Honolulu's Michelle Wie closed with a career-best 7-under-par 64 yesterday to finish in a tie for third at the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic in Sylvania, Ohio.

Wie birdied seven of her last 10 holes, and was the leader in the clubhouse after finishing at 16-under 268.

The Punahou School alum and Stanford sophomore could only watch as Eunjung Yi beat Kapalua touring pro Morgan Pressel on the first playoff hole after both finished at 18-under 266.

Wie, who needed to win to earn a berth in this week's U.S. Women's Open, left the Highland Meadows Golf Club with some confidence thanks to her closing flourish.

"I feel like I'm on the brink of playing extremely well but I still have a lot yet to learn," she said. "I have a lot to improve. I want to just keep the same feeling as the last 10 holes that I played and keep moving forward from there."

Wie began the day nine shots back of Yi, and made the turn at 1-under after birdies at Nos. 1 and No. 9, and a bogey at No. 7. She then birdied Nos. 10 and 11, and followed later with birdies at Nos. 14, 15, 16 and 17. But she lost a chance to put extra pressure on the leaders when she misfired while going for the par-5 18th in two and had to settle for a par, and the day's best round.

Wie, who shared third place with Seon Hwa Lee and Song-Hee Kim, earned $73,224 for her fifth top-10 finish this season.

Yi, who shot a final-round 71, sank a 10-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to win $210,000 — more than she had earned in her previous 23 LPGA Tour starts combined. The 21-year-old from South Korea, who won the 2005 U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links title, had missed the cut in four of her seven starts this year and her biggest previous check was just over $11,000 for a 26th-place tie at the Corona Championship.

"She won the tournament," said Pressel, who closed with a 67. "She made a birdie on the playoff hole. I had my opportunities."

Yi birdied two of the first three holes to go up six shots. Yet she remained oblivious; she never looked at a leaderboard and didn't ask her caddie about her status.

"I was just focusing on my golf," she said. "I didn't see the scoreboards at all. I just hit the driver, the second shots — I was very centered."

Pressel, chasing her third career victory, pulled even by holing a 70-yard wedge shot for eagle on the par-5 17th hole.

"I didn't think about her," Yi said, even though the gallery was going wild as she watched Pressel playing just ahead of her at the 17th. "I thought about my golf."

On the playoff hole, the 18th, both Yi and Pressel were in the fairway inside 100 yards away in two. Pressel's approach came up short to the back left pin location, ending up on the first cut of rough about 20 feet from the hole. Yi hit a lower, harder shot that stopped 10 feet away.

Pressel's birdie putt held the line and almost fell as it scooted past on the left edge. She then tapped in for par.

After looking over her putt, Yi hit it firmly and — before the ball even settled into the cup — she raised both arms in victory.

"When I hit it, I thought it was going in," she said.