Webb Increases Lead

Karrie Webb has doubled her one-stroke lead entering the second round of the HSBC Women's Champions. She followed up her opening 6-under 66 with a 69 in the LPGA Tour's HSBC Women's Champions at Serapong Course at Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore.

The scorecard for the 39-year-old Hall of Fame member from Australia wasn't quite as clean as Thursday's, when she had six birdies and no bogeys. On Friday Webb had six birdies and three bogeys, her first lost strokes of the tournament.

Webb stands at 9-under 135, two shots ahead of Texan Angela Stanford (69) and three in front of Taiwan's Teresa Lu (70).

After the second round Webb laughed when she called herself and the 36-year-old Stanford "Two old ducks, I guess."

Webb, who won the Women's Australian Open two weeks ago and still has plenty of game, then chided the reporters for focusing on her age. "Did you ask any of the younger players if it's hard to play against girls in their 30s? Because you always ask me the opposite question."

Webb admitted she had to change her preparations for competing against younger players, particularly in the physical training sessions she doesn't like. "All these young players coming up are athletes," Webb said.

"For me, I've had to learn to get in the gym and do the work required. My workouts have just gradually increased so it wasn't hard-core to start with, where I would have just hated it and never done it."

Five shots behind Webb at 140 are last week's winner in Thailand, Anna Nordqvist (67) and fellow Swede Caroline Hedwall (73), along with Americans Morgan Pressel (69), Danielle Kang (70) and Paula Creamer (73).

No. 1-ranked Inbee Park carded a 72 and is now at 142, while No. 2 Suzann Pettersen has shot rounds of 71 and 70 and is six strokes behind Webb.

Defending champion Stacy Lewis followed up her opening 75 with a 72 in the no-cut tournament.

Beatriz Recari withdrew before the start of the second round. The Spaniard opened with a 77.

For all the scores, visit www.lpga.com.

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