MIAMI • Long-hitting Brittany Lincicome came agonisingly close to tying an LPGA Tour scoring record, before winning the season-opening Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic in a play-off with fellow American Lexi Thompson on Sunday.

She clinched her seventh LPGA title and the first since she captured her first Major title at the 2015 ANA Inspiration in California.

Lincicome won with a birdie on the first extra hole, the par-five 18th at the Ocean Club course on Paradise Island, where Thompson failed to get up and down from behind the green and settled for a par.

The duo finished on 26-under 266, just one shy of the LPGA record in relation to par of 27-under set by Swede Annika Sorenstam at the 2001 Standard Register and matched by South Korean Kim Sei Young at last year's Founders Cup.

Lincicome, a double Major champion, closed with a five-under 68 highlighted by seven birdies, while Thompson carded a 70.

Lincicome said: "It was pretty incredible. Just the leaderboard all week has been amazing, obviously a lot of Americans up at the top, obviously friends of mine, so to come down to the final stretch, I played with Lexi yesterday, and it was an awesome day.

"We had so much fun, and to obviously have the play-off today is a bummer, but it's just incredible."

The final round became a title shoot-out between four Americans - Lincicome, Thompson, Lewis and Gerina Piller.

Lewis was third on 267, one stroke ahead of Piller, after both closed with 71.

American teen Nelly Korda shared fifth with Thailand's Pornanong Phatlum on 271, making this the first LPGA event with five US players in the top five since the 2011 Canadian Women's Open won by Lincicome.

Only two Americans won LPGA events last year - Thompson and Brittany Lang.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS