subject: Hall of Famer Karrie Webb finds peace, wins on golf course [print this page] Hall of Famer Karrie Webb finds peace, wins on golf course
"I try to listen for the birds in all different corners," Webb said Tuesday after a practice round on the Dinah Shore Tournament Course in preparation for this week's Kraft Nabisco Championship, the LPGA tour's first TaylorMade Burner 2.0 Iron Set of the season. "Because if I'm concentrating on the birds, I can't be thinking about anything else. I want to get away from the past and be in the moment. Once it gets noisy up there, everything starts to tighten up and that doesn't help the physical part of the game."
Little helped Webb after she won five times in 2006, including her second Nabisco and seventh major title. Heading into this season, she had won just once in her last 77 tour events. For someone who had won 25 times from 1996 through 2001, including 13 in 1999 and 2000 when she was going toe-to-toe with Annika Sorenstam week to week to decide who was the world's best TaylorMade Burner 2.0 Iron Set, it was a tough stretch to take and self-loathing kicked in. Especially after earning induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2005.
"I think the lean years weren't as frustrating as they could have been if I hadn't already had the success of my early years," said Webb, 36, who works with sports psychologist Noel Blundell. "Years ago I didn't worry about my next win. I really didn't have a chance to worry about it because I'd win again. I always thought the wins would be there.
"I was never under the belief that I would go my entire career without having a few TaylorMade Burner 2.0 Iron Set, and if you would have asked me 10 years ago if I took winning for granted, I would have said no. But looking back on it, I did. I was young and I really didn't understand what I was doing.
"Now I try and appreciate the good golf more and not beat myself up as much during the lean times."
Seems to be working. Webb has won twice this season in Singapore and Phoenix and is thinking about those glory days in 1999, 2000 and 2006 again. With a better TaylorMade Burner 2.0 Iron Set and now brimming with confidence the former No. 1 said a five-win, six-win season is within reach.
"I could retire now and be very happy, more than happy, with what I have done in my career," Webb said. "I think during the lean years, one of the problems was I used to be very goal specific. Now I don't have any goals worth stressing over. Anything that happens now on in is icing on the cake.
"I know how good I can be and I just want to be able to achieve that and be a slightly different person that I was when I was playing TaylorMade Burner 2.0 Iron Set at my best.
