Play-off joy for Pak

South Korea’s Se Ri Pak ended a two-year victory drought when she beat Australia’s Karrie Webb in a play-off to win the McDonald’s LPGA Championship at Bulle Rock in Maryland.

The pair had finished tied on eight under par 280, and Pak won with a spectacular birdie at the first extra hole, the 385-yard 18th, when she nearly holed out with her second shot.

Webb, who won the first major of the year at the Kraft Nabisco Championship in March, shot a final-round 68 to set the target, and Pak matched it with a 69 after three-putting the last for a bogey five.

But she redeemed herself on the same hole in the play-off with a wonderful second shot that pulled up just inches short of the hole.

Another South Korean, Mi Hyun Kim, and Japan’s Ai Miyazato tied for third place on seven under after respective closing rounds of 71 and 72.

Sixteen-year-old Michelle Wie had her sixth top-10 from 10 majors – with a closing 72 for six under 282 and a tie for fifth place.

Annika Sorenstam, who had a two-shot penalty for lifting a divot adjacent to her ball in a third-round 75, battled to a closing 68 and finished tied for ninth on five under 283.

It was a fifth career major for Pak, and a third LPGA Championship. She won the first as a rookie in 1998 and again in 2002, while she also won the 1998 US Women’s Open and the 2001 Weetabix Women’s British Open at Sunningdale.

“This just feels fantastic,” said the highly-emotional 28-year-old, who admitted she had hated the game last year when her form hit rock bottom and she then suffered an injury at the British Open at Birkdale.

“After all I have been through, this is one of the best days of my life.”