Vu began the day four strokes behind overnight leaders Yin and Allisen Corpuz of the United States.

Start times were delayed by dangerous weather conditions in the Woodlands in Texas, and Corpuz slipped out of the running with four bogeys on the front nine, although recovered on the back nine to tie for fourth at eight-under-par.

Yin's hopes of a first major triumph appeared to be slipping away with back-to-back bogeys on the 16th and 17th, but recovered to five-foot birdie the 18th and finish 10-under.

Vu produced a fine fourth round of 68 on the 72-par course, the joint-lowest score of the day which included successive birdies on the final two holes to clinch her involvement in a playoff.

The pair replayed the par-five 18th to decide the first women's golf major of the year.

Both players found the fairway, but Yin hit her second shot into the water, with Vu holding her nerve to birdie putt her way to the Chevron Championship and pocket the first prize of $765,000 (£616.000/€697,000), taking her career earnings beyond $2 million (£1.6 million/€1.8 million). 

"I hit a good drive," the 25-year-old Californian said.

"Honestly, I don't know how it got that far.

"Maybe I hit something while it landed, but it was significantly further.

"I think when I actually played 18 during my round, I had a hybrid in, and then all of a sudden I had a seven-iron in on the playoff hole.

"I had just seen Angel hit, and then we were deciding what to hit, either going with the seven or going extra with the six-iron just to give it extra room to get over the water.

"I was just feeling seven-iron and I was going to hit it.

"We hit a good shot, and then I knew the green was really fast, but I wasn't sure with all the rough and into the grain from the fringe, so I left it short.

"But I knew on that last putt, all I had to do was just do my routine, read the putt how I usually do, and just hit this putt because I've hit that putt a million times and I knew I could make it."

Olympic champion Nelly Korda of the US finished third at nine-under after an eagle on the final hole.

Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand had looked in strong contention for the title, but double bogeyed the final hole to finish joint-fourth at eight-under.

Corpuz and Thitikul were joined by South Koreans Kim A-lim and Amy Yang and Switzerland's Albane Valenzuela in the tie for fourth.

The next women's major is set to be the Women's PGA Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield in New Jersey from June 22 to 25.