Park rolls to Kraft Nabisco crown
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. -- Inbee Park shot a final-round 69 Sunday and won her second major championship, capturing the Kraft Nabisco Championship by four shots over So Yeon Ryu.
Park's four-round total of 15-under-par 273 earned her $300,000 and moved her to second on the Rolex World Rankings. The South Korean, who won the 2008 U.S. Women's Open at age 19, ran away with the final round, extending her three-shot lead to seven after two holes.
After South Korea's Ryu, Sweden's Caroline Hedwall and Norway's Suzann Pettersen tied for third at 279.
Holding a lead in a tournament has not been a strong suit for Park. Coming into the Kraft's final round, she was only 1-for-5 after she'd been on top through 54 holes, her lone victory at the 2012 Evian Masters.
Keeping this lead never appeared to be in doubt.
Lizette Salas, who was in second place to begin the final round, wanted to put quick pressure on Park with a couple of early birdies, but her chances were effectively derailed when she double-bogeyed the first hole. Salas shot 77 and finished tied for 25th.
After watching Park stripe her opening drive down the middle of the fairway, a common sight in the final round, Salas hooked her tee shot that into the rough and only advanced it about 15 yards. Her third shot reached the front of the green, and her chip was 20 feet from the hole. Two putts later, Salas handed Park a three-shot swing.
Park's only mistake on the front nine was on No. 6, when her tee shot found the water. She hit her third shot to 18 feet and failed to make the par-saving putt.
On the back nine, Park made a bogey on No. 10, and for a moment it opened the door for Ryu, who shot the best round of the day, a 7-under 65.
Ryu was able to get to within four shots, but Park made birdies on Nos. 12 and 13 to build the lead back to six. Park bogeyed No. 17, and Ryu made a birdie on the final hole, but by then the champion was no longer in question.
NOTES: Two-time champion Karrie Webb shot an even-par 72, Sunday. Webb, who won the event in 2000 and 2006, finished tied for fifth at 282. ... Salas had a substantial cheering section and was definitely a crowd favorite. Her mother and father made the 100-mile drive from Azusa, Calif., and were joined by other family and friends, including USC women's golf coach Andrea Gaston ... Park became the third South Korean and second consecutive to win the season's first major. Sun Young Yoo won last year, and Grace Park won in 2004.
