Tseng edges Pettersen for second major
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 in Rancho Mirage, Calif., 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 one 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.
PGA Tour
Anthony Kim parred the first hole of a playoff to win the Houston Open at Humble, Texas, and deny Vaughn Taylor a trip home to play in the Masters.
Kim, who missed a 6-foot par putt on the final hole of regulation, closed with a 2-under 70 to match Taylor (68) at 12-under 276 on Redstone’s Tournament Course. It was Kim’s third PGA Tour victory, and first since the AT&T National in July 2008.
It was a crushing loss for Taylor, who grew up in Augusta, Ga. The event was the last chance to qualify for the Masters, and Taylor gave himself a chance by making an 18-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole, then getting into a playoff when Kim made bogey.
They played No. 18 again in the playoff, and Kim hit his approach into 30 feet for a two-putt par. Taylor’s tee shot found a bunker, his approach went into a greenside bunker and he missed an 18-foot par putt.
Charl Schwartzel (67) and Graham DeLaet (68) tied for third at 11 under.
Alex Prugh (Ferris HS/University of Washington) shot a 71 and finished with a 5-under 283, good for a tie for 22nd place.