With her mother, caddie, and several friends also taking the plunge yesterday, Tseng jumped as far into the pond as she could, then remembered that she can’t swim.

“I told my caddie, ‘I don’t know how to swim, can you help me to get on the top?’ It was a little scary,’’ she said.

Everything else about Tseng’s day had her smiling. She eagled the second hole and pulled ahead of a star-studded field with a 4-under-par 68 for her second major title.

Tseng, from Taiwan, finished at 13-under 275 at Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage, Calif., to hold off Suzann Pettersen by a stroke. Two of Tseng’s three LPGA Tour victories have been majors — she won the 2008 LPGA Championship as a rookie, beating Maria Hjorth in a four-hole playoff.

During her news conference, while still bundled in a white robe after her plunge, a strong earthquake south of the US-Mexico border rattled the Coachella Valley.

Tseng reached up to steady her trophy, which was on a pedestal behind her.

“We have a lot in Taiwan, but this was big,’’ she said.

PGA — Shrugging off a bad putt on the 72d hole, Anthony Kim parred the first hole of a playoff with Vaughn Taylor to win the Houston Open for his third PGA Tour title.

Kim and Taylor were tied at 12-under 276 after Kim missed a 6-foot par putt in regulation on the water-lined 18th hole to settle for a 2-under 70.

Not long ago, Kim said he would’ve mentally unraveled.

“Two years ago, that bag may have been in the water,’’ Kim said. “But I just feel calm out there, I feel no sense of urgency. It’s something that’s happened naturally and not something that’s been forced.’’

Taylor finished with a 68. He needed a victory to qualify for this week’s Masters in his hometown of Augusta, Ga. “Hugely disappointed,’’ Taylor said. “It’s a tough pill to swallow.’’