Feng notches first win of season in Volvik Championship

CHICAGO: China’s Feng Shanshan survived two late bogeys to post her first US LPGA Tour victory of the season in the Volvik Championship in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Shanshan, of Guangzhou, had six birdies before bogeys at 16 and 18 en route to a four-under 68, good enough for a 19-under total of 269 and a one-stroke lead over Australia’s Lee Min-jee and South Korean Park Sung-hyun on Sunday.

“I was trying to win the tournament since the start today and I’m glad that I did it,” said Shanshan, who earned US$ 195,000 (RM833,000) in prize money.

“I’m really happy to have this win because I’ve had six wins on the LPGA Tour so far but only two in the United States.”

Shanshan said she got a boost from the Chinese fans in the gallery who came out to cheer her on to victory.

“So I’m really happy that I’m not only playing well in Asia but also in the US, and very glad that a lot of the Chinese came today to support me,” she said.

The 27-year-old’s victory was her seventh LPGA Tour triumph and her first since last year’s Japan Classic – one of two titles she claimed in 2016. She is also a twotime winner of the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia.

Shanshan, who earned a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics last year, was up by four strokes with four to play before her late difficulties.

The world’s seventh ranked player has renewed confidence in her game as she posted four sub-70 rounds this week.

Min-jee applied the pressure with her eighth birdie of the day at 17 en route to a seven-under 65 and Sunghyun closed with a six-under 66.

South Korean Lee Jeong-eun carded a final-round 67 to share fourth place on 271 with American Lizette Salas, who signed for a 69.

Min-jee lost her chance at a birdie on No. 18 when her approach missed the mark. She did manage to save par and preserve her bogeyfree round.

“I was like ‘oh, I’m four shots behind with two holes to go’. So I just tried to play and make as many birdies as I could on the last two holes. I made one,” she said.