HAVRE DE GRACE, Md. — Three LPGA starts this year, three opportunities on the final green to get into a playoff, three disappointments. At the tender age of 16, Hawai'i's Michelle Wie is transforming the near-miss into a bittersweet art form.

Yesterday, Wie powered into a share of the lead with birdie at the 15th, but faded to finish tied for fifth, two shots out of a playoff at the McDonald's LPGA Championship, the year's second major. Wie was a shot away from a playoff at the year's first major — the Kraft Nabisco Championship — and the Fields Open in Hawai'i. She has six top-fives in her last eight LPGA starts.

It begs the question, "Can she finish?" but also brings up the reminder that she is just starting. Wie signed multi-million dollar endorsement deals when she turned pro last year, before she could drive. She has her senior year at Punahou ahead of her. This unique roller-coaster ride she is taking the golf masses on could last a very long time.

"Even though I didn't play my greatest today," said Wie, who had to fight back tears before her obligatory post-round interview, "it kind of showed that even when I don't play my greatest I'm still in the top five."

Se Ri Pak returned to the top yesterday. Pak, who fueled the surge of South Korean players when she won this major as a rookie in 1998, captured her third LPGA Championship when she nearly holed out her approach shot from 201 yards on the first playoff hole.

Pak beat Karrie Webb, who won Kraft in a playoff after holing out from the fairway on the last hole of regulation.

"I thought I was getting some of my own medicine back. I was waiting for it to drop in the hole," said Webb, who recalled Pak hugging her after Kraft and telling her it was "good to see me back and now it is my turn."

Pak (69) and Webb (68) finished regulation in 8-under 280 at Bulle Rock Golf Course. Wie shot even-par 72 for a 282 total and won $57,464. It was the first time in eight rounds at Bulle Rock that she had not broken par.

It was Pak's 23rd victory but first since she qualified for the LPGA Hall of Fame in 2004. She will be inducted next year when she meets the 10-year playing requirement. In 1998, she was the only South Korean on the LPGA tour. Now there are 32. Webb called her "the face of Korean golf."

Pak's face looked particularly joyful yesterday. She played just 12 events last year because of injuries. Yesterday she said that break came at a time when she, for the first time in her life, did "not like the golf game." Her time away with friends brought renewed enthusiasm.

"I really am as happy as I have ever been," Pak said, "and I'm having more fun on the golf course than I ever have. This year, no matter what, I'm still trying to play the best I can and try to have some more fun out there."

Pak had moved into the lead at 9-under with birdies at 15 and 16. She three-putted the final hole of regulation, sending her birdie putt eight feet by and missing the comebacker, much as Wie did minutes later.

That cost Pak only time. Wie's three-putt cost her a share of third and about $50,000. It meant little to Wie, who was focused solely on the birdie putt for a playoff at her final hole.

It came to that after another rough round on the greens — she missed seven more putts inside 12 feet and her first one-putt came on the 13th hole — and yet another tenacious performance. Of Wie's four birdies, three came on par-5s. She reached the green at the 481-yard eighth and 596-yard 11th in two shots.

When she hit her wedge to three feet for another easy birdie at the par-5 15th, she shared the lead for the first time. Out of nowhere, she pushed an easy approach shot on the next hole into the right rough and lipped out her par putt from four feet.

"I thought I hit a great 52 (degree wedge)," Wie said "I have no idea why it went right. Maybe there were a couple of technical difficulties here and there, but I felt like I hit it really solid. It just didn't go where I wanted it to."

Same could be said for her putts. She had 35 yesterday and 126 for the week — eight more than anyone in the top eight.

"I felt like I hit every single putt where I wanted to," Wie said. "It felt like every putt was going to go in today. But it just didn't. That's what happens. I'll have to work on my putting a little bit so hopefully in the next two weeks at the U.S. (Women's) Open, I'll be putting well."

Her massive gallery — some began peeling out as early as the second hole because they simply could not see — gave a collective groan at 16. After she missed a birdie putt from 10 feet on the next hole, all the pent-up energy she had created over the first 4 hours died.

Her dream officially died when her drive on 18 rolled into the rough and she couldn't get her approach shot anywhere close for birdie. Wie's length-of-the-green putt for birdie was gallant — she actually started to pump her fist before the ball rolled 10 feet past the hole — but yet again unsuccessful. It was the first time in four days she did not birdie the 18th.

"I definitely thought it was in," Wie said. "I hit it right where I wanted to. I didn't think it was going to be that fast, but I thought it was going to go in. It didn't and that's what happens."

Wie will go to New York City this week for photo shoots. The U.S. Women's Open doesn't start until June 29. After failing in her attempt to make history and the U.S. Open Monday in New Jersey (she did not finish in the top 18 but tied or beat 94 men) and the past four days of ultimate frustration, she is craving time off.

But not that much. She's 16 and extremely resilient. Wie had this week's woes figured out by the time she signed her scorecard. She believes she knows how to win. It all starts with confidence.

"I think it's hitting the shots when I need to and making the putts early on," she said. "I need to stay ahead of the pack early on, play good rounds early on. I think I was counting too much on the last moment. I know what I have to work on for the next two weeks so I'm really excited for the U.S. (Women's) Open."

What would have changed yesterday, or the tournament before that or the tournament before that, if Wie had won? Well, she would have earned status on the LPGA tour if she wanted it and probably more endorsements and attention, which is a bit difficult to fathom. But the bigger payoff has nothing to do with money.

"If she had won she would probably win a lot more," said her agent, Ross Berlin. "In succession. That's all that would change."

NOTES

In three LPGA starts this year, Michelle Wie has won $238,561. She has two thirds and a fifth.

Attendance yesterday was 28,400, bringing the four-day total to 91,000.

Reach Ann Miller at amiller@honoluluadvertiser.com.