Inbee Park wins Kraft Nabisco Championship

RANCHO MIRAGE, California (AFP) –

Inbee Park high-fives with her caddie after taking the traditional jump into Poppy’s Pond following victory at the Kraft Nabisco Championship on April 7, 2013. Park claimed her fifth LPGA Tour title and second major championship with a closing round of three-under 69.

South Korea’s Inbee Park claimed her fifth LPGA Tour title and second major championship with a closing round of three-under 69 to win the Kraft Nabisco Championship by four strokes.

The 24-year-old Park, who also won the 2008 US Women’s Open, blitzed the rest of the field on Sunday as she opened with two straight birdies in a round that included a couple of 30-foot plus putts.

Park finished with a 15-under-par 273 total to easily beat runner-up So Yeon Ryu, who closed with a seven-under 65 in the first major championship of the season.

Park, who also won the 2008 US Women’s Open, earned her fourth tour title with a win in Thailand earlier this year.

On Sunday she and Ryu led a South Korean assault on the leaderboard at the Mission Hills Country Club as five of the top 12 finishers were from South Korea.

Sweden’s Caroline Hedwall (68) and Norway’s Suzann Pettersen (69) tied for third at nine-under, South Korea’s Haeji Kang (68) and Aussie Karrie Webb (72) finished tied for fifth at six-under and South Koreans Jiyai Shin (71) and Hee Young Park (71) highlighted a group of six tied for seventh at minus-five.

Park took a three-shot lead over American Lizette Salas into the final round and quickly increased the margin with birdies on the par-four No. 1 and the par-five second hole.

Park never let up, collecting four more birdies in her brilliant round.

International players dominated the leaderboard as there were no Americans in the top 12. Paula Creamer and Jennifer Johnson were the top US players finishing in a tie for 13th with four others.

Salas stumbled to a seven-over-par 79 to finish in a tie for 25th.