World Number 21 Karrie Webb will return to Royal Canberra in February for the first time since her Grade 9 schooling when she played in the Australian School Girls&apos Championships there. “(It was) a very, very long time ago. I played the School Girls there I think it was in 1989 so it s a very long time ago and I haven t had a chance to play it since then,” Webb said. Despite the long time between visits, Webb said her fellow LPGA players were looking forward to kicking off the season in Canberra. “I think everyone enjoyed this year s event and all the Aussie girls over here have talked up Royal Canberra and got the girls excited to come back down early next year,” the 7 time Major winner said. Off the golf course, Webb sits on the LPGA&aposs Board of Directors as the International Player Representative – with its directors responsible for, among many things, promoting the Tour globally. “I think the LPGA has become a US based and operated Tour but I think it has become more of a global tour and I think our brand is a lot more global than it was when I started on the LPGA. I think bringing the LPGA to Australia expands that brand and I think it s great for the Australian public to have the best players in the world down there participating in the Australian Open,” Webb said. The 2013 championship coincides with a year of celebrations marking Canberra&aposs Centenary. Built in the early 1900s, Canberra was planned by American architect, Walter Burley Griffin, who won an international competition to design the city. His plan focused on geometrical, circular patterns and incorporating Australia&aposs natural landscape. “It’s a very special thing in Canberra s history and in Australia s history and the fact that we re going to be playing the Australian Open there at the start of the whole year of celebrations is really exciting,” Webb said. “I m really looking forward to it. I was excited to be in Canberra when I was in grade 9 but I think I ll definitely appreciate it a lot more being in Canberra this time and some of my family members will be down there too so it will be a great event,” she added. Click Here to buy tickets
Author: Hamish Jones / Golf Australia