RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. — Stacy Lewis held off defending champion Yani Tseng to win the Kraft Nabisco Championship by three strokes Sunday, earning her first LPGA Tour title in the year’s first major.
Lewis shot a 3-under-par 69 to finish at 13-under 275, rallying from a two-stroke deficit while going head-to-head with the world’s top-ranked player.
She punctuated her back nine at Mission Hills with a 20-foot par putt from the fringe on the 17th hole.
Tseng shot a 74 with four bogeys in her quest for her fifth title this year.
“I can’t even believe it,” Lewis said. “I’ve felt like I’m going to throw up all day. It’s awesome.”
Morgan Pressel, Katie Futcher and Angela Stanford finished nine strokes behind Lewis in a third-place tie.
Mickelson in form
HUMBLE, Texas — Phil Mickelson won the Houston Open to jump to No. 3 in the world heading into his Masters title defense this week.
Mickelson had rounds of 63 and 65 at Redstone to finish at 20-under 268, three strokes ahead of Chris Kirk (67) and Scott Verplank (68).
“It feels really good for me to have played well and gained some momentum,” Mickelson said. “I needed to have a week where I kind of put it together.”
Lehman wins second of 2011
SAUCIER, Miss. — Tom Lehman won the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic for his second Champions Tour victory of the season, closing with a 3-under 69 for a four-stroke win.
Lehman finished at 16-under 200 at Fallen Oak. Nick Price (67), David Frost (69) and Jeff Sluman (72) tied for second.
The Associated Press
