The kid showed plenty of moxie herself, going bogey-free over the 24 holes, an astounding feat given the tough conditions. She saved par from the bunker with a 6-foot putt on the 15th, made a 5-foot par on the 16th after missing the green, and made a testy 4-footer for par on the 17th after gunning her birdie putt. All turned out as valuable as the 10-footer on the 18th.

When she stepped into the scoring trailer, she saw on TV that Pettersen was in the right rough on the 16th hole. When she stepped out, workers were changing Pettersen’s score from 5 under to 3 under on the leaderboard.

Then came the toughest half-hour of her life, moving from the putting green to the practice range to calm herself down.

“I was a lot more nervous doing nothing,” Pressel said.

Pressel seems to have been everywhere for such a short time on earth.

She was a 12-year-old in braces and a ponytail when she was the youngest to qualify for the U.S. Women’s Open in 2001. She was poised to be the youngest major champion ever two years ago at Cherry Hills, tied for the lead in the middle of the 18th fairway when she watched Birdie Kim holed a bunker shot for birdie to win the U.S. Women’s Open.

“Seems like it’s been forever,” she said. “I’ve always had high hopes and big dreams. This is exciting.”

Part of a heralded group of kids on the LPGA Tour that included Michelle Wie and Paula Creamer, Pressel is the first to be a major champion. Wie didn’t play this year because of an injured wrist. Creamer started the final round one shot out of the lead and shot 78.

“Just that I got there at all is enough satisfaction,” Pressel said.

Lorena Ochoa, who needed a victory to supplant Annika Sorenstam at No. 1 in the women’s world ranking, tied for 10th after closing with a 72. Her hopes were ruined Saturday with a quadruple bogey on the 17th, and while she promised to attack in the final round, the 25-year-old Mexican star didn’t make her first birdie until No. 11.

Sorenstam shot 75 and finished at 296, here highest 72-hole score in a major since the ’98 U.S. Women’s Open at Blackwolf Run.

Pressel earned $300,000 and had no trouble deciding what to do next.

“I’m going shopping when I get home,” she said.

Looking at her grandparents, tears still not dry, she laughed and said, “And they’re not going to stop me.”

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