Stephen Dunn / Getty Images

Brittany Lincicome, center, jumps in the water surrounding the 18th green after winning the Kraft Nabisco Championship with an eagle on the final hole Sunday. Caddie Tara Bateman, left, and father Tom Lincicome join her.

She lost her overnight lead to Kerr on the second hole, pulled into a tie by making three birdies in four holes spanning the turn, dropped back when Kerr birdied the par-3 14th, then jumped back into the lead on the 15th when Kerr took a double-bogey after losing her ball out of bounds, hitting it through some trees and apparently clearing a wall onto Gerald Ford Drive.

“That hole definitely owes me in the future,” Kerr said.

“In tournaments in general, but majors in specific, it’s such a fine line you have to walk to be able to end up winning. “You have to have everything go your way. Maybe it hits the tree and drops instead of going out of bounds.”

Lindsey Wright (70) was fourth at 6 under, while Suzann Pettersen (66) and Meaghan Francella (69) tied for fifth at 5 under.

Defending champion Lorena Ochoa shot a 66 for her best round of the tournament and finished in a tie for 12th at 1 under.

Kerr started the round one shot behind McPherson, but had a three-shot lead after five holes despite some wayward driving.

Kerr jumped into the lead on the par-5 second hole, despite driving into the rough and failing to extricate herself with her second shot. She had a nice approach shot and sank an 18-foot birdie putt while McPherson had a bogey after her sand shot was short of the green.

Kerr saved par on No. 3 despite driving into the left rough, getting a break when her lie was in grass that had been trampled by the gallery.

Kerr birdied No. 4 with a tricky 10-foot downhill putt, then took a three-stroke lead when McPherson bogeyed the par-3 fifth hole by hitting her tee shot into the water.

“I felt like I was out of it early,” McPherson said. “Brittany started off slow, as well, and made a couple of good par saves. Cristie, she was springing up on both of us at one time.

“But finally on the back nine we got it to where it was a good match between all three of us. Cristie and I made a few mistakes, and Brittany made a couple of great par saves to stay in there and bring it down to the 18th hole.”