In Karrie’s Webb: She is still on top in LPGA

Friday, Jan. 10, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

The 1996 Rookie of the Year has already got some veterans believing she'll be a force on the tour for years to come.

Webb overcame windy conditions to shoot a 3-under-par 69 and take a three-stroke lead into today's second round of the Chrysler-Plymouth Tournament of Champions at Weston Hills Country Club.

No other golfer finished under par. Webb shot 34 on the front nine and 35 on the back. Four players shot 80 or higher.

"She's got a real sound golf game, she's a smart player with a great swing," said LPGA Hall of Famer Pat Bradley, one of seven golfers tied for second place after shooting even-par 72s. "This young lady is going to be a factor for 20 (years) if she wants to be."

Barb Whitehead, Caroline Pierce, Barb Mucha, Dawn Coe-Jones, Annika Sorenstam and Beth Daniel along with Bradley were tied in a second-place logjam. Eight others were 1-over.

"It felt good to be back out playing. I missed it," said Webb, who has not played in almost a month. "I hit the ball really well today and I didn't miss a fairway. I was reading the greens well.

"There were still nerves today, but they were different ones. Last year it was my first LPGA tournament."

Unlike most of the field, which is comprised of tournament winners from 1995 and '96 and active LPGA Hall of Famers, Webb didn't seem distracted by the 15-20 mph winds which gusted to 25 mph on the course at the edge of the Everglades.

"The best part was that it wasn't a crosswind, which makes it tougher," said the 22-year-old Webb, the first woman golfer to earn $1 million in a single season. "I'd rather have it calm, but I tend to play well in the wind. It makes me concentrate all 18 holes - I don't have any mind lapses."

As the temperatures soared into the low 80s under sunny skies, Webb started hot, shooting a 2-under-par 34 on the front nine to take the morning's lead. Bradley, Coe-Jones, Whitehead and Alison Nicholas were one off before the wind and the course got to them.