Rookie Tseng wins LPGA Championship in playoff

By Larry Fine

HAVRE DE GRACE, Maryland (Reuters) - Tour rookie Tseng Yani of Taiwan birdied the fourth hole of a sudden-death playoff against Sweden's Maria Hjorth to win the LPGA Championship on Sunday for her first major title.

The 19-year-old Tseng rolled in a five-foot putt at the 18th green to clinch victory and become the second-youngest woman to win a major championship. American Morgan Pressel was 18 when she won last year's Kraft Nabisco.

"I was very nervous," Tseng told reporters. "It was my first LPGA playoff. I told myself, it is just like in the amateurs -- relax."

The victory, which was also her first on the LPGA Tour, was worth $300,000 to Tseng.

She posted a four-under-par 68 in the final round to tie 34-year-old Hjorth (71) at 12-under 276 and force the playoff.

Tseng charged up the leaderboard with four birdies on the front nine to grab a share of the lead but was briefly overtaken by Hjorth.

Hjorth, who had six top-10s in majors but never a victory, looked destined to win after her second shot at the par-five 15th splashed into the creek in front of the green but rebounded off a rock and ran safely to the fringe setting up a birdie.

She holed a delicate chip at the 16th for another birdie that lifted her ahead of Tseng before she missed a three-foot par putt and made bogey at the par-three 17th to fall back.

The Swede could have clinched her first title at the 72nd hole but missed a 15-foot birdie putt.

The playoff began at the 18th and then went to 16 and 17 before ending at the 18th green. The long-hitting Swede had putts of 16 feet and 12 feet to win on the first two playoff holes but settled for par.

"I had four very good chances to make birdies but none of the putts would go in," she said. "Congratulations to Yani."

Mexico's Lorena Ochoa (71) and Sweden's Annika Sorenstam (71) were tied for third at 277. Another shot back was American Laura Diaz at 10-under-par 278.

Ochoa had been trying to win her third major in a row. "I am not ashamed. I'm proud of my finish," said Ochoa, whose eagle attempt on the par-four 16th hole rolled over the cup.

Sorenstam, a three-times winner of the event, was playing her last LPGA Championship after earlier announcing she would retire at the end of the year. She missed a 12-footer for birdie at 18 to join the playoff.

"I made a lot of great shots, especially my iron shots," said the 37-year-old Swede. "I just didn't convert today."

(Editing by Greg Stutchbury)