Lincicome wins Kraft Nabisco crown

RANCHO MIRAGE, California (AFP) — Brittany Lincicome eagled the 72nd hole on Sunday win the Kraft Nabisco Championship, capturing the first major title of her career.

A stunning shot to within four feet on the par-five 18th at Mission Hills set up the eagle for the American, who erased a one-shot deficit to beat playing partners Kristy McPherson and Cristie Kerr.

Lincicome carded a final-round 69 for a nine-under total of 279 and the victory in the first women's major of 2009.

"I can't even describe it. It's surreal," Lincicome said. "If I had to make anything further than that, my hands were shaking so bad, I was almost crying."

Kerr, a former US Women's Open champion, closed with a 71 and McPherson posted a 72 to finish on 280.

Down by one at the 18th tee, Lincicome belted a drive that left her 210 yards to the pin.

She hit a hybrid wedge that curled back within four feet of the hole.

"Huge shot on 18," Lincicome said. "My hands are shaking and my heart is racing. I'm trying to calm myself down by breathing or singing or whatever I can possibly do, and right when I hit it, it came off on the clubface exactly where we wanted to hit it and took the slope like I wanted it to and came really close, thank God."

McPherson, seeking her first LPGA Tour victory, led by one after 17 holes and couldn't convert a 25-footer for birdie at the last.

"Going down 18, I told my caddie, 'Tees are up, we have got to make birdie,' because Brittany is one of the few people that can hit a club in there that's going to stop where it did, and so we were just - it was a very awkward yardage," McPherson said.

"It was either a baby pitching wedge or bust a gap wedge. ... I was counting on a big kick to stride to get it close. Wanted to make the putt to take it to extra holes."

Kerr, who also was a stroke back at the 18th tee, drained her birdie putt from the fringe to put the pressure on Lincicome.

"I gave it everything I had," said Kerr, whose approach slid past the hole. "I made the putt, because a four-footer to win the tournament for eagle is a little shaky, but she got a read off me, too."

McPherson went into the round with a one-stroke lead, and had a near hole-in-one at the par-three 17th, where her tee shot bounced off the flagstick.

She missed a short birdie putt, but neither Lincicome nor Kerr could make their birdie attempts.

Australian Lindsey Wright closed with a 70 to finish in sole possession of fourth place on 282 while Norway's Suzann Pettersen (66) and Meaghan Francella (69) tied for fifth.

Defending champion Lorena Ochoa of Mexico finished eight adrift on 287, chipping in for eagle at the last to complete a 69.

The harder the wind blows, the simpler the strategy, Kerr said. “You just try and survive,” she said. “Your golf swing doesn’t matter. Putting doesn’t matter. You’ve just got to play the conditions.”

Among the late-afternoon casualties was Michelle Wie, the 19-year-old fan favorite. After opening with a 71, she struggled to an 81 and was fortunate to survive the cut, making it with no strokes to spare.

Brittany Lincicome, the first-round leader, considered herself lucky to escape with a 74, which left her in fourth, at four under for the tournament.

“In those conditions I felt like anything around par is pretty good,” Lincicome said. “That 74 felt like an under-par round.”