Natalie Gulbis, the glamour girl of the LPGA Tour, claimed her first title on Sunday when she beat South Korea's Jang Jeong on the first hole of a sudden-death play-off at the Evian Masters.
Sometimes dubbed the Anna Kournikova of women's golf, the 24-year-old was developing the same reputation as the Russian player -- a golfer with model looks but without a victory to her name.
But the blonde who now lives in Las Vegas played well with a final-round two-under-par 70 for a four under 284 total followed by a great birdie at the first extra hole, the par five 18th.
PHOTO: AFP
In a sudden-death playoff, the US Solheim Cup player hit the green in two and two-putted for birdie, while Jang, the 2005 Women's British Open Champion, failed to get up and down from the back of the green.
Jang shot 72 to force the tournament into a play-off.
"There has been a lot of hype in America with people asking if I was ever going to win," Gulbis said after her win.
"This is my sixth year and I have been waiting a long time," she said. "But I knew if I was patient it would eventually happen for me. This feels great to have done it at last."
Mexico's World No 1. Lorena Ochoa (68), South Korea's Shin Ji-yai and 47-year-old US player Inkster, who had a 75 to lose her chance of becoming the Tour's oldest winner, tied for third.
Michelle Wie shot a 76. The 17-year-old Hawaiian, who has missed five months this year with a broken wrist, had hit a horrible 84 on Saturday.
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