Morgan Pressel birdied the final hole on Sunday in the inaugural Kapalua LPGA Classic for her first victory of the season.
Pressel closed with a 3-under 69 to edge Norway's Suzann Pettersen (69) by a stroke. Pressel finished at 8-under 280 and earned US$225,000 for her second career win.
The 20-year-old Pressel birdied two of her final four holes and made a clutch 15-foot putt from the fringe near the front of the green to secure the victory. She won the Kraft Nabisco Championship last year to become the youngest player in tour history to win a major. Pettersen tied for second in that event in California after faltering down the stretch.
Laura Diaz (70) finished third at 6 under. Angela Stanford (70), Sun Young-yoo (72) tied for fourth at 4 under, a stroke ahead of Stacy Lewis, who closed with a course-record 66, and Karin Koch (74).
Pressel shook her fist after draining a 7-foot birdie putt on the par-4 16th to catch Pettersen, who had birdied 18 and was already in the clubhouse and waiting for a possible playoff.
Pressel also got up-and-down from the bunker to save par on the par-3 17th. She had a long eagle attempt on the 454-yard, par-5 15th, but three-putted for par.
The 27-year-old Pettersen had a costly bogey on that hole, which was the easiest of the tournament and one that she birdied the two previous days. She ran into trouble hitting into the greenside bunker and then three-putting.
With several players jostling for the outright lead, Pettersen emerged from the pack by birdieing four of five holes just before the turn to reach 8 under and open a three-stroke lead over Pressel, Sun and Lee Young-jee.
Cristie Kerr (73) tied for eighth with a group that included former Duke star Brittany Lang (75), one of four leaders after the third round.
Top-ranked Lorena Ochoa (71) tied for 14th at 1 under. Annika Sorenstam closed with a 72 and tied for 25th at 2 over. She played solidly the last three days but couldn't overcome her opening round 77. She smiled and waved to the roaring gallery as she tapped in for birdie on the final hole after missing a 15-foot eagle putt.
In Los Angeles, PGA rookie Marc Turnesa held his nerve to claim his first tour victory at the Las Vegas Open on Sunday. Turnesa finished on 25 under par after producing a final round of 68 to win by one shot from Matt Kuchar.
Chad Campbell, John Mallinger and Michael Allen tied for third place, three shots behind Turnesa who made six birdies and two bogeys, one when he was playing safe with a two-shot lead on the 18th.
The victory gives Turnesa a two-year exemption from needing to qualify for the tour.
Elsewhere, Alvaro Quiros held off a chasing pack that included Order of Merit leader Robert Karlsson of Sweden to win the Portugal Masters by three shots on Sunday. The Spaniard shot a 4-under 68 to total 19-under 269.
(Agencies via Shanghai Daily October 21, 2008)