Karrie Webb says she was shocked to be disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard at Royal Pines last week, just the second DQ of her illustrious career. Not since a tournament in South Korea a few years ago had she made such an error, signing her card without checking it properly. “It was definitely a bit of a shock, even the way I played for the first two rounds,&apos&apos the veteran Australian said today. “(I was) thinking that I&aposd miss the cut so I was very careless in the score tent; was already planning what I was going to do for the weekend, where I was going to practice, that sort of thing. So, just a little careless and not taking the usual time to do my card like I normally would.&apos&apos Webb said she was upset and disappointed. “I had a lot of family down and feel like I let them down a bit but there&aposs always a silver lining and I got to spend a lot more time with my family – and it&aposs the last couple of days that I see them before I head back overseas – so it was good to be able to do that, but I would have also liked to have played a little bit.&apos&apos The world No. 8 turns 40 later this year but has no short-term plans of retiring from the tour, having said that she will continue playing at least until the Olympics in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, when golf returns to the Games. The Queenslander is desperate to play for Olympic gold, and came to her press conference today from an Olympic briefing for players. Don&apost try to tell Webb that Olympic golf will not work. She loves the idea of it. “I think it will be a big deal. It&aposs a big deal for me. I&aposve always been a sports nut and I&aposve always loved the Olympics. So it&aposs not ever something that I ever thought that I&aposd be a part of and to have the opportunity to is really exciting in itself. “We just had this Olympic briefing and I think everyone in the room walked out going &aposI want to make the Olympic team&apos. I think from the women&aposs side of the game, I don&apost hear anyone not wanting to play. Even though it&aposs two and a half years away and you can&apost really think about it day to day at the moment, I think it&aposs in the back of everyone&aposs mind.&apos&apos Webb, who has won the Australian Open four times, tees off at 8.05am Thursday with world No. 2 Suzann Pettersen and world No. 3 Stacy Lewis, a brilliant grouping. But she admitted she was “a bit scratchy&apos&apos at Royal Pines after a long lay-off. SOME MARQUEE GROUPINGS THURSDAY 8.05am (10th tee) Karrie Webb, Suzann Pettersen, Stacy Lewis 1pm Jessica Korda, Paula Creamer, Charley Hull 1.10 Yani Tseng, Lexi Thompson, Morgan Pressel 1.20 Laura Davies, Cheyenne Woods, Brittany Lincicome
Author: Martin Blake / www.golf.org.au