SOUTHPORT, England - By the time Annika Sorenstam stood on the tee at the 72nd hole of the Women's British Open, she already knew her bid to win a third major of the year had been ended by the woman standing next to her.

No wonder her tee shot sailed so far off course no one was able to find her ball.

Seconds before unheralded Jeong Jang sank a birdie putt to wrap up her first pro title and a four stroke victory, Sorenstam had made a double-bogey seven and wound up with a tie for fifth.

"I'm not so disappointed. I think J.J. just played incredible," said the Swede, who finished seven shots back having started the day four behind the South Korean. "I think she would have been very hard to catch today. So my hat's off to her. She played excellent."

Jang shot a 69 - her fourth round in a row in the 60s - to finish 16-under 272 for a runaway victory. Second place went to the 2000 champion Sophie Gustafson whose 67 left her at 12 under and Michelle Wie captured a share of third at 10 under after she finished with two birdies for a 69.

Jang, without a victory in 51/2 years on the LPGA Tour before she arrived at Royal Birkdale for the first time, led the championship virtually start to finish. She posted a 4-under 68 in driving rain and wind on Thursday and gradually increased her lead.

When she rolled in a 35-foot putt at the ninth and Sorenstam made bogey, she was six shots clear.

Sorenstam, who shot 71 for a 9 under 279, had been on course for a Grand Slam of majors after she won the Nabisco and LPGA Championship. With Birdie Kim winning the U.S. Women's Open, the Swede has seen the other two majors go to players winning their first pro titles.

Jang said she had a feeling she would win the tournament when she began practicing on the Royal Birkdale course on Monday.

"It's this course," Jang said. "I had a lot of confidence because I hit my driver low. I had a lot of confidence in practice and I didn't tell anybody."

Wie would have got closer if her putter had matched her play off the tee and on the fairways.

Playing in her last tournament before she returns to high school in Hawaii, the 15-year-old amateur recovered from a rain-lashed 75 in Thursday's opening round to post two 67s and a 69.

"Well I'm pretty happy with the way I played my first British Open," Wie said. "But I just left so many putts out there. I felt a little disappointed by that.

"I will be working a lot on my putting during the offseason."