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China’s Feng Shanshan fired a bogey-free six-under par 66 on Sunday to win the season-ending $2mn LPGA Titleholders tournament by one stroke and capture her third career tour crown. |
World number seven Feng, who began the day two strokes behind a trio of co-leaders, birdied the 15th and 17th holes to hold off American Gerina Piller and capture the LPGA’s biggest top prize of $700,000 with a 72-hole total of 15-under par 273.
“I never thought I was going to win even though I was only two behind,” Feng said. “All the people in the last two groups were strong competitors.
“I set a goal to finish 15-under par and that’s what I was able to do. I’m really happy I’m at 15-under and I finally won.”
Feng, who became the first woman from China to win a major title when she captured last year’s LPGA Championship, took her second triumph of the season, having also won last month’s Reignwood Classic near Beijing.
“I set a goal early this year to win twice on the LPGA Tour this year,” Feng said. “I hadn’t won at all until I went to China. I left it to the last minute but I did it. I’m really happy.
“It means I can take a little more time off in the off season I guess.”
Piller fired a 69 but settled for second on 274, one stroke ahead of Thailand’s Pornanong Phatlum, who finished with a final-round 70.
It was Piller’s best LPGA finish, having never cracked the top four previously, and her eighth top-10 showing of the season.
“To come out and grind like I did and give myself an opportunity to force a playoff, I’m pretty excited about that,” Piller said.
Germany’s Sandra Gal was fourth on 276 with South Koreans Park In-Bee fifth on 277 and Yoo Sun-Young sharing sixth on 278 alongside Americans Cristie Kerr and Stacy Lewis.
Feng, 24, made an early charge with birdies on four of her first six holes to seize the lead at 13-under par. She birdied the par-5 first and sixth holes and had back-to-back birdies at the third and fourth holes.
New Zealand’s Lydia Ko, playing her first event as a professional after four wins in pro events as an amateur, fired a 70 to finish on 284 in a share of 21st place.
Thailand’s Moriya Jutanugarn captured LPGA Rookie of the Year honors, sharing 33rd on 288 to edge Germany’s Caroline Masson by 480-479 in the rookie points race.