The ISPS HANDA Ladies European Masters has received a huge boost with the news that seven-time major champion Karrie Webb has accepted an invitation to play in the event at Buckinghamshire Golf Club on 26-28 July.
Webb, a global superstar ranked seventh in the world, has won 50 titles over an 18-year career. The LPGA and World Golf Hall of Fame member was the youngest player in history to win the Career Grand Slam in 2001 followed by the Super Career Grand Slam in 2002 (having won all five LPGA Majors that existed during her playing career).
In 1996, as a rookie, she became the first player in LPGA Tour history to reach the $1 million mark in single season earnings and she became only the third player to earn more than $2 million in single season earnings after five victories in 2006.
Webb entered the 2013 season ranked second on the LPGA’s Career Money List with $17,402,218 in earnings. The 38-year-old Australian earned her 39th LPGA victory at the Shoprite LPGA Classic presented by Acer at the beginning of June and is in a rich vein of form, currently ranked seventh on the LPGA 2013 Official Money List.
Webb said: “I’m really excited to have been invited to play in the ISPS HANDA Ladies European Masters next week at Buckinghamshire Golf Club. It’s a late addition to my schedule but I’d heard a lot of great things about the tournament and the course which led me to feel that competing on a firm and fast golf course was better preparation for the British Open than practising in the soft and lush conditions of Florida.
“I know that the ISPS HANDA Ladies European Masters at Buckinghamshire Golf Club is the LET headquarters and is a marquee event for the tour, so I’m really looking forward to being a part of it.”
The LET’s CEO Ivan Peter Khodabakhsh commented: “We are absolutely thrilled that Karrie will be supporting the Ladies European Tour’s home tournament at our headquarters near London. Karrie is clearly a world class player and her presence will bring an enormous sense of anticipation and excitement to the event.”
A host of top names will be competing in the ISPS HANDA Ladies European Masters, including defending champion Lydia Hall, Laura Davies, Trish Johnson, Melissa Reid, Carly Booth, Sandra Gal, Caroline Masson, Sophie Gustafson, Cheyenne Woods and Charley Hull, especially with valuable Solheim Cup points up for grabs as the race for a place in the team nears conclusion.