Longs Drugs Challenge: History

Longs Drugs Challenge Returns
October 9 through 12, 2008
Danville, California • Blackhawk CC

		You are here: Home > History > 2006
2006 Champion Karrie Webb	2006 LWebb takes home fourth victory of season at Longs Drugs Challenge Sorenstam posts final-round 65, one-stroke back LPGA.com - September 24, 2006 DANVILLE, Calif., Sept. 24, 2006 – Heading into the final round with a five-stroke lead, it appeared Karrie Webb had her fourth win of the season wrapped up. However, when Annika Sorenstam’s name is on the leaderboard—even with a six-stroke deficit—nothing is guaranteed. As Sorenstam (70-70-69-65=274, -14) waited near the scoring tent, Webb (67-70-66-70=273, -15)—just a group behind—sank a two-foot par putt on the 72nd hole of the Longs Drugs Challenge for a one-stroke victory and the $165,000 winner’s check. Webb’s five-stroke lead after 54 holes matches the lead she had going into the final round of the Michelob ULTRA Open at Kingsmill, and ended up winning by seven strokes, the largest margin this season. But Sorenstam’s field-low 65 (-7) gave Webb a run for her money. The tournament was the 15th event this season that has been decided by one stroke or a playoff. “Today was a great day. I loved it. It's just a lot of fun,” said Sorenstam, who leads the Tour with 14 top-10 finishes in 17 starts. “You really have to do something when the opportunity is right there. I could have gone out and shot 1 under or 2 under, it wouldn't have meant as much. There are birdie opportunities, but if you don't hit it in the right place, this course can get you. I'm sure I had her heart pumping a little bit, which is my goal and to walk away with a good finish, I'm happy.” Webb lit up the 6,212-yard course early with birdies on holes two and three, which Sorenstam matched on three and four. But as Sorenstam went on to birdie the 155-yard par-3 seventh, Webb followed with a double bogey and the chase began. “The first six holes, I was cruising along,” said Webb who has not won four tournaments in a season since she won seven in 2000. “I really probably should have been 4 under through the first six today. I let everybody back in when I doubled seven. So from there, it was game on.” Sorenstam would bogey number eight, but sank a 38-foot eagle putt on nine to make the turn 4-under-par 33 and within two strokes of Webb. That was the largest margin Webb would enjoy, as her birdies on 11 and 13 were the last on the back nine to go to 15-under, where she would remain for the tournament. Sorenstam also birdied 11 when she took her 7-wood out of the bunker to within nine feet as well as posting a birdie on the par-5 15th—one of five on a course that tested golfers with its steep elevation changes and strong winds earlier in the week. Sorenstam drew within one stroke of Webb on 17 after a key 15-foot birdie putt. “I just really appreciate that double bogey was my only blemish out there, that I really got a hold of myself and didn't make any mistakes and just made a couple of birdies and that was good enough,” said Webb, who remained in second place on the ADT Official Money List with $1,873,753. Webb’s impressive sub-par performance all four days keeps her in the lead on Tour for rounds under par with a 75.8 percent record (47 of 62 rounds). She also closed the gap in the Rolex Player of the Year race as she bumped Sorenstam out of second place to go from 184 to 214 points, just nine behind Lorena Ochoa with 223. Sorenstam is in third with 206 points. When it comes to leading the Tour by statistics, Ochoa is handling the task. She posted a 6-under-par 66 in the final round (68-72-72-66=278, -10) to finish tied for fourth. She continues to lead the ADT Official Money List with $1,974,122; eagles (11); greens in regulation (75.3 percent); and is one of three on Tour with a sub-70 scoring average (69.4384). Sorenstam (69.8448) and Cristie Kerr (69.9091), who also tied for fourth (69-70-71-68=278, -10), join her in the race for the Vare Trophy. As a native of nearby Pleasanton, Paula Creamer posted her low-round of the tournament on Sunday with a 4-under-par 68. She ended the tournament with a 5-under-par 69-74-72-68=283 and tied for 16th. Although not in contention to secure her first victory of the season, she drew galleries that rivaled the final groups. “Even today, I had so many people out there supporting me,” said Creamer, who remained 12th on the ADT Official Money List $814,032 in season earnings. “I was trying to make as many birdies as I could, do as well as I could. It's nice to stand on the tee box and see tons of pink and hear ‘Go Paula.’ It's really nice to be able to come home and play in front of everybody.” First-round leader Jeong Jang set a course record with her 8-under-par 64, but played the weekend 4-over par for a tournament total of 64-73-74-74=285 (-3) and tied for 21st. During the second round, Pat Hurst, who has played on the LPGA Tour since 1995, carded the first hole-in-one of her LPGA career. Hurst, who recently crossed the $5 million mark in career earnings, aced the par-3, 170-yard number 10 using a 7-iron. It is the 18th hole-in-one on Tour this season.

Integrating Powerful Media With Innovative Marketing
	© 2008 Longs Drugs Challenge. All Rights Reserved Copyright © Photos by Danny Salz & Dina Wong - EM&PS, Frank Kay, Getty Images	2007 Champion Suzann Pettersen