Suzann Pettersen won the HanaBank Championship yesterday for her ninth LPGA Tour title, beating Catriona Matthew with birdie on the third hole of playoff after blowing a big lead.

Seven strokes ahead of Matthew at the start of the round, Pettersen shot a 2-over 74 to finish at 11-under 205 on Sky 72 Golf Club's Ocean Course in Incheon in South Korea. The 43-year-old Matthew finished with a 67.

The US$270,000 first prize puts Pettersen ninth in the all-time money list.

"As a girl growing up, I never thought I'd be in that league," the Norwegian said. "It is quite touching that I have achieved that much. I am only 31 and my big goal is the Olympics in four years. It is good to get a head start in Korea. It is always good to get in the winner's circle."

Pettersen, the Norwegian who also won the 2007 event, took a five-stroke lead over South Korea's Ryu So-yeon into the final round after opening with a course-record 63 and shooting a 68 on Saturday.

Matthew, from Scotland, had a two-stroke lead after Pettersen's double bogey on the par-3 12th. Pettersen rallied with a birdie on the par-4 14th and Matthew dropped a stroke on the par-4 16th to leave them tied at 11 under.

"My game felt great and I had a great warm-up this morning but did not get off to a good start," Pettersen said. "I made a few birdies on the back nine but overall, I felt like I played pretty good but it was just not a scoring day. I tried not to look what was going on around me as that can stress you out.

They played the par-5 18th three times in the playoff, halving the first two extra holes with pars.

Defending champion Tseng Yani was third at 10 under after a 69. The top-ranked Chinese Taipei player won three of the first five events of the season.

Pak Se-ri was the top South Korean player, closing with a 70 finish fourth at 9 under. American teenager Lexi Thompson and Germany's Sandra Gal followed at 8 under. Thompson shot a 70, and Gal had a 71. Ryu shot a 73 to tie for seventh at 7 under.

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