Katherine Hull showed her readiness for this week’s major championship with a fast-finish for second place on the LPGA Tour.

The Australian birdied three of the last four holes to secure outright second and a $US134,854 ($A140,000) cheque as she finished four shots behind American winner Stacy Lewis in the ShopRite LPGA Classic in New Jersey.

Tuning up for this week’s LPGA Championship, Hull shot a closing three-under-par 68 to finish at eight-under 205.

Her 10-foot birdie putt on the last gave her the runner-up spot by one stroke from Japan’s Mika Miyazato (68) and Spain’s Azahara Munoz (69).

Lewis was able to shoot 71 and still win comfortably after starting the tournament with back to back 65s as she secured her second victory in three starts and climbed to No.3 in the world rankings.

“I’m third in the world now and the top American,” Lewis said.

“I don’t even know what to say. I mean it’s unbelievable.”

Lewis took her only other LPGA title last year at a major, the Kraft Nabisco, and she will now be a favourite at the $US2.5 million LPGA Championship at Pittsford, New York.

Lewis began the day with a seven-stroke lead over Hull, who bogeyed the par-4 second and birdied the par-4 fifth but never seriously threatened to deny Lewis the $US225,000 top prize.

“Catching her was going to be hard. She was playing great. It was probably more a battle for second,” Hull said.

Lewis had back-to-back birdies at the par-5 third and par-4 fourth and again at the par-3 seventh and par-4 eighth to seize command.

“When she’s that far ahead, she has got to make a lot of mistakes and you’ve got to shoot a really low round,” Hull said.

“You just stick to your game plan and try to make as many putts as you can. That’s all you can really do.”

US rookie Lexi Thompson fired a 67 to grab a share of fifth with Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist and South Korean Hee-Won Han on 207.