Kraft Nabisco crowns a new champion
Lexi Thompson left Michelle Wie behind – off the tee and on the leaderboard in the Kraft Nabisco Championship on Sunday.
The 19-year-old Thompson closed with a bogey-free 4-under 68 at Mission Hills for a three-stroke victory over Wie. Thompson birdied four of the first nine holes to open a five-stroke lead and parred the final nine.
Wie birdied the final hole for a 71. She used her driver only four times, choosing to hit fairway-metal stingers on the other 10 driving holes – leaving her as much as 60 yards behind Thompson.
Thompson finished at 14-under 274 for her first major title and fourth LPGA Tour victory. She had only one bogey – when she missed a 3-footer on the par-5 18th Saturday – in her last 55 holes.