Karrie Webb headed home to Australia after making a shock withdrawal from the first round of the $US2.5 million ($A3.45 million) Evian Masters in France, the second richest tournament in women's golf.

The former world No.1's golf clubs failed to arrive in transit from London's Heathrow airport to Geneva, but she cited "personal and family problems" as the reason for her absence.

There is now a huge question mark hanging over her entry for next week's British Women's Open at Sunningdale near London, England, a title she has won three times.

It was Webb's win in the 1995 British Open at Woburn that launched her impressive career, while she won the title for a second time at Sunningdale in 1997. Her third win in the event - her sixth and most recent major - came at Turnberry in Scotland two years ago.

This season, Webb ended a ten month victory drought with a win in the Kellogg Keebler Classic in Illinois in June, but she has struggled to find the form that saw her dominate the women's game in the late 1990s.

At Evian, Sydney's Wendy Doolan was the leading Australian on 68, four shots behind British leader, Laura Davies, the reigning AAMI Women's Australian Open Champion.

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