Karrie Webb wins the first edition of the RR Donnelley Founders Cup; keeps hope alive for Japanese crises victims
The RR Donnelley Founders Cup was perhaps one of the most awaited golfing events on the LPGA Tour. Why, you ask? Well for one thing it was all about honoring the women behind the birth of the LPGA and the spirit of the game rather than the competition. But
perhaps what was really creating all the hype was the events never-seen-before format. All the winnings, all of the $1 million to the last cent, where going to go to different charities.
We believe that this visionary move, especially because it came from the LPGA which has perhaps been hit the hardest by the recession and the resulting financing woes, is a quantum leap forward for the industry as a whole. The event has given a whole new
meaning to “giving hope” through the game.
While Karrie Webb may have won the title, it was the Japanese people who really won at the RR Donnelley Founders Cup. While Webb had already arranged for her earnings, $200,000, from the event being donated to the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation to
combat paralysis; in a surprise announcement after her win she announced that she was going to be splitting the money and donating $100,000 of it to charities that were involved in relief efforts for the victims of the Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami.
“The Japanese people have done a lot for me, Japanese companies as well, and I feel like I need to give back to them,” Webb told reporters. Needless to say the first edition of the event proved to a deeply fulfilling experience for everyone involved. “I'm
really honoured to win the inaugural Founders Cup. It's a great concept and we need to honour these ladies more than we do. The reason we're playing today is because of them. It means a lot to me to be champion.”
Things came to a head on Sunday’s final round when the tournament turned into more off a “chip-and-putt” competition between Karrie Webb and Brittany Lincicome. The eventual victory went to Webb when Lincicome had the misfortune to bogey on the final hole,
allowing Webb to attain the one shot victory.
Her final score was a 6-under 66, which totaled into a 12-under for the entire event. This win also marks the second consecutive LPGA Tour win for Webb, who also won the HSBC Champions tournament in Singapore. It’s safe to say that the golfer is off to a
good start this season with multiple wins, and those too for the first time since 2006, already in her bag.
Paula Creamer was another player who was in contention during the course of the tournament due to having birdied on 7 holes over a total of 10, but experienced similar trouble as Lincicome and Webb on the troublesome 18th hole where her approach
fell short. Although she matched Webb’s score of 66, her overall placing was tied for the second spot.
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