RANCHO MIRAGE – Stacy Lewis conquered her nerves and held off defending champion and world No 1 Tseng Yani Sunday to win the LPGA Kraft Nabisco Championship. Lewis made the first major of the year her first career LPGA victory, firing a three-under par 69 for a 13-under total of 275.
She erased an early two-stroke deficit, coming out ahead as she and Taiwan’s Tseng turned the final round into a virtual head-to-head match. Tseng, who owns three major titles and had already won four titles worldwide this year, carded a two-over par 74 at Mission Hills Country Club to finish three shots back on 278. Lewis virtually sealed the victory at 17, where she drained a par putt from the fringe to cheers from the gallery, then couldn’t watch as Tseng putted.
“I couldn’t believe I made it,” Lewis said. “I was just trying to control my emotions. “I’ve felt like I’m going to throw up all day. It’s awesome. I just couldn’t believe I made it (on the 17th hole). I thought I had a good shot from there, but I just tried to stay calm.” Lewis had four birdies before her only bogey of the day at 15 allowed Tseng to pull within one shot.
But Tseng then bogeyed the next two to fall back. Americans Katie Futcher, Angela Stanford and Morgan Pressel shared third way back on four-under 284. Futcher closed with a 69, Stanford a 73 and Pressel a 76. After sinking her final short putt on No. 18, Lewis and her family then took the traditional tournament winner’s leap into Poppie’s Pond, holding hands while jumping into the water.
Tseng finished with four bogeys Sunday, losing focus and at times disregarding suggestions from her caddie on how to play certain shots. It cost her as she failed in her attempt to win her fifth title this season. “I just didn’t play well,” Tseng said. “I probably was a bit thinking too much. Just needed to commit to the shot better and trust myself more, and it was just a tough day out there, being leading.”
Lewis made bogey on the 15th hole to allow Tseng to pull within one shot, but Tseng made bogey on the next two holes. Pressel birdied the fifth hole to move within two strokes of the leaders, but failed to get any closer.
