Steinhauer wins for third time in Women's British tournament

~ But this time, it counts as a a major win.

LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England -- Whenever Sherri Steinhauer mentioned to people she had won the Women's British Open twice, they always assumed the tournament was a major.

Steinhauer never bothered to correct them.

Now she doesn't have to.

The 43-year-old American shot an even-par 72 Sunday at Royal Lytham to win the Women's British Open for the third time, and the first since the tournament became a major in 2001.

"That is the biggest thrill for me that I've done it now as a major," Steinhauer said after finishing three strokes ahead of Cristie Kerr (71) and 2000 champion Sophie Gustafson (72).

Steinhauer also won the tournament in 1998 at Royal Lytham and then at Woburn a year later.

"People who thought the two that I won, they thought they were a major. Now that it really is, it makes the other two that much sweeter, too," she said.

Steinhauer finished at 7-under 281 for her second major title, the first being at the now discontinued Du Maurier Classic in Canada in 1992.

"It just felt like it was my turn to win out there," she said.

She will defend the title next year at St. Andrew's as the Women's British Open goes to the venerable course for the first time.

Karen Stupples, the Dalhousie Golf Club who won the 2004 Women's British Open, was tied for second and three strokes off the lead after three rounds. But she had bogeys on the first and fifth holes and a double bogey on No. 7 dropped her back to even par.

She finished the day with a 78 and concluded the tourney tied for 10th at 2 over. She earned $40,566.

Michelle Wie shot her third straight 2-over 74 to finish at 6-over 294.

Annika Sorenstam, who won last month's U.S. Open for her 10th major victory, shot a 44 on the back nine and finished with a 7-over 79 for a 7-over 295.

Second-round leader Juli Inkster (73) and Lorena Ochoa (74) were a shot behind Kerr and Gustafson at 3-under 285.