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Karrie Webb’s 63 carries her to victory at the JTBC Founders Cup

Karrie Webb waves to fans after a birdie putt on the 18th green to complete the final round of the JTBC LPGA Founders Cup with a 63 at Wildfire Golf Club on Sunday.
(Christian Petersen / Getty Images)
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Karrie Webb flew up the leaderboard with a course-record nine-under-par 63, then waited about 90 minutes to see if anyone could catch her in the JTBC Founders Cup at Phoenix.

No one could, giving the 39-year-old Australian her second victory of the season and second in four years at Desert Ridge. She won the Women’s Australian Open last month and has 41 LPGA Tour victories.

For the second time in the event, Webb overcame a six-stroke deficit in the final round to win. In 2011, she closed with a 66 for a one-stroke victory.

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Third-round leader Lydia Ko parred the final three holes to finish a stroke back.

“I didn’t expect to be sitting here at the start of the day,” Webb said. “Even, actually, when I finished the day, I didn’t expect to be sitting here. So I feel a little bit lucky, I guess, to be sitting here. But it doesn’t make it feel any less special.”

Webb donated $50,000 of her $225,000 check, giving $25,000 each to LPGA-USGA Girls Golf and “The Founders” documentary movie. She did an interview for the film this week and learned that only about 10% of the necessary money had been raised to complete the project.

“I was just standing on the 18th green when Mike (Whan, LPGA Tour commissioner) was introducing me, and it just came to me that, ‘You know, I would love to be a part of that movie being produced.’”

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Jeff Maggert became the 17th player in Champions Tour history to win in his debut, shooting a four-under 68 in the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic at Saucier.

Maggert fell into a tie for the lead with Billy Andrade after making bogey on No. 16 but responded with a 50-foot putt for birdie on No. 17 that pushed him back ahead.

Andrade, who started the day tied with Fred Funk for the lead, shot a 71 to finish in second two strokes back. Maggert finished the tournament with an 11-under 205.

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