SINGAPORE – For all the talk of the youth movement in women’s golf, Karrie Webb showed on Friday that experienced players can still show up their younger competitors from time to time.

The 39-year-old Webb recovered from two bogeys on the back nine to card a 3-under 69 and open a two-stroke lead over 36-year-old Angela Stanford after the second round of the HSBC Women’s Champions.

Webb, who was at 9-under 135 overall, was quick to point out after her round that being older can have its advantages.

“Two old ducks, I guess,” she said about her and Stanford topping the leaderboard. “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.”

Stanford, the 2012 HSBC champion, also shot a 69, while Taiwan’s Teresa Lu was in third place at 6 under after a 70.

Sweden’s Caroline Hedwall briefly pulled into a share of the lead with Webb on the back nine before two bogeys and a double bogey on her final three holes. She fell back to joint fourth at 4-under 140 with four others.

The LPGA Tour’s latest teenage prodigy, 16-year-old Lydia Ko, was at 2-under 142, tied for 13th with 19-year-old Lexi Thompson and world No. 1 Inbee Park.

Webb, a seven-time major winner, has played some of her best golf in recent years this month. Two weeks ago, she captured her fifth Australian Open title in Melbourne, and now she holds the lead going into the weekend against a tough field in Singapore.

The Australian acknowledged that the younger players have forced her to step up her conditioning, something she does not enjoy.

“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.”

Webb was pushed by one of the younger upstarts on tour, Hedwall, for much of the round on Friday.

The Swede, who has never won a LPGA title, sunk two long putts for back-to-back birdies on Nos. 7 and 8 and had a chance to pull even on the ninth but missed her 10-foot birdie putt wide. Webb followed with an 8-foot birdie putt that caught the edge of the cup and curled in, giving her a two-stroke cushion again.

Then came her bogeys on the back nine, however, which re-opened the door for Hedwall. Instead of capitalizing, though, the Swede suddenly faltered.

Faced with a tough chip shot on a steeply sloped bunker next to the 18th green, Hedwall swung once at the ball and missed. Then she swung again, and missed again. She finally got on the green with her third shot and two-putted to save the double bogey.

“It was just a bad lie and I was trying too hard to get it close,” she said. “It was just one of those moments when you want to walk off the golf course.”

Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist, winner of last week’s LPGA Thailand, made seven birdies for a 5-under 67, tied for the low round of the day. She was joint fourth with Hedwall and three Americans: Morgan Pressel (69), Paula Creamer (73) and Danielle Kang (70).

World No. 2 Suzann Pettersen of Norway stumbled with bogeys on Nos. 14, 15 and 17, but made up for it on the 18th with a 40-foot putt for eagle. She was in a tie for ninth place at 3-under 141, a stroke ahead of Park.

Pettersen has a chance to overtake Park in the rankings this week if she wins and Park finishes no higher than equal third.

Defending champion Stacy Lewis, meanwhile, struggled for the second straight day. She shot an even-par 72 to be tied for 39th.

SINGAPORE – Karrie Webb birdied six holes to shoot a 6-under 66 and take a one-stroke lead after the opening round of the HSBC Women’s Champions on Thursday.

Sweden’s Caroline Hedwall and American Paula Creamer were tied for second after shooting 5-under 67, a stroke ahead of 2012 champion Angela Stanford and Taiwan’s Teresa Lu in joint fourth.

Webb didn’t make many mistakes on the course at Sentosa Golf Club, but she feared she may have made one in the scoring tent by forgetting to sign her scorecard.

Three weeks ago, she was disqualified from the Australian Ladies Masters for signing an incorrect scorecard after her second round. This time, however, she didn’t have any problems – her scorecard was fine.

“I’ve just had trouble getting out of the scorer tent since then,” she said about her slip-up at Royal Pines. “I walked out (today) and couldn’t remember if I signed my card, which it would have been too late anyway.”

Disqualification aside, the 39-year-old Australian is having a strong start to the season. A week after the ill-fated Australian Ladies Masters, she won her fifth Women’s Australian Open title, and 40th overall.

Webb has won seven majors in her long career, but none since the Kraft Nabisco Championship in 2006. Her results have been consistent, if not dominant, in recent years – she had six top-10 finishes on the LPGA Tour last year and one win at the ShopRite LPGA Classic.

“I’ve had a good career and I feel like I want to finish in the fashion that I started,” she said. “I just continue to work hard, and my working hard now is probably a little different to my working hard 20 years ago, but it’s still working hard.”

Webb birdied four of her first six holes on Thursday, then sank a difficult 15-foot putt to save par on the par-4 11th hole. Her only mistake on the green was a close miss on the 12th hole when her birdie putt from 2 feet lipped out of the hole.

Creamer has also had a fast start to the year, finishing tied for third at her first two tournaments – the Bahamas LPGA Classic and the Women’s Australian Open. She’s played well on this course in Singapore, too, finishing in third place here last year.

The American hasn’t had a win on the LPGA Tour, though, since her breakthrough victory at the Women’s U.S. Open in 2010.

“My main goal is just to be very consistent this year and a win happens by itself, you don’t have to force any of that,” she said.

World No. 1 Inbee Park, who finished runner-up to Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist last week at the LPGA Thailand tournament, had a 2-under 70 and was in a tie for seventh with four others.

Park, the winner of three majors last year, could lose her top ranking to Suzann Pettersen this week if the Norwegian wins the event and Park doesn’t finish higher than a tie for third. Pettersen had a 1-under 71 on Thursday for equal 12th place.

“It wasn’t a bad putting day, but I hit the ball great today,” Park said. “And I didn’t get myself in big trouble so that’s good.”

Sixteen-year-old Lydia Ko of New Zealand struggled with her putting, making just two birdies and finishing at 1-over 73, tied for 27th place with Nordqvist, American Michelle Wie, former No. 1 Yani Tseng and several others.

Ko is not the youngest in the field this week. Fourteen-year-old Singaporean Amanda Tan won a qualifying tournament in January to become the youngest-ever player at the HSBC Champions. She was in last place after a 7-over 79.

No Canadians are in the field this week.

MESA, Ariz. – LPGA Tour member and Hamilton, Ont. native Alena Sharp won the Symetra Tour’s season-opening Visit Mesa Gateway Classic on Sunday, beating Marissa Steen by two-shots and four players by three strokes.

The 32-year-old closed with a 1-under 71 for a 12-under 204 total at Longbow Golf Club. She finished second last year, two strokes behind Jaclyn Sweeney.

With the win, Sharp earns $15,000 (US).

Emily Talley (65), Becca Huffner (68), Sadena Parks (68) and Jennie Lee (71) tied for second.

Cheyenne Woods, Tiger Woods’ niece, had a 71 to tie for 14th at 3 under. She won the Australian Ladies Masters two weeks ago.

Canadian Results:

1. Alena Sharp (-12) 67-66-71–204
T12.   Sara-Maude Juneau (-4)  67-72-73–212
T27.   Samantha Richdale (-1) 73-71-71—215
T42.   Natalie Gleadall        (+1) 70-75-72–217
— Missed Cut —
CUT   Erica Rivard (+5) 77-72–149
CUT  Stephanie Sherlock (+7) 78-73–151
CUT   Angela Buzminski (+10) 77-77–154
CUT   Lisa Meldrum (+14) 84-74–158
CUT   Nicole Vandermade (+17) 80-81–161

CHONBURI, Thailand – Anna Nordqvist of Sweden ended a five-year victory drought when she beat defending champion Inbee Park of South Korea by two strokes to win the LPGA Thailand at the Siam County Club Pattaya Old Course on Sunday.

Nordqvist, who held the lead for the last three days, shot a final-round 68 for 15-under 273, to edge Inbee, who carded a final round 66 for a 13-under 275 total.

The victory was her third LPGA title after winning the LPGA Championship and the LPGA Tour Championship in 2009.

“It’s been a while, but I’m just so happy to finally break through again,” Nordqvist said. “Inbee kept pushing me at the end. I just really had to stay strong. Had a rough first couple holes, but kept playing good on the back. Just unbelievable to get that win again,” she said

Nordqvist, whose form dipped dramatically in 2013, gave much of the credit for keeping her going to new coach Jorje Parada of Spain.

“I have to thank my family and friends and coach (Jorje Parada) for keeping pushing me through the good and bad times. They really inspired me and believed in me no matter what. And here I am sitting here with the trophy,” said Nordqvist.

Catriona Matthew of Scotland shot a second straight 65 to finish third on 277. Michelle Wie, who was tied second after three rounds, shot three birdies plus an eagle on the 10th against two bogeys for a final-round 69 and fourth place another shot back.

Former champion Tseng Yani, with a 68, was joint fifth along with the American trio of Gerina Piller, Stacy Lewis, Lexi Thompson and Paraguayan Julieta Granada, who all finished on 279.

CHONBURI, Thailand – Swede Anna Nordqvist shot a 5-under 67 at the LPGA Thailand on Saturday for a 4-stroke lead over top-ranked Inbee Park and Michelle Wie.

The 27th-ranked Nordqvist sprinkled her third round at the Siam Country Club with four birdies and an eagle on the 10th against a bogey on No. 5.

Leading since the first round, the 26-year-old Nordqvist has an overall 11-under 205. She is chasing her first win on the U.S. LPGA Tour since 2009.

Park shot 67 and Wie 69.

“I think the great players out there, Inbee, Stacy (Lewis), they’ve been up there so many times, so they look pretty comfortable out there,” Nordqvist said. “For me, it’s a matter of keep putting myself in those positions and the win will happen eventually.”

Defending champion Park, playing her first tournament of the season, birdied the opening two holes and Nos. 10-13, with a lone bogey on the eighth.

“I hit a lot of great irons shots out there today, I think I still left four birdies out there,” the four-time Major champion said.

The 2010 runner-up Wie had an error-free round.

“Couple hard pins, couple easy pins. Didn’t really take advantage of the par 5s like I wanted to, but I can’t really complain about it. Hopefully tomorrow I’ll just have a lot more birdies,” Wie said. “I really want that win, but I’m not going to put the added pressure on myself.”

Paraguay’s Julieta Granada (71) was a further stroke behind in fourth.

Tseng Yani of Taiwan, winner here in 2011 and `12, carded a 6-under 66 for an overall 5-under 211 and a share of fifth with Americans Cristie Kerr (68) and Lexi Thompson (69) as well as New Zealand teen prodigy Lydia Ko (69).

CHONBURI, Thailand – Despite two late bogeys, Anna Nordqvist of Sweden shot even-par 72 to cling to the lead at the LPGA Thailand after a rainy second round on Friday.

Nordqvist, chasing her first win on the U.S. LPGA Tour since 2009, bogeyed the 16th and 18th holes to settle on 6-under 138, one stroke in front of Paraguay’s Julieta Granada (68), Spain’s Azahara Munoz (68) and Germany’s Sandra Gal (70), who all have one career win.

A further shot behind were Americans Stacy Lewis (69) and Michelle Wie (73) on 4 under.

World No. 1 and defending champion Inbee Park and No. 2 Suzann Pettersen were four shots off the pace in a field including all of the top 10.

While rain dampened Siam Country Club, it wasn’t enough for organizers to suspend play. But only 22 players were under par after two rounds.

Nordqvist was at 8 under until her late stumbles, and wasn’t too fussed.

“I hit it good yesterday and kept hitting it really good on the first nine today,” she said. “Then there were some tougher pins in the back, but I just tried to be aggressive and give myself chances for birdie. Felt like I did, but just couldn’t make them.

“I’m excited. This is a position I’ve been practicing to be in. Hopefully, I can make a couple of more putts over the weekend and that should take care of it.”

Granada enjoyed a bogey-free round with four birdies.

“I holed out twice with lob shots, so that was nice. It was very welcome,” Granada said.

Munoz birdied the 18th, and Gal sank three birdies, all on the front nine when it rained the most.

Lewis was up and down more than most, offsetting four bogeys with seven birdies. She was par for the tournament after six holes, turned at 2 under and birdied the last to be 4 under with Wie. Wie bogeyed three holes on her front nine then had three birdies to return to 5 under, until she bogeyed the 17th.

PATTAYA, Thailand – Former LPGA Championship winner Anna Nordqvist of Sweden fired an opening-round 66 to grab a one-stroke lead over American Michelle Wie in the US$1.5 million LPGA Thailand at the Siam Country Club Pattaya Old Course on Thursday.

Playing under overcast skies, the 26-year-old who is based in Florida hit six birdies, two bogeys and an eagle on the 15th to take a solo lead at 6 under par in the 70-player tournament.

“I started with three birdies, so obviously got some momentum off the start,” Nordqvist said.

“On 15 I had 59 yards to the pin, pitched a little bit past, and then spun in the hole. So that was pretty cool to make an eagle there.”

After barely registering a top-10 finish, late last year Nordqvist had to find a new coach, Jorje Parada of Spain, and changed equipment.

“It felt like at one point last year I was about ready to quit golf,” added the world No 27. “I just kind of lost the reason why I play golf, the fun of it. I have good people around me now. They have been really helping me to get that inspiration back.”

Wie fired six birdies, while bogeying the third, for a 67.

“I birdied all four of the par 5s today, which definitely helps on this golf course,” she said.

Three more Americans are a stroke further back on 68 – Lexi Thompson, Jennifer Johnson and Angela Stanford, whose round was aided by a hole in one on the par 3, 146-yard eighth hole.

World No 1 and defending champion Inbee Park of Sputh Korea hit a 71 to join a large group of players on one-under that also includes world No 3 Stacy Lewis, 2012 LPGA Championship winner Feng Shanshan of China and Australian Karrie Webb, who just claimed a home tournament in Victoria on Sunday.

CHONBURI, Thailand – Top-ranked Inbee Park thinks she can do better this year than last year.

Last year she won the first three majors and six titles overall, easily the best season of her eight-year pro golf career.

Raising her expectations is not about putting any extra pressure on herself, though.

“Every new season I think about doing better than last year,” Park said at the LPGA Thailand, where she makes her season debut on Thursday.

“That’s usually my goal. Obviously, it’s going to be very tough to beat last year’s record. I’m going to have tough weeks, but I think I’ll be fine just being a happier person and not thinking so much about results, and just thinking about what I can do, what I can control.”

She wasn’t in control a year ago when she won this tournament. It was handed to her when Thai teenager Ariya Jutanugarn, with a two-stroke advantage going onto the last hole, blew it with a triple bogey.

Park has prepared for the season with five weeks of training and  a holiday in Australia, where she did paddleboarding for the first time, swam with dolphins, and did touristy stuff like seeing kangaroos and koalas.

Meanwhile, others got a head-start, including No. 2-ranked Suzann Pettersen, No. 3 Stacy Lewis and No. 4 Lydia Ko. No. 5 So Yeon Ryu will also make her season debut this week.

The winners of the first two U.S. LPGA Tour events, Jessica Korda in the Bahamas and Karrie Webb at the Women’s Australian Open, are also entered.

Lewis has already finished second in the Bahamas and sixth in Australia.

“I’ve been right there in both tournaments,” Lewis said. “Just a few more putts at the end of the day and I’m right where I need to be. My game is really close to where I want it. I’m excited I’ve kept my top-10 streak going, which has been fun.”

No Canadians are entered in the field.

MELBOURNE, Australia – Karrie Webb won the Women’s Australian Open for the fifth time Sunday, shooting a 4-under 68 in the final round to beat Chella Choi by one stroke.

Webb birdied the 18th hole to take the outright lead, then watched as Choi, who shot a course-record 62 on Saturday to take a share of the third-round lead, pushed a 10-foot putt wide of the hole at 18 to miss the chance for a playoff.

Webb, who clinched her 40th LPGA title, finished at 12-under 276 overall. She previously won the Australian Open in 2000, 2002, 2007 and 2008.

“I got off to a great start and I just did a great job mentally today,” Webb said. “I can’t think of another time when I held myself together as well as that.”

The win marked a remarkable change of fortune for the No. 8-ranked Australian, who was disqualified from last week’s Australian Ladies Masters after signing an incorrect scorecard. She had been the defending champion at the event.

Webb started five shots off the lead Sunday, but made six birdies and only two bogeys as the other leading challengers struggled in a strong wind on the Victoria Golf Club course.

“I was happy to see the conditions were going to be a little tougher today,” Webb said. “I felt like that gave me a chance to make up some ground.”

Choi had played 14 holes and was at 11 under when Webb finished her round, leaving the Australian with an anxious wait to see whether her score would hold up. But the South Korean, who had two eagles and six birdies in her record-setting third round, couldn’t make a birdie on the back nine Sunday.

“When you’re on the course you feel like you have some control, but when you’re done you have no control and you just have to wait and see,” Webb said. “I actually thought once Chella had that putt on the last, I’ve played with her quite a bit and I was expecting that one to go in.”

Choi was trying to win her first LPGA title.

World No. 2 Suzann Pettersen of Norway faltered in her bid to take over the top ranking from South Korea’s Inbee Park. Pettersen, who started the day three shots off the pace in fourth place, needed to finish first or second to pass Park, but had three double bogeys in a final round 80 to drop back into a tie for 28th. Also tied for 28th at 2-under par was Rebecca Lee-Bentham of Toronto and Lorie Kane of Charlottetown.

Sixteen-year-old Lydia Ko of New Zealand, the world No. 4, was also unable to challenge Webb, struggling with her putt on the back nine and shooting a 73. She finished tied for third with American Paula Creamer (68) and Frenchwoman Karine Icher (71).

Seventeen-year-old Australian amateur Minjee Lee, the co-overnight leader, had seven bogeys and a double bogey in an error-filled final round of 78. She finished in a share of 11th place.

Sue Kim of Langley, B.C. finished at even-par, tied for 45th.

MELBOURNE, Australia – South Korea’s Chella Choi set a course record with a 10-under 62 and took a share of the lead after the third round of the Women’s Australian Open on Saturday.

A day after Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist broke the women’s course record with a 64 at the par-72 Victoria Golf Club, Choi eclipsed that mark with two eagles and seven birdies.

Choi, who started the day eight shots behind overnight leader Caroline Hedwall of Sweden, was tied for first with 17-year-old Australian amateur Minjee Lee at 13 under 203.

“It’s the first time I’ve ever had two eagles in a round,” Choi said. “I don’t know why I have 10 under today, it was just amazing.”

Lydia Ko of New Zealand was two shots back in third place after shooting a 69. Suzann Pettersen of Norway (72) was three shots back in fourth place.

The 23-year-old Choi had a birdie on her opening hole and then eagled the eighth and birdied the ninth for a 31 on the front nine. She had five birdies to go along with one bogey on the back nine and capped the round with another eagle on No. 18.

Lee, winner of the past two Australian amateur titles, made consecutive birdies on the 15th and 16th holes to shoot a 68. She is in contention for the second week in a row after finishing runner up last week at the Australian Ladies Masters at Royal Pines.

Hedwall faded on the back nine, carding five bogeys in seven holes to shoot a 74. She was in a group of eight golfers in fifth at 9-under 207.

Nordqvist also failed to follow up on her superb second-round score, carding a 75 to fall back to a tie for 31st.

Toronto’s Rebecca Lee-Bentham is tied for 16th at 7-under thanks to a bogey-free 5-under par 67 Saturday.

Charlottetown’s Lorie Kane (69) is tied for 31st at 5-under par, while Langley, B.C.’s Sue Kim (72) is tied for 48th at 2-under par.