Cristie Kerr breezes to victory at LPGA Championship

Soaked in champagne and poised to become the first American ranked first in the world, Cristie Kerr was left amazed and nearly speechless after completing one of the most dominating performances at the LPGA Championship — and any other major, for that matter.

“It’s a dream performance,” Kerr said Sunday after winning her second major title by a whopping 12 strokes at Locust Hill Country Club in Pittsford, N.Y. “It’s like you wake up or you dream — I can’t even speak right now.”

Kerr, the 2007 U.S. Women’s Open champion, closed with a six-under-par 66 for a 19-under 269 total. She led wire to wire, opening with rounds of 68, 66 and 69. Kerr broke the tournament record for victory margin of 11, set by Betsy King in 1992, and matched the second-biggest victory in a major.

By winning, Kerr was projected by the LPGA to overtake Japan’s Ai Miyazato when the world rankings are released Monday. The rankings were introduced in 2006.

Song-Hee Kim (69) finished second at seven under.

---

Bubba Watson rallied from six strokes back and beat Scott Verplank on the second playoff hole with a par putt to earn his first PGA Tour victory at the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Conn.

Watson, Verplank and Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin needed extra holes after they all finished at 14 under par.

---

Loren Roberts birdied the final hole for a closing seven-under 65 to win the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open by one stroke over Fred Funk at Endicott, N.Y.

MOTOR RACING

Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel won the European Grand Prix at Valencia, Spain, dominating from the pole in a race that saw teammate Mark Webber walk away from a spectacular crash.

Vettel won his second grand prix of the season ahead of McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.

---

Greg Anderson raced to his first pro stock victory of the season at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio.

Larry Dixon (top fuel), Tim Wilkerson (funny car) and Matt Smith (pro stock motorcycle) also were winners at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park.

BASEBALL

Acknowledging that their season is lost, the last-place Cleveland Indians traded Russell Branyan back to Seattle for a couple of prospects and put their youth movement in fast forward by bringing up first baseman Matt LaPorta.

---

Boston Red Sox catcher Victor Martinez has a broken left thumb.