If ever two golfers were seemingly pre-ordained for greatness it was Karrie Webb and Adam Scott.

From the moment Webb emerged from the tiny town of Ayr in North Queensland to take her talents to the world there emerged a quiet determination and singular focus to be the best player on the planet.

When Scott – the son of PGA Professional Phil Scott – began dominating junior competitions with a swing to make any coach swoon, he too seemed destined for the greatest heights the game has to offer.

Scott’s pathway to No.1 in the world was slightly more circuitous than Webb’s but both are among a select group of Australian golfers to have won major championships and possessed status as the best player in the world.

Given they weren’t established until February 2006 Webb never reached the summit of the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings but at the turn of the century there was no question as to who was the No.1 female player in the world.

The only debate was whether Webb was in a richer vein of form at the time than Tiger Woods.

In a two-year period Webb racked up four majors among 10 LPGA Tour victories including successive US Women’s Open titles in 2000 and 2001 – not to mention back-to-back Australian Ladies Masters wins and victories at the 2000 and 2002 Women’s Australian Open.

Yet beyond her many accomplishments on the golf course Webb has become the No.1 cheerleader for the next generation of female talent coming out of Australia.

The Karrie Webb Scholarship Series not only provides playing opportunities for the best young talent in the country but opens the door to a select few to experience a major championship and spend time learning first-hand from Webb.

Hannah Green was one of those scholarship recipients so it was hardly surprising to see Webb rushing onto the 18th green at Hazeltine National to celebrate Green’s Women’s PGA Championship last year with more emotion than she showed in any of her own seven majors.

And when Adam Scott won the 2013 Masters at Augusta National a photograph of Webb jumping up and down in her living room went viral.

Like his fellow Queenslander, Adam Scott has invested considerable time and money into helping others.

The Adam Scott Foundation was established in 2005 to help provide educational opportunities to young people who are less fortunate while his generous nature came to the fore during his extended stay on the Sunshine Coast this year.

He reached out to long-time friends to help at their respective golf clubs, spent time with juniors and pushed an initiative encouraging golf clubs throughout Australia to offer $5 golf for juniors, promising to promote those clubs who took it up.

Their playing records stand among the best we have ever seen yet perhaps it will be their respective legacies that will have the most long-lasting impact on Australian golf.

Karrie Webb
Career wins: 57
Major wins: 7 (1999 du Maurier Classic, 2000 Nabisco Championship, US Women’s Open, 2001 McDonald’s LPGA Championship, US Women’s Open, 2002 Weetabix Women’s British Open, 2006 Kraft Nabisco Championship)
LPGA Tour wins: 41
Women’s Australian Open: Won (2000, 2002, 2007, 2008, 2014)
Australian Ladies Masters: Won (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2013)
Round 1 def. Eric Cremin
Round 2 def. Peter Senior
Round 3 def. Geoff Ogilvy

Adam Scott
Career wins: 31
Major wins: 1 (2013 Masters)
PGA TOUR wins: 14
Australasian Tour wins: 6
Australian PGA: Won (2013, 2019)
Australian Open: Won (2009)
Round 1 def. Jarrod Lyle
Round 2 def. Norman von Nida
Round 3 def. Rod Pampling