The Karrie Webb Scholarship will be contested under a new format in 2018-19.
For the first time in its 12 years, the two winners of the priceless prize will not come automatically from the domestic Karrie Webb Series.
Webb said the series winner would still earn one berth, but that the second winner would be the top Australian woman in the world amateur rankings.
“The success of the series over the past 11 years has been fantastic, with both the scholarship recipients and myself having gotten a lot out of the experience,” Webb said.
“Like anything, though, over time things need to be reviewed and tweaks need to be made to ensure that all of our top female athletes have the opportunity to compete and receive these scholarships.
“After reviewing everything with (Golf Australia female pathway manager) Stacey Peters, I’m happy to see that we have been able to come up with criteria not only for the girls competing at home, but also able to give our girls living and competing overseas the opportunity to earn a scholarship through the World Amateur Golf Rankings.
“I look forward to watching the next 7-8 months to see who will join me in the US for a week next year.”
Seven-time major champion Webb has put her time and money into the scholarship that carries her name since 2008. Each year since, two of Australia’s brightest female prospects have spent a week with Webb as she prepares and plays an LPGA Tour event, most often a major championship.
Peters said the move was made “to ensure that all the different pathways our rising stars take can be rewarded with such a wonderful experience”.
“It’s a great change that Karrie initiated to ensure women who play overseas, particularly in collegiate golf in North America, aren’t overlooked,” Peters said.
“It might well be that the second winner still comes from the domestic events, but we just want to make sure those who’ve gone overseas to further their golf aren’t overlooked.”
Previous Karrie Webb Scholarship winners include rising professional stars Minjee Lee, Su Oh, Hannah Green and Karis Davidson, along with Peters (nee Keating) herself, who won twice in 2009 and 2010.
“It was the most amazing week to spend time with my idol and to learn so much about all the things that go into becoming a champion at the elite level,” Peters said.
“Hopefully the changes we’ve made along with Karrie will produce our best qualified scholarship winners.”
Peters said the KW Series, which begins next week in Queensland, will have some other fundamental changes, primarily around ALPG tournaments.
These are:
- If an Australian-based ALPG professional event is co-sanctioned with another main tour (LET, LPGA), it will count towards the KW Series
- If an ALPG professional event (54-hole minimum) has at least six amateurs, it will count towards the KW Series
- State stroke play events must be over at least 54 holes to count towards the KW Series
Events included in the 2018-2019 KW Series are below (subject to change and with professional events to be added depending on numbers):
- Queensland Stroke Play (26-28 August) Gailes GC & McLeod GC
- Federal Open Amateur (9-11 November) Federal GC
- The Dunes Medal (21-30 November) The Dunes GC
- Port Phillip Amateur (6-12 December) Kingston Heath GC & Commonwealth GC
- Australia Masters of the Amateurs (8-11 January) Royal Melbourne GC
- Avondale Amateur (22-25January) Avondale GC
- Elvie Whitesides Trophy (Tasmanian Stroke Play) (7-10 February) Royal Hobart GC
- Victorian Open (7-10 February) 13th Beach GC
- ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open (14-17February) The Grange GC
- Riversdale Cup (7-10 March) Riversdale GC
- Rene Erichsen Salver (South Australian Stroke Play) (18-21 March) Royal Adelaide GC
- Bowra & O’Dea (25-27 March) Lake Karrinyup GC