Webb wins Women's British Open

TURNBERRY, Scotland -- Karrie Webb's latest comeback established a new standard of excellence on the LPGA Tour: the Super Slam.

Webb shot a 6-under 66 Sunday, rallying from three strokes behind to win her third Women's British Open title.

The 27-year-old Webb finished at 15-under 273, beating fellow Australian Michelle Ellis and Spain's Paula Marti by two strokes.

It was the sixth major championship in four years for Webb, who won the British Open in her rookie season of 1995 and again in 1997. The British became a major last year, replacing the defunct du Maurier Classic.

Webb wrapped up a career Grand Slam by winning the du Maurier, the Nabisco Championship, the U.S. Open and the LPGA Championship. By adding the British Open, she completed what has become known as the career "Super Slam" of five different majors in just five years.

"It's one of the best rounds that I can remember," Webb said. "The first major I won, the (1999) du Maurier Classic, I shot 66 in the final round as well, and I birdied four out of the last five holes, so it wasn't as solid a round as it was today.

"Just right from the word go, I was hitting good iron shots and making a lot of putts."

The rest of the field seemed powerless to stop Webb on the rainsoaked Turnberry links.

Third-round leaders Carin Koch of Sweden and Jenny Rosales of the Philippines were no match. Rosales shot a 1-over 73 and tied for fourth, and Koch had a 74 to tie for eighth at 10 under.

Ellis shot a 68 and Marti had a 69 to finish tied for second at 13 under.

SENIORS: Hale Irwin, who lost in playoffs two of the last three weeks, shot a 4-under 68 and beat Hubert Green by three strokes in the 3M Championship in Blaine, Minn., his tour-leading third senior victory of the year.

The bogey-free final round at the TPC of the Twin Cities gave Irwin a 12-under 204 total and the first-place check of $262,500. It also ended his five-month victory drought on the Senior PGA Tour. His last win was the Toshiba Senior Classic on March 10.

Last week, Irwin lost to Green in a seven-hole playoff -- the tour's longest this year -- at the Long Island Classic, and he lost to Bob Gilder after one extra hole at the SBC Senior Open.

PGA EUROPE: Former British Open champion Paul Lawrie scored a comfortable five-stroke victory in the Wales Open at Celtic Manor, a year after he lost out in a three-man playoff.

Lawrie shot two rounds of 70 on the final day of the weather-affected event to finish with a 16-under 272.

England's John Bickerton, who also shot a 70 in the final round, finished second. Mikko Ilonen of Finland was third, and Martin Maritz of South Africa and Lucas Parson of Australia finished fourth.-- From wire reports