(4 April 2011 – Rancho Mirage, California)
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Stacy Lewis held off defending champion Yani Tseng to win the Kraft Nabisco Championship by three strokes Sunday, her first major and indeed her first LPGA Tour title. Lewis shot a 3-under par 69 to finish at 13-under par for the tournament. In a distant tie for third nine shots behind Lewis were three American’s: Katie Futcher, Morgan Pressel and Angela Stanford.
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Lewis fought through a tense back nine in strong gusty winds at Mission Hills with an improbable 20-foot par putt from the fringe on the 17th hole, triggering a raucous celebration from the US gallery.
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Tseng shot a 74 with four bogeys, losing focus in her quest for her fourth major. Lewis bogeyed the 15th hole to allow Tseng to pull within one stroke, but Tseng bogeyed the next two holes to fall out of contention.
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“I can’t even believe it,” said Lewis, who overcame scoliosis to become an elite golfer. “I’ve felt like I’m going to throw up all day. It’s awesome.”
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Lewis’ putt on the 17th finally broke the back of Tseng, with Lewis raising her fist in celebration. The 26-year-old from Texas then stood staring at the green, hands on her knees in exhaustion, while Tseng missed an 18-foot par putt that essentially clinched it.
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After sinking her final 3-foot putt on the 18th, Lewis raised her arms in disbelief before hugging Tseng and her caddie, and several players quickly doused her with beer in the LPGA tradition for a Rolex first-time winner. Lewis and her family then took the Kraft Nabisco’s traditional winner’s leap into Poppie’s Pond, holding hands while running in to the water.
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Lewis led going into the final round of the 2008 U.S. Women’s Open, finishing third in her first professional tournament. She has established herself as a player to be reckoned with in the 2½ years since, but still hadn’t clinched a victory. After honing her swing and refining her approach over the past year, she came into the season with high expectations. After blowing a second-round lead against Tseng in the ANZ RACV Ladies Masters Masters seven weeks ago, Lewis was by far the cooler on the final day at Mission Hills.
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Lewis shared the first-round lead roommate Brittany Lincicome and opened a three-stroke lead after two rounds. Tseng blew past her playing partner on Saturday with a bogey-free 66 when temperatures finally cooled down. Lewis battled for a third-round of 71 to stay in the mix.
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A night off clearly refreshed Lewis, who came out in the final round with all the aggression and confidence she lacked as the leader on Saturday. She birdied the second and third holes, and Tseng’s bogey on the fourth hole allowed Lewis to pull even. From there it was a closely fought battle that see-sawed throughout the day.
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Tseng took the lead with a birdie putt on the eighth hole, but Lewis immediately pulled back ahead with a long birdie putt on the ninth before Tseng missed a short par putt. Lewis went two strokes up with a 12-foot par putt on the 12th, punctuated by a confident fist-bump with her caddy.
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Of the Australian contingent, Karrie Webb finished in a tie for 13th after a final round of 71, while Lindsey Wright (T52), Katherine Hull (69th) and Sarah-Jane Smith (T73) also made the cut.
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