Shanshan among 12 seeking LPGA playoff bonus
MIAMI: New world No 1 Feng Shanshan, coming off back-to-back wins in Japan and her native China, aims for a US$1 million (RM4.2 million) LPGA playoff bonus when the season-ending Tour Championship tees off yesterday.
The 28-year-old from Guangzhou is among five top point-getters from the season’s 32 events over 15 nations that can claim the bonus by winning the showdown at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida.
In all, 12 women have a chance at the US$1 million prize.
Other season awards are up for grabs as well, including Player of the Year and the Vare Trophy for season low scoring average.
Shanshan said Wednesday she learned she had moved atop the rankings while changing planes at an airport in Dallas on her way to Florida.
Shanshan, whose father is vice president of the Chinese Golf Association, says her bronze medal from last year’s Rio Olympics might have a greater impact in China than taking the top ranking.
“I think the bronze medal. Last year they really showed Chinese people that Chinese can be good golfers, too, even though our history in China is not that long — we’re competitive in golf,” Shanshan said. Other players who would take the bonus payoff with a victory include American Lexi Thompson, South Korea’s Park SungHyun — the 2017 LPGA Rookie of the Year — and Ryu So-Yeon and Canada’s Brooke Henderson.
So-Yeon has 162 points, three ahead of second-place Shanshan, in the Player of the Year chase, with Sung-Hyun third on 157.
Lexi leads the LPGA in scoring average at 69.147 followed by Sung-Hyun at 69.259 and South Korea’s Chun In-Gee on 69.269.
So-Yeon has been hampered by a right shoulder injury that has hindered her for the past few weeks.
Sung-Hyun won the US Women’s Open and leads the LPGA in earnings and could match Nancy Lopez as the only players to win top player and rookie awards in the same year.