Yani Tseng of Taiwan tees off the second hole during the final round of the LPGA Thailand golf championship in Pattaya, Chonburi province, southeastern Thailand Sunday, Feb. 19, 2012. (AP Photo/Apichart Weerawong)
Yani Tseng of Taiwan tees off the second hole during the final round of the LPGA Thailand golf championship in Pattaya, Chonburi province, southeastern Thailand Sunday, Feb. 19, 2012. (AP Photo/Apichart Weerawong)
Yani Tseng of Taiwan celebrates her eagle putt on the first hole during the final round of the LPGA Thailand golf championship in Pattaya, Chonburi province, southeastern Thailand Sunday, Feb. 19, 2012. (AP Photo/Apichart Weerawong)
Yani Tseng of Taiwan plays a shot on the first hole during the final round of the LPGA Thailand golf championship in Pattaya, Chonburi province, southeastern Thailand Sunday, Feb. 19, 2012. (AP Photo/Apichart Weerawong)
Ai Miyazato of Japan tees off the third hole during the final round of the LPGA Thailand golf championship in Pattaya, Chonburi province, southeastern Thailand Sunday, Feb. 19, 2012. (AP Photo/Apichart Weerawong)
Ai Miyazato of Japan plays a shot on the fairway of the first hole during the final round of the LPGA Thailand golf championship in Pattaya, Chonburi province, southeastern Thailand Sunday, Feb. 19, 2012. (AP Photo/Apichart Weerawong)
CHONBURI, Thailand (AP) ? Top-ranked Yani Tseng successfully defended her LPGA Thailand title for her 13th LPGA Tour victory, birdieing the final two holes Sunday to hold off playing partner Ai Miyazato by a stroke.
The 23-year-old Taiwanese star shot a 6-under 66 to finish at 19-under 269 on Siam Country Club's Pattaya Old Course. She opened with a 73, then shot consecutive 65s to enter the final round a shot behind Miyazato.
Last year, Tseng won the tournament for the first of her seven 2011 LPGA Tour victories, including major victories in the LPGA Championship and Women's British Open. The five-time major champion finished the year with 12 worldwide victories. She has 22 career worldwide professional victories.
Miyazato, the Japanese player who won the 2010 tournament, closed with a 68. She also birdied the par-4 17th and par-5 18th.
South Korea's Jiyai Shin, tied for the lead with Tseng after a birdie of her own on 17, had a 67 to finish third at 17 under.
Tseng eagled the par-5 opening hole and Miyazato had a birdie, leaving them tied at 15 under. Tseng took the lead with a birdie on the par-4 third, and added birdies on the par-4 sixth and par-5 seventh. At the turn, she had a three-stroke lead over Shin and four-shot advantage over Miyazato.
Shin, playing a group ahead of Tseng and Miyazato, birdied the par-4 10th to pull within two and gained another stroke when Tseng bogeyed the hole. Tseng pushed her lead to two with a birdie on the par-3 12th, but bogeyed the par-4 13th.
Miyazato birdied the 10th and pulled within one of Tseng with a birdie on the par-4 15th, then matched Tseng with a par on 16 and the birdies on 17 and 18.
South Korea's Amy Yang shot a 69 to finish fourth at 14 under.
Sixteen-year-old Thai amateur Ariya Jutanugarn followed her third-round 65 with a 74 to tie for 12th to 7 under. She played the final five holes in 4 over, making a double-bogey 7 on No. 18. Last year, Jutanugarn won the U.S. Junior Girls' Championship and was the Rolex Junior Player of the Year.
Second-ranked Suzann Pettersen had a 78 to drop into a tie for 21st at 4 under. She began the round four strokes out of the lead.
Michelle Wie closed with a 73 to tie for 38th at 1 over.
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