There is an important distinction to be made for the reason Karrie Webb and Cristie Kerr set the pace on a prototypical day of links golf in the first round of the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open.
“Experienced, rather than old, I like that,” said the 42-year-old Australian, who turned back the clock on her return to the links, stirring memories of her prime when she won the Women’s British Open 15 years ago at Turnberry among seven major championship titles.
Webb shot a brilliant seven-under 65, jet-propelled by a run of five birdies in a row on the back nine. The veteran – sorry, experienced – Kerr, now 39, shot a 66 in the morning winds and had long departed by the time Webb usurped her score, which many thought might hold up for the whole week, never mind the day.
The two have been around a few links courses in their time in all conditions which sets them apart from the majority of the field, even those – like Inbee Park and Stacey Lewis, the last two Women’s British Open winners in Scotland – who have done pretty well at seaside golf themselves.
Inbee and Lewis are in the chasing pack on three-under, so well in the mix after one round in chilly and blustery conditions.
Webb saw Kerr’s morning score as she went out in the second wave and wondered which other course the American played.
“It was really cold and windy, but I knew already you can’t get too far ahead of yourself on days like this, and in links golf, you’ve really just got to hit the shot in front of you,” said the Australian.
“I sort of hung on there on the front nine and made a nice birdie at 9 to turn one-under, and then I started to hit some good shots, and just told myself to keeping going.”
The birdies came in a rush from the 11th to 15th, and her longest putt in that run was eight feet.
“When you get in a run like that it’s important not to just go into the mode of holding on,” she said “I was just tell myself just to keep going and make as many birdies as I could.
“I think we got really lucky with the weather, mo rain this afternoon and the wind even died a little.”
Webb had two other advantages on her side – her Scottish caddie Johnny Scott, and the decision on Wednesday to go and play Royal Troon.
“I wasn’t in the pro-am, so that was a bucket list thing,” she said. Webb, Scott and Martin Kaymer’s caddie Craig Connelly – who himself caddied on the LPGA – played with a club member.
“I’ve had a strange season but I felt that I sort of turned a corner at the US Women’s Open, and these next two weeks were always the highlight of my year,” she continued. “I love links golf and am really excited to play in Scotland for two weeks.”
Kerr is also happy to be in Scotland, although she needed a pair of ear muffs to keep the chill out in yesterday morning’s round.
“It was still tough, it’s never easy here, so I’m very pleased with the score,” she said.
“This is actually some of my favourite golf. I told my caddie that on the back nine, that it seems like the tougher the conditions, the more I like it for some reason.
“I like to be challenged mentally, and you know, these kind of conditions force you to focus on the shot at hand and not get ahead of yourself, and I did that really well today.”
Kerr hasn’t quite ever won on the links but has come close – five top tens in six years from 2005 to 2010 – including a second place at Lytham in 2006.
“You can never take anything for granted here, I’m not going to get too high about this,” she added of one of only two bogey-free rounds all day.
“I’m going to enjoy it today and tomorrow is going to be another tough day.”
The other bogey-free round came from Inbee Park, who admitted to “missing a couple of tee shots” and some other opportunities.
“But a bogey-free round on this golf course is very, very good, in these kind of windy conditions,” she added. Compatriot So Yeon Ryi, the current world No 1, shot a one-under 71.
Lewis as undergone a career stall in recent years but her best major performances are in the Women’s British Open and she’s thrilled to be back, even securing a room in the Dunvegan in St Andrews, where she stayed when she won the 2013 title, for next week’s championship at Kingsbarns.
“Sheena (Willoughby) booked that for me and even though she and Jack have sold up, one of their conditions was that they stayed around for next week,” said Lewis.
“I can’t wait to go back. I’ll definitely be going down to the 18th and check things out. Something about playing in the British just puts me in a good mood.”
The leading Scot after the first round was Kylie Henry, with a one-over 74, Catriona Matthew finishing with two birdies for a 74, alongside Aberdeen’s Michele Thomson.
Carly Booth, winner of this title in 2012, returned a three-over 75 with the highlight an eagle at the fifth.
