September, 2015 | Peter Stone Golf

Karrie Webb

A couple of weeks ago Karrie Webb declared that it is the 2016 Rio Olympics – and of representing Australia when golf returns to the Olympics – that drives her most these days with, of course, the added benefits flowing as a result, but in recent months she’s also been thinking of what lies ahead post Olympics.

Webb, now 38, certainly won’t be quitting playing, but the schedule might be cut back – “Golf is a sport you don’t necessarily have to say you’re going to retire, but my long term vision ends at the Olympics but it doesn’t mean I’ll end playing,”

Jessica Korda

Perhaps, in the light of the current drugs in sport controversy in which gambling and possible links with criminals is being investigated, it is inappropriate to recall a betting plunge I made just over 12 months ago at the Australian Ladies Masters at Royal Pines on the Golf Coast.

But, what the hell, and we’ll proceed with the usual warning that gambling can be addictive. Through more than 40 years of writing about golf, I’ve had the occasional flutter on tournaments with precious little success. Just petty cash really, but last year I lashed out. I invested $200 with the Queensland TAB to win just under $10,000 on 18-year-old American Jessica Korda.

Katherine Hull-Kirk

It was, perhaps, a daunting third shot off a barren lie in the vacant stretch of land adjacent to the left side of the 18^th hole at Royal Canberra for Katherine Hull on Sunday in the final round of the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open. The high carry over trees of 60 metres and she hit her sand wedge with perfection to just outside a metre.

The resultant birdie gave her a four under par 69 for a 72-hole tally of 11 and tied eighth, seven shots behind the champion Jiyai Shin, but she was the leading Australian against the formidable international challenge.