ANALYSIS: JAPANESE STAR A. MIYAZATO LEADS OUR TOP 10 BEST PERFORMANCES AT EVIAN MASTERS

There were several top-notch performances during the $3.25 million Evian Masters, some standing out more than others at the picturesque event held in southeastern France.

Here are our Top 10 performances from this year's tournament:

1. AI MIYAZATO

68-68-67-70 - 273 (1)

Country: Japan

World ranking: 6th

Finally, it all came together when it counted most. Miyazato played near flawless golf for four rounds, hitting clutch shots at the most critical times over the weekend and fending off her foes when they were breathing down her neck. And for her efforts, the highly popular Japanese sports icon was rewarded with her first win of the season. Miyazato's win shouldn't have surprised anyone. She already had a victory under her belt at the Evian Masters, earning the 2009 title. Miyazato was also coming off an impressive U.S. Women's Open, where she battled her way to a share of sixth place. And now comes the Women's British Open, an event where Miyazato has had a ton of success during her illustrious career. She has finished no worse than 11th place in five of the last six WBOs, giving her the confidence and realistic goal of winning consecutive titles.

2. STACY LEWIS

69-67-69-70 - 275 (2)

Country: United States

World ranking: 11th

Twitter: @Stacy_Lewis

The American star put together another beautiful week of golf at the Evian Masters, taking second place at the highly competitive tournament in southeastern France. Lewis was in the hunt for the crown deep into the tournament, as she battled eventual winner Miyazato on the back nine for the tournament hardware. Lewis came up just a bit short, but should be pleased with her play and continued success this season heading into this week's Women's British Open. Lewis, who won her first major title at the Kraft Nabisco Championship earlier this season, now has six top-10 finishes in 12 starts and hopes to improve off her tie for 31st place at last year's Women's British Open.

3. I.K. KIM

74-68-64-70 - 276 (T3)

Country: South Korea

World ranking: 7th

There isn't a more consistent player on the tour this season than Kim. After a dismal 2-over-par 74 to open things Thursday at the Evian Masters, Kim clawed her way back with a 4-under 68 Friday and followed that up with a tournament-best 8-under 64 on Saturday to put her in contention. Kim's 64 was just one stroke off from tying the event's record low of 63, set by Helen Alfredsson during her 2008 tournament win. Kim is more than due to win her first title of the season and first major championship of her career. The South Korean star has seven Top 10s in 10 events and has finished no worse than 15th in stroke-play tournaments (she earned a share of 17th in the Sybase Match Play Championship). Kim took a share of third last year in the Women's British Open and looks to improve on that effort at Carnoustie.

4. ANGELA STANFORD

70-66-69-70 - 276 (T3)

Country: United States

World ranking: 18th

Twitter: @Angela_Stanford

Stanford continued her brilliant play this season, proving she is a contender week in, week out on the tour. The American standout finished in a tie for third following her fourth-place finish at the U.S. Women's Open at The Broadmoor in Colorado. Stanford, who used a 6-under 66 to get in the mix Friday at the Evian Masters, has six top-10 finishes this year already and is primed to pick up her first win of the season. A true model of consistency on the course, Stanford could pick her first title this week in Scotland.

5. SUZANN PETTERSEN

73-67-69-68 - 277 (T6)

Country: Norway

World ranking: 3rd

Twitter: @suzannpettersen

Talk about a week of high and extreme lows. Pettersen opened with a disappointing round of 73 at the Evian Masters, but that wasn't the hardest part of her tournament. The Norwegian star was emotionally sacked and devastated during the event following news of the terrorist attacks that led to the senseless murders/deaths of nearly 100 people - many of whom were children - in her native land. However, showing a true sense of focus, Pettersen carried her heavy heart back on the course with a stellar weekend to work her way into a tie for sixth place. Pettersen, ranked third in the Rolex world rankings, is one of our picks going into this week's British Open.

6. MORGAN PRESSEL

71-69-69-68 - 277 (T6)

Country: United States

World ranking: 12th

We aren't sure if there has been a more quiet top-10 finish on the tour this season than the one Pressel put together in France. The American star got better as the week went on, picking up a piece of sixth place and some major confidence heading into the Women's British Open. Pressel, who has five top-10s this year so far, will be a dangerous player this week at Carnoustie and could pick up her first win of the season. She always plays well at the majors, including a tie for third at the Kraft Nabisco Championship and runner-up effort at the Wegmans LPGA Championship. Keep an eye on Pressel this week as she pursues her second major title.

7. MIKA MIYAZATO

71-68-68-71 - 279 (T9)

Country: Japan

World ranking: 22nd

Twitter: @mikachin1010

Our pick to win the Evian Masters going into the tournament, Miyazato played consistently throughout the tournament to earn a share of ninth place in her fourth top-10 finish of the 2011 season. Miyazato bookended rounds of 71 around two sizzling 68s, keeping her in contention throughout the event. Miyazato is primed for a victory this season as she continues to impress with her steady play. Look for continued success from the "other" Miyazato in the second of the LPGA Tour campaign.

8. MIKI SAIKI

68-68-67-70 - 273 (1)

Country: Japan

World ranking: 21st

Miki who? Plenty of people were asking that question after Saiki stormed out of the gate with back-to-back 68s to take the lead going into the weekend action. Saiki might not be known in the United States, but she is widely regarded as one of the best in Asia. The standout is one of the top players on the Japan LPGA Tour and sits at 21st in the official Rolex world rankings.

9. ANNA NORDQVIST

77-68-69-67 - 281 (T17)

Country: Sweden

World ranking: 30th

Twitter: @ANordqvist

From flirting with missing the cut to dominating the course on the weekend, the feisty Swede arguably put together the comeback of this year's tournament. Nordqvist opened with a brutal, 5-over 77 to put her in a tie for 99th place, but she would rally to play the final 54 holes at 12 under to crack the top 20 and earn a share of 17th place. Nordqvist, one of our favorites at LPGA Tour Live, should ride that momentum into this week's Women's British Open and be one to watch. She broke into our weekly Top-20 player rankings and currently sits 30th in the latest Rolex world standings.

10. PAIGE MACKENZIE

71-72-70-69 - 282 (T21)

Country: United States

World ranking: 121st

Twitter: @Paige_Mackenzie

Mackenzie had one Hell of a week in France. The University of Washington product didn't even know if she would make the Evian Masters field prior to heading overseas, but that didn't stop her from putting up one of her best performances of the year. Mackenzie kept her own yardage book for the first time in ages and, needless to say, she want to think about doing the same thing at the Women's British Open. She fired a final-round 69, vaulting her earnings to $132,220 for the season. Mackenzie has five top-25 finishes in eight events in the 2011 campaign.

- Jeremy Pond, LPGA Tour Live

- Photos courtesy of Getty Images

POND: PREDICTION RECAP FROM EVIAN MASTERS

MIKA MIYAZATO

EVIAN MASTERS PREDICTED/ACTUAL ORDER OF FINISH:

Winner: Mika Miyazato ... Finish: Tied for 9th
Runner-up: Morgan Pressel ... Finish: Tied for 6th
Third: I.K. Kim ... Finish: Tied for 3rd
Fourth: Jiyai Shin ... Finish: Tied for 17th

Fifth: Cristie Kerr ... Finish: Tied for 21st

Next five finishers:

Sixth: Suzann Pettersen ... Finish: Tied for 6th

Seventh: Meena Lee ... Finish: Tied for 44th

Eighth: Yani Tseng ... Finish: Tied for 12th

Ninth: Song-Hee Kim ... Finish: Tied for 50th

Tenth: Ai Miyazato ... Finish: Champion

- Jeremy Pond, LPGA Tour Live
- Photo courtesy of Getty Images

POND: CHAMPION MIYAZATO HIGHLIGHTS STELLAR SHOWING FROM OUR TOP-10 TOURNEY SELECTIONS

AI MIYAZATO

Women of professional golf beware. Ai Miyazato is going to be tough to beat the remainder of the season.

The Japanese and world star played her best golf of the 2011 campaign this week, en route to her second Evian Masters crown over the past three years in picturesque southeastern France.

Miyazato paced our top-10 contenders in what turned out to be a superb showing from the group. Five finished ninth or better, including South Korean standout I.K. Kim earning a share of third place. American Morgan Pressel and Norway's Suzann Pettersen each took home a piece of sixth place.

Mika Miyazato, our pick to win the tournament, earned a tie for ninth place to close out another nice showing after her back-to-back, top-10 finishes at the U.S. Women's Open (fifth) and the Wegmans LPGA Championship (tied for eighth) at the previous two events.

South Korea's Hee Kyung Seo, runner-up at this year's U.S. Women's Open, was the lone player from our top-10 picks to miss the cut at the tournament.

Take a look at how the overall group fared this week at the Evian Masters:

AI MIYAZATO

Finish: Champion (-15, 273)

Scoring by rounds: 68-68-67-70
2010 Evian Masters finish: Tied for 19th (-5)

I.K. KIM

Finish: Tied for 3rd (-12, 276)

Scoring by rounds: 74-68-64-70
2010 Evian Masters finish: Tied for 43rd (Even)

MORGAN PRESSEL

Finish: Tied for 6th (-11, 277)
Scoring by rounds: 71-69-69-68
2010 Evian Masters finish: Tied for 2nd (-13)

SUZANN PETTERSEN

Finish: Tied for 6th (-11, 277)

Scoring by rounds: 73-67-69-68
2010 Evian Masters finish: Fifth (-12)

MIKA MIYAZATO

Finish: Tied for 9th (-10, 278)

Scoring by rounds: 71-68-68-71
2010 Evian Masters finish: Tied for 6th (-10)

YANI TSENG

Finish: Tied for 12th (-9, 279)

Scoring by rounds: 69-73-68-69
2010 Evian Masters finish: Tied for 11th (-7)

PAULA CREAMER

Finish: Tied for 14th (-8, 280)

Scoring by rounds: 70-67-72-71
2010 Evian Masters finish: Tied for 37th (-1)

JIYAI SHIN

Finish: Tied for 17th (-7, 281)

Scoring by rounds: 69-69-70-73
2010 Evian Masters finish: Champion (-14)

CRISTIE KERR

Finish: Tied for 21st (-6, 282)

Scoring by rounds: 73-73-71-73

2010 Evian Masters finish: Tied for 31st (-2)

HEE KYUNG SEO

Finish: Missed cut

Scoring by rounds: 73-75
2010 Evian Masters finish: Tied for 74th (+7)

- Jeremy Pond, LPGA Tour Live
- Photo courtesy of Getty Images

POND: SOUTH KOREAN STAR SEO HEADLINES OUR TEN BEST IN TOP-NOTCH EVIAN MASTERS FIELD

HEE KYUNG SEO

Here are the 10 players who should be in contention Sunday during the Evian Masters at Evian Masters Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, France:

HEE KYUNG SEO

* Last tournament: Tied for 1st (lost in playoff) at the U.S. Women's Open

* 2010 Evian Masters finish: Tied for 74th (+7)

PAULA CREAMER

* Last tournament: Tied for 15th at the U.S. Women's Open

* 2010 Evian Masters finish: Tied for 37th (-1)

JIYAI SHIN

* Last tournament: Tied for 10th at the U.S. Women's Open

* 2010 Evian Masters finish: Champion (-14)

SUZANN PETTERSEN

* Last tournament: Tied for 15th at the U.S. Women's Open

* 2010 Evian Masters finish: Fifth (-12)

AI MIYAZATO

* Last tournament: Tied for 6th at the U.S. Women's Open

* 2010 Evian Masters finish: Tied for 19th (-5)

CRISTIE KERR

* Last tournament: Third at the U.S. Women's Open

* 2010 Evian Masters finish: Tied for 31st (-2)

YANI TSENG

* Last tournament: Tied for 15th at the U.S. Women's Open

* 2010 Evian Masters finish: Tied for 11th (-7)

MIKA MIYAZATO

* Last tournament: Fifth at the U.S. Women's Open

* 2010 Evian Masters finish: Tied for 6th (-10)

I.K. KIM

* Last tournament: Tied for 10th at the U.S. Women's Open

* 2010 Evian Masters finish: Tied for 43rd (Even)

MORGAN PRESSEL

* Last tournament: Tied for 21st at the U.S. Women's Open

* 2010 Evian Masters finish: Tied for 2nd (-13)

- Jeremy Pond, LPGA Tour Live
- Photo courtesy of Getty Images

POND: PREDICTION RECAP FROM U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN

U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN PREDICTED/ACTUAL ORDER OF FINISH:

Winner: Morgan Pressel ... Finish: Tied for 21st

Runner-up: Yani Tseng ... Finish: Tied for 15th

Third: Jiyai Shin ... Finish: Tied for 10th

Fourth: Paula Creamer ... Finish: Tied for 15th

Fifth: Suzann Pettersen ... Finish: Tied for 15th

Next five finishers:

Sixth: Cristie Kerr ... Finish: Third

Seventh: Shanshan Feng ... Finish: Tied for 42nd

Eighth: I.K. Kim ... Finish: Tied for 10th

Ninth: Christina Kim ... Finish: Missed cut

Tenth: Inbee Park ... Finish:: Tied for 6th

- Jeremy Pond, LPGA Tour Live

POND: KERR SHINES WITH THIRD-PLACE FINISH, LEADING SOLID SHOWINGS FROM OUR TOP-10 PICKS

CRISTIE KERR

Coming so close to victory happens from time to time when it comes to the best players in women's golf.

But for Cristie Kerr, the American star and world's second-ranked player has seen this result play out way too often this season on the LPGA Tour.

Kerr finished alone in third place at this year's U.S. Women's Open, which concluded Monday at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo. For anyone else, this type of result would have been fantastic after what the field went through at the weather-plagued major championship. However, Kerr must be frustrated in what has become a season filled with "so close, yet so far away" finishes.

The two-time major champion has now wound up in the top four in seven of the past nine tournaments, including three second-place showings. She has yet to raise the tournament-winning hardware this season.

Former U.S. Women's Open champion Inbee Park picked up a share of sixth place after finishing in a tie for eighth in the 2010 edition. South Korean stars I.K. Kim and Jiyai Shin took home a piece of 10th place, while defending champion Paula Creamer, Yani Tseng and Suzann Pettersen were among a group of six players who shared 15th place.

Take a look at how the overall group fared throughout the tour's second major championship of the season:

CRISTIE KERR

Finish: Third (-1, 283)

Scoring by rounds: 71-72-69-71

2010 U.S. Women's Open finish: Tied for 17th (+9)

 

INBEE PARK

Finish: Tied for 6th (+2, 286)

Scoring by rounds: 71-73-70-72

2010 U.S. Women's Open finish: Tied for 8th (+5)

 

I.K. KIM

Finish: Tied for 10th (+4, 288)

Scoring by rounds: 70-69-76-73

2010 U.S. Women's Open finish: Tied for 4th (+2)

 

JIYAI SHIN

Finish: Tied for 10th (+4, 288)

Scoring by rounds: 73-72-73-70

2010 U.S. Women's Open finish: Tied for 5th (+3)

 

PAULA CREAMER

Finish: Tied for 15th (+6, 290)

Scoring by rounds: 72-70-73-75

2010 U.S. Women's Open finish: Champion (-3)

 

YANI TSENG

Finish: Tied for 15th (+6, 290)

Scoring by rounds: 73-73-71-73

2010 U.S. Women's Open finish: Tied for 10th (+6)

 

SUZANN PETTERSEN

Finish: Tied for 15th (+6, 290)

Scoring by rounds: 71-75-72-72

2010 U.S. Women's Open finish: Tied for 2nd (+1)

 

MORGAN PRESSEL

Finish: Tied for 21st (+7, 291)

Scoring by rounds: 75-72-71-73

2010 U.S. Women's Open finish: Tied for 34th (+14)

 

BRITTANY LINCICOME

Finish: Tied for 27th (+9, 293)

Scoring by rounds: 75-74-74-70

2010 U.S. Women's Open finish: Tied for 25th (+11)

 

NA YEON CHOI

Finish: Missed cut

Scoring by rounds: 78-74

2010 U.S. Women's Open finish: Tied for 2nd (+1)

- Photo courtesy of Getty Images

POND: PRESSEL READY TO END TSENG'S DOMINANCE, BRING HOME U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

MORGAN PRESSEL

U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH:

Winner: Morgan Pressel
Runner-up: Yani Tseng
Third: Jiyai Shin
Fourth: Paula Creamer
Fifth: Suzann Pettersen

Next five finishers:
Cristie Kerr
Shanshan Feng
I.K. Kim
Christina Kim
Inbee Park

* Photo courtesy of Getty Images

POND: DEFENDING CHAMPION CREAMER HIGHLIGHTS SPECTACULAR FIELD AT U.S WOMEN'S OPEN

PAULA CREAMER

Here are the 10 players who should be in contention Sunday during the 2011 U.S. Women's Open at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo., as they pursue the third major championship of the season:

PAULA CREAMER

* Last tournament: Tied for 3rd at the Wegmans LPGA Championship
* 2010 U.S. Women's Open finish: Champion (-3)

INBEE PARK

* Last tournament: Tied for 14th at the Wegmans LPGA Championship
* 2010 U.S. Women's Open finish: Tied for 8th (+5)

CRISTIE KERR

* Last tournament: Tied for 3rd at the Wegmans LPGA Championship
* 2010 U.S. Women's Open finish: Tied for 17th (+9)

JIYAI SHIN

* Last tournament: Tied for 34th at the Wegmans LPGA Championship
* 2010 U.S. Women's Open finish: Tied for 5th (+3)

I.K. KIM

* Last tournament: Tied for 12th at the Wegmans LPGA Championship
* 2010 U.S. Women's Open finish: Tied for 4th (+2)

SUZANN PETTERSEN

* Last tournament: Tied for 3rd at the Wegmans LPGA Championship
* 2010 U.S. Women's Open finish: Tied for 2nd (+1)

MORGAN PRESSEL

* Last tournament: Second at the Wegmans LPGA Championship

* 2010 U.S. Women's Open finish: Tied 34th (+14)

YANI TSENG

* Last tournament: First at the Wegmans LPGA Championship
* 2010 U.S. Women's Open finish: Tied for 10th (+6)

NA YEON CHOI

* Last tournament: Tied for 43rd at the Wegmans LPGA Championship
* 2010 U.S. Women's Open finish: Tied for 2nd (+1)

BRITTANY LINCICOME

* Last tournament: Tied for 20th at the Wegmans LPGA Championship
* 2010 U.S. Women's Open finish: Tied for 25th (+11)

* Photo courtesy of Getty Images

HAWAIIAN TEEN GALDIANO YOUNGEST IN OPEN FIELD

MARIEL GALDIANO

 

It wasn't so long ago that Mariel Galdiano would wait patiently behind the rope to politely request an autograph from her favorite LPGA golfers at tour stops near her home in Hawaii.

Now, just a couple of weeks past her 13th birthday, the rope has been lifted. Mariel is having a hard time believing that she has the opportunity to be on the other side of that rope, and that the players she admired — well, still admires — will be her peers, and that girls might even ask for her autograph. She's been practicing her signature, just in case.

Mariel will be the youngest golfer in the 66th U.S. Women's Open, which tees off Thursday at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs.

She qualified by winning a sectional qualifying tournament in May when she was 12 years old and finishing seventh grade. She will be one of the youngest golfers in the history of the tournament (LPGA star Morgan Pressel and Alexis Thompson, now 16, both played in the tournament at age 12), and the youngest ever from Hawaii — breaking the mark of 13 years, 9 months set by Michelle Wie.

"It still hasn't sunk in yet," Mariel said shortly after arriving in Colorado on Friday. "Maybe it will when everyone is staring at me."

Mariel qualified for the U.S. Women's Open when she sank a birdie putt on the final hole of the 36-hole qualifier to win that tournament by one stroke. She entered the qualifying tournament for the experience and never expected to win, yet that birdie putt set her off on a wild summer adventure.

A week after her school year ended, Mariel packed her large red suitcase and flew to the U.S. mainland with her father, Roger. Over the course of eight weeks, they will crisscross the country as Mariel plays in five tournaments, from Oregon to Rhode Island.

All this only eight years after Roger Galdiano first bought his daughter a set of golf clubs, so a 5-year-old Mariel could accompany him on his daily trips to the course and driving range.

It wasn't long before Mariel advanced from what she described as "just hacking away" to participating in the junior golf program at Ko Olina, the club in Hawaii that hosted the LPGA's Fields Open from 2006-08.

Mariel was competitive on the junior circuit and won her share of tournaments against girls her own age.

Roger, a construction foreman, quit playing the game himself so he could focus on his daughter's burgeoning career. Mariel had a coach several years ago, but now Roger handles the coaching and caddying duties as he and his wife, Marivic, dream of Mariel earning a college scholarship to play golf.

"For us, it was either golf all the way or no golf," Roger Galdiano said.

Still, for Mariel, golf is just plain fun. While she enjoys shopping and watching movies with her friends, nothing beats an afternoon on the course.

She seems more excited to meet some of her favorite players — such as Paula Creamer and Annika Sorenstam, who will conduct a clinic at The Broadmoor on Wednesday — than she is nervous about actually playing in the biggest tournament in women's golf.

"I don't really expect to make the cut. This is about playing with pros and really just learning how they play," Mariel said. "And I can never forget to have fun. That's pretty much what this whole summer is about. Who knows when I'll ever qualify for this again?"

Pressel, now 23 and the owner of one major title, would likely agree with that mind-set.

"My advice to her would be to just have fun. When I played (in the U.S. Women's Open at age 12 in 2001), it really solidified my decision that this is what I wanted to do with the rest of my life," Pressel told The Denver Post at a tournament in Illinois last month. "I remember Karrie Webb winning, and seeing Annika and all these great players that I looked up to forever. To play against them, on the same golf course, the same week, it was pretty special. I just hung out in the locker room. I thought it was the coolest place to be, because the players were all people I looked up to."

- Story courtesy of the Denver Post

TSENG SETS RECORD EN ROUTE TO MAJOR CROWN

YANI TSENG

PITTSFORD, N.Y. - Yani Tseng wasn't satisfied with merely winning the LPGA Championship and, at 22, becoming the youngest to win four LPGA majors.

Once she made the turn with a 10-stroke lead Sunday, the best female player in the world set her sights on making a little more history.

"I was like, what's a new goal for me?" Tseng said. "And that's why I told myself I wanted to set a record, to make 20 under."

She missed by one stroke in what was the only minor blemish in one of the most dominating performances to date from Tseng.

In closing with a 6-under 66 to finish at 19-under 269 at Locust Hill Country Club, Tseng matched the LPGA record low at a major, most recently by Cristie Kerr a year ago when she shot the same score to win the tournament by 12 strokes. Dottie Pepper (1999 Kraft Nabisco) and Karen Stupples (2004 Women's British Open) also finished at 19 under.

There is one mark Tseng can claim as her own by bettering Se Ri Pak, who was 24 when she won her fourth major. By comparison, Tiger Woods didn't win his fourth until he was 24. And Tseng's well ahead of her idol, Annika Sorenstam, who was 24 when she won the first of her 10 majors - the 1995 U.S. Women's Open.

"It's very special," Tseng said. "Now I'm thinking about a grand slam."

It's one step at a time for the top-ranked Tseng, who won her second LPGA Championship and has won three of the tour's last six majors. The only major she's missing is the U.S. Women's Open title, which she'll have an opportunity to complete her career slam in two weeks at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Morgan Pressel (71) finished second. Kerr (69), Suzann Pettersen (67) and Paula Creamer (69) tied for third at 8 under.

"Pretty unbelievable," said Kerr, who rallied late with a birdie on No. 16 and an eagle on 17. "Yani's doing what I did last year. Obviously, it's hard to beat. I'm not surprised. Yani's a great player."

Pressel initially thought she'd have an outside chance to catch Tseng before the final round began. Pressel dropped that hope once she dropped a shot with a bogey on No. 2.

"It's definitely a dominating performance," Pressel said. "She didn't make many mistakes out there."

Tseng didn't, in claiming $375,000 at the $2.5 million event. Wearing a smile for much of the day, Tseng raised her arms and tipped her hat as she was greeted by the gallery upon arriving at the 18th green.

After a bogey on No. 1, which she chalked up to nerves, Tseng reeled off five birdies on her next seven holes to run away from the field. Tseng added three more birdies on the back nine, while bogeying 13, and had a chance to get to 20, before missing a 12-foot birdie putt on No. 18.

"The birdie on No. 2, it felt like a turning point for me because I bogeyed the first hole," Tseng said. "It was huge for me."

Tseng went wire-to-wire as the tournament leader after opening with rounds of 66, 70 and 67. In holding one-shot leads after each of the first two rounds, Tseng began running away from the field on Saturday in building a five-shot edge.

Tseng finished with 27 birdies, six bogeys and a double bogey. She hit 38 of 56 fairways and 57 of 72 greens in regulation.

No one else was close. Tseng's playing partner, Cindy LaCrosse, unraveled. She was 5 over on Sunday to tumble into 14th.

Pettersen had the best round among those at the top of the leaderboard, getting to 9 under for the tournament before a bogey on No. 18.

"I think I started too late in this tournament," Pettersen said, while also acknowledging Tseng's performance. "You take her out of consideration and I think the rest of us were fighting for second and third."

For the star from Taiwan, it was her eighth career LPGA Tour victory, second in a row and third of the season. She has three other victories this year, sweeping the Australian Open and Masters and winning in Taiwan.

With four majors, she moved into a tie for 15th among women with four majors, joining a group of six others, including Laura Davies and Meg Mallon.

"She's only 22," Kerr said, noting she played with Tseng in South Korea about seven years ago. "We knew she was going to be good. I didn't know she would be this good. She is pretty dang good."

Tseng is good friends with Sorenstam, and even bought the retired star's home in Florida two years ago.

Sorenstam paid tribute, calling Tseng "The new face of the LPGA," in a phone interview with Golf Channel during the final round.

Tseng noted she received a text from Sorenstam earlier in the day.

"She texted me, 'Great playing. Bring the trophy home,'" Tseng said. "I was smiling, saying, `Yeah, I will."


- Story by The Associated Press/Photo courtesy of Getty Images

TSENG STRETCHES LEAD AT LPGA CHAMPIONSHIP

YANI TSENG

PITTSFORD, N.Y. - Yani Tseng extended her lead at the LPGA Championship on Saturday, putting the 22-year-old star a round away from winning her fourth major title.

The top-ranked Tseng shot a 5-under 67 to extend her lead to five strokes at 13-under 203 after the third round at Locust Hill Country Club outside Rochester.

American Morgan Pressel (70) and Cindy LaCrosse (69) were tied for second, and Hee Young Park (72) was seven shots behind Tseng. Defending champion Cristie Kerr matched Tseng with a third-round best 67 to join Stacy Lewis (70), Meena Lee (70) and Paula Creamer at 5 under.

Tseng, who turned 22 in January, was a round away from becoming the youngest to win four major golf tournaments. She also won LPGA Championship during her rookie-of-the-year season in 2008, when the event was played at Bulle Rock in Maryland, and took the Kraft Nabisco and Women's British Open last year.

Tiger Woods and Se Ri Pak were 24 when they won their fourth majors.

Tseng has seven career LPGA Tour wins, and has already won twice this year, including the State Farm Classic two weeks ago. She also has three international victories this year, sweeping the Women's Australian Open and Australian Ladies Masters.

She also finished second at the Kraft Nabisco Championship in April, losing to Lewis after taking a two-shot lead into the final round. It was a tournament in which Tseng might have jinxed herself by grabbing the championship trophy as she stepped to the first tee upon opening the final round.

Acknowledging that she's learned her lesson, Tseng joked that she has no intention of coming anywhere near the LPGA trophy before the final round is over Sunday.

There was little she did wrong Saturday, in a round played under overcast conditions for much of the afternoon. Intermittent rain over the past couple days softened the greens, but the wind picked up in the afternoon making it difficult to navigate the tight fairways and reach the small greens.

A day after she twice missed from within 3 feet, including an 18-incher for bogey on No. 18, Tseng was more consistent with her putting.

On Saturday, she sank a 6-foot putt for birdie on No. 9, and then scrambled to save par with a pair of 4-footers on Nos. 10 and 11. Then came a 7-foot birdie putt on the par-4 12th and a 14-footer on No. 13 to go to 12 under for the tournament, and extend her lead by five shots at that time.

Her only real miscue was an errant tee-shot into the left rough on No. 14 that led to a bogey 5. Tseng responded on the next hole, with a 4-foot putt for birdie. She also birdied Nos. 2 and 15 and 17.
No one else could make up any ground.

LaCrosse scrambled to shoot 3 under in a round that featured six birdies and three bogeys. In her second year on tour, her best career finish was a tie for 11th at the Shop Rite Classic three weeks ago.

At Louisville, she was a two-time Big East champion. And she also won three times on the Futures Tour.

"My game plan's kind of the same. I'm still trying to hit the fairways and greens," said LaCrosse, who will be paired with Tseng in the final round. "You never know what (Tseng) is going to do. She's an amazing player. I just kind of have to focus on what I'm going to do."

Pressel is still in the hunt in seeking her third career win and first since 2008.

Kerr appeared to finally shake off the flu bug that was bothering her this week.

Making the turn at 1 under on Saturday, she birdied four of her final nine holes, including 17 and 18.

"I scrambled my rear off," Kerr said of her first nine, which included 15-foot par-saving putt on the par-3 fifth hole. "I'm just proud of myself for the way I hung in there today and gave myself a chance to shoot a good score to get back in it."

Kerr isn't counting herself out after she ran away with the tournament last year in finishing with a 19-under 269 to win by a whopping 12 strokes.

"I think I will be within striking distance, but I would have to put up another round like this tomorrow," she said. "If I can hit a lot of greens, then I'll have a chance."

Pat Hurst, who opened the day in second, shot a 75 to drop into a tie for ninth.

- Story by The Associated Press/Photo courtesy of Getty Images

TSENG CLINGS TO LEAD AT LPGA CHAMPIONSHIP

YANI TSENG

PITTSFORD, N.Y. - After seeing her lead disappear in the morning session, Yani Tseng fought her way back into a place where she's been plenty comfortable this year.

The top-ranked Tseng overcame a double bogey on her ninth hole to shoot a 2-under 70 on Friday for a one-stroke lead over Pat Hurst after the second round of the LPGA Championship, the tour's second major of the year.

Hurst had a 67. Morgan Pressel, Minea Blomqvist, and Hee Young Park were 6 under after 69s.

Battling a torrential downpour then a steady drizzle for nearly half her first nine holes, Tseng followed her first-round-best 66 with a gritty performance that put her at 8 under overall. She won the LPGA State Farm Classic two weeks ago for her second LPGA Tour victory of the year, and could become the first player since Lorena Ochoa in 2008 to follow a regular tournament victory with a win in a major.

"I feel a little bit disappointed in my round, but I hung in there," Tseng said. "I missed some short putts, and that's very disappointing. But I still have the lead, and I'm still very excited."

Hurst played in the morning before the heavy rain hit Locust Hill Country Club, and took a one-stroke lead before Tseng teed off on the back nine in the early afternoon.

Tseng shook off the inclement weather by reeling off three straight birdies to open a two-stoke edge over Hurst, but Tseng's game suddenly soured at the par-4 18th after her drive went into the left rough and under a tree, forcing her to punch out.

A nifty approach shot that stopped about 3 feet from the hole left her with a chance to salvage a bogey, but her putt rimmed out, and left her looking at the hole in disbelief.

She promptly regained her focus and grabbed the lead with a birdie at No. 1.

"I told myself, 'I have to make birdie,'" she said. "I looked up to the sky, kept my head up, and was thinking positive."

Tseng fell back into a tie with Hurst and eventually Pressel after bogeying her 14th hole, but at No. 8 she made the last of her five birdies on the day to head into the weekend with a slim lead.

Unlike Tseng, Hurst gave plenty of credit to her play on the green. She made two long putts on the day, including a 40-footer on her 17th hole (No. 8) that gave her a brief two-stroke edge over Tseng.

"I feel like I've been hitting the ball really well...the bottom line is not making any putts," said Hurst, who hasn't won a tournament since 2009. "I'm just thinking about playing some good golf and making some putts."

Hurst also holed a chip shot from the light fringe on No. 15 after her approach shot went over the green.
"I would really be excited if it was Sunday," she joked. "I've gained a little bit of confidence out there and feeling good."

Pressel moved into a brief second-place tie with Hurst after she birdied the par-5 17th hole, but she then bogeyed 18 to fall back into third.

"I felt good out there and made a lot of good swings," she said. "I feel like I can keep the ball in play."

Defending champion Cristie Kerr shot her second straight 72 to make the cut. Michelle Wie also opened with consecutive 72s.

- Story by The Associated Press/Photo courtesy of Getty Images

TSENG SOARS TO LEAD AT LPGA CHAMPIONSHIP

YANI TSENG

PITTSFORD, N.Y. - Top-ranked Yani Tseng shot a 6-under 66 on Thursday to take a one-stroke lead over Paula Creamer in the first round of the LPGA Championship.

Meena Lee, Angela Stanford, Diana D'Alessio and Stacy Prammanasudh were 4 under, and Morgan Pressel, Stacy Lewis, Ryann O'Toole, Amy Hung, Hee Young Park, Jennifer Johnson and Maria Blomqvist were all at 3 under.

Defending champion Cristie Kerr, who was ailing with a light case of the flu, shot an even-par 72.

Play was halted in the early evening by a severe thunderstorm, but resumed at 7:39 p.m. EST with 58 players still on the course. Play was suspended until Friday at 9:12 p.m. EST, with six players still having not finished their opening rounds.

Tseng made five birdies on the front nine and three more on the back to go with a pair of bogeys. She recovered from a bad tee shot at the par-4 18th hole that landed in the thick right rough, hit her second shot to 4 feet, and drained the birdie putt for sole possession of the lead.

Tseng won the LPGA State Farm Classic on June 12 for her second victory of the year.

- The Associated Press

POND: KIM'S FAST START IN 2011 NO SURPRISE

Oh, what a difference a year can make. Just ask Mindy Kim.

After making just 13 cuts in 30 events over the past two years, Kim has turned the corner in a major way during the 2011 LPGA campaign. And now, the rising American star is poised to claim her first Tour victory this weekend at the LPGA State Farm Classic in Springfield, Ill., after a stellar opening 36 holes to the tournament.

Kim came out hot during Thursday's opening round, firing a career-best 8-under-64, which she followed up with a tidy 5-under 67 on Friday en route to a two-stroke lead entering weekend play. Not too shabby for a player who has never made a cut at this event.

This is unfamiliar territory for Kim, marking the first time she's held a lead after 36 holes in an LPGA event since turning professional in March 2007.

Obviously, Kim's sudden rise on the Tour has shocked many inside and outside the ropes. But for myself, this was a long time coming and something I expected sooner than this point.

I've been following Kim since the 2008 season when she racked up three wins on the Futures Tour and felt she'd make an immediate impact on the LPGA Tour sometime toward the end of the 2009 season-start of the 2010 campaign.

However, that never happened. Cuts were missed, opportunities were squandered and Kim was suddenly lost among the masses trying to find herself - and her game - going into this year's season.

“I wasn’t necessarily working that hard the last two years,” Kim told The Vancouver Sun following Friday's round. “I was kind of going through some personal issues, so wasn’t really into it. But this off-season I practiced really hard, worked hard, and I think I’m getting all the results now.”

That she is.

Kim already has three top-10s in six events this year, including last week's share of eighth place in the ShopRite LPGA Classic. And just as impressive, Kim has yet to miss a cut this year and has earned more than $142,000.

After watching her season-opening display in the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup, where she posted scores of 69-67-72 on her way to a sixth-place finish, it was easy to see this wasn't the same Kim we'd watched the past two seasons.

When she followed that up with a share of seventh place in the Kia Classic, I knew she was going to be a major contender this season.

What's great about Kim is she doesn't rely on one aspect of her game to pull her through on the course. Instead, she's a true model of consistency. Kim knows how to make her way around the course without finding any nightmarish trouble and, most importantly, knows how to score and capitalize on opportunities when they present themselves.

This week, Kim has been brilliant off the tee, hitting 25 of 28 fairways and 31 of 36 greens in regulation. But perhaps her most impressive statistic has been created with her putter. She's had just 53 putts through the first 36 holes of play.

"Honestly, in the past I just didn't practice in my offseason. I would just hang out with my friends, and I think I did a little too much of that," Kim told The Assocuated Press. "This offseason, I cut out a lot of time for golf. I spent a lot of time on the golf course preparing myself mentally with my new coach."

I predicted one of two players would win last week's LPGA ShopRite Classic in New Jersey, which can be found in my past postings on Twitter. The first? Kim, who finished tied for eighth. The second? Brittany Lincicome. Fortunately for Lincicome, not Kim, I was on the money as Lincicome captured the crown.

This week, I stuck with Kim and did it with all the confidence in the world. So much, that I didn't go with my standard second choice.

Bottom line, this is Kim's tournament to lose. Not to win. Kim is playing her best golf during a year where she's already been in the mix a handful of times in the late stages of tournaments. Her game, attitude and demeanor all signal victory this weekend, setting up the potential for that breakthrough moment in her career which could launch her to stardom.

WEEKEND PREDICTIONS
Winner: Mindy Kim
Top five: Mindy Kim, Yani Tseng, Jiyai Shin, Brittany Lincicome, Paula Creamer
Sleeper: Morgan Pressel