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Tseng Holds Off Pettersen

April 04, 2010
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Two of Yani Tseng's three LPGA victories have been majors.

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (AP) -- Yani Tseng eagled the second hole and pulled ahead of a star-studded field with a 4-under 68 to win the Kraft Nabisco Championship on Sunday for her second major title.

Tseng, of Taiwan, finished at 13-under 275 at Mission Hills to hold off Suzann Pettersen by one stroke. Two of Tseng's three LPGA Tour victories have been majors -- she won the 2008 LPGA Championship as a rookie, outlasting Maria Hjorth in a four-hole playoff.

Tseng started the day tied with Pettersen (69), one stroke behind Karen Stupples (78), but chipped in for eagle on the 521-yard, par-5 second. Stupples birdied No. 2, but Tseng took the lead with a birdie on the par-4 third that put her at 12 under.

After that, "I knew today's going to be my day," Tseng said.

"Yani got off to a flying start," said Pettersen, who won the 2007 LPGA Championship. "She played great today and she deserved to win."

Pettersen's eagle chip on 18 stopped just a few inches from the hole, and Tseng tapped in for par on the final hole to win the tournament. She then took the traditional plunge into Champion's Lake with several friends.

Tseng played even par on the back nine, yet no could catch her.

Pettersen had several chances to reel in her friend on the back nine with birdie chances on Nos. 13 through 16. The only birdie putt that fell in the stretch was at 16, leaving her two shots behind Tseng.

It was another agonizingly close finish for Pettersen in this tournament. She tied for second in 2007 and '08, and tied for fifth last year.

"Yeah, just collect them up," Pettersen said. "It's starting to feel like it owes me one very soon."

Second-round leader Song-Hee Kim of South Korea shot 70 for third place, four shots back. No. 1-ranked Lorena Ochoa, the 2008 winner, had her worst round of the tournament with a 73 and finished fourth, five shots back.

Stupples, the 2004 Women's British Open champion, finished in a tie for fifth after a rough final round that included three double bogeys.

She took a double-bogey 6 on No. 6 after hitting her approach shot into the water in front of the green, dropping her four back. She also had a double-bogey 6 on No. 15, and her third double bogey came on No. 18 after she hit her drive into the water.