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Park In-bee wins LPGA major Kraft Nabisco Championship

South Korean Park In-bee cruised to an LPGA major title in California on Sunday, overwhelming the field to take the Kraft Nabisco Championship.

At the season's first major on Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, Park shot a 3-under 69 in the final round for a four-round total of 15-under 273, beating fellow South Korean Ryu So-yeon by four shots.

This was Park's second career major title, in addition to her

2008 U.S. Women's Open win. The 24-year-old is also the second straight South Korean to win the Kraft Nabisco, after Yoo Sun-young last year. Park also took home US$300,000 for her win.

Park, who led the LPGA Tour in money and scoring average in 2012, already has two victories in 2013. She won the Honda LPGA Thailand in February.

She entered this tournament ranked fourth in the world and will climb to No. 2 thanks to this victory.

Park was 12-under after three rounds and held a three-shot lead over Lizette Salas of the U.S. The South Korean opened her final round with two straight birdies while Salas had a double bogey on the first hole to drop seven strokes back of Park, taking suspense out of the tournament early.

Park had a bogey on the sixth, only her third of the tournament, but quickly bounced back with birdies on the eighth and ninth holes to get to 15-under.

Park gave away a shot with her second bogey of the day on the 10th and suddenly Ryu was four shots back. But that was as close as anyone would get to Park, as she reached 15-under again with a birdie on the 12th.

Another birdie on the 13th put Park at 16-under, six strokes better than Ryu, who poured in five of her seven birdies on the back nine but still settled for second place.

Park committed another bogey on the 17th, but she all but had the championship in her bag by that point.

Park's win came on the 25th wedding anniversary of her parents, and she said it was a great gift to them.

"This is the tournament I've always wanted to win," Park said in a televised interview before taking the leap into Poppie's Pond by the 18th hole, a traditional victory celebration for Kraft Nabisco champions.

"It means a lot to put my name on the wall (by the 18th green with names of the former champions)," she added. "This is a very huge honor for me."

Park also said she wasn't used to playing with a lead after three rounds.

"I was very nervous and confident at the same time," she said.

"I played well in the last two days, but the final round at a championship like this is always nervous."

Kang Hae-ji was next best South Korean, tying Karrie Webb for fifth place at 6-under. Shin Ji-yai and Park Hee-young ended in a six-way tie for seventh place at 5-under.

South Koreans have already combined for three LPGA wins after six tournaments in 2013, after winning eight events, including three of the four majors, in 2012. (Yonhap News)