That gave Kerr a two-shot lead heading to the 18th, and she drilled another one right down the middle, then followed that with an approach safely on the green and a lag to 2 feet.
``When I hit it up there close, I had known I had won,'' she said. ``It was hard to fight back the tears, because I had envisioned this since I was a little girl.''
This major was a long time coming for Kerr, a pioneer of sorts for women who now routinely skip college. She turned pro when she graduated high school, won in her sixth year on tour and has not finished out of the top five on the LPGA money list the last three years.
Kerr got into contention by finishing off a 66 in the morning to take a one-shot lead, and she never wavered. Ochoa had a chance to share the 54-hole lead until she three-putted for bogey from 30 feet, settling for a 68 that left her tied with Pressel (69).
Ochoa had ample opportunities, but her best putts were for par.
