on 433.33, and Alison Munt, Catrin Nilsmark and Maria Hjorth on 337.04.
Australian fans continue to wonder why the pros make such a fuss about practicing their golf.
Then last week, Queensland professional Mardi Lunn shot rounds of 69 and 71 to share ninth place at the halfway point in the ANZ Ladies Masters at the Royal Pines Resort. To kill the afternoon, she went to the nearby Jupiters Casino to play poker. If further proof is needed that practice is overrated, Laura Davies has a reputation for doing very little and every year is asked by the media if she has yet discovered the location of the Royal Pines practice range. As usual she asks why. But last week she was spotted trying out new drivers and spent quite a bit of time on the range.