Feng birdies final hole to take 1-shot win in LPGA Classic
Shanshan Feng set a high target for such low scoring at the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic in Oneida, Wisconsin, and she figured she had done enough.
Three birdies in a four-hole stretch had taken her from three shots behind to one shot ahead Sunday, or so she thought. It was only after she hit 7-iron to 3 feet on the final hole that she saw the leaderboard and realized she was tied with Ariya Jutanugarn.
“I’m like, ‘Oh, no. I have to make that one,’ ” Feng said.
No problem. Leaving the flagstick in, she rolled in her final birdie putt for a 9-under 63 and a one-shot victory over Jutanugarn, who had hit 8-iron to 3 feet for birdie and a 64.
Yealimi Noh, a 17-year-old out of Carondelet High who turned down a chance to play at UCLA to turn pro, wrapped up a big week. She shot a 68 and finished tied for sixth with Sun Hyun Park, who returned to the No. 1 with a victory the previous week.
Noh, in her first LPGA event, began in a Monday qualifier just to get into the tournament, played in the last group on the weekend and already has a spot in the field next week at the Marathon Classic.
“It was my goal to be in the top 10 for the week,” she said.
Feng rose to No. 1 in the world toward the end of 2017, but began to chase distance and lost control of her irons, which she considered her strength.
“I tried to get more distance and then maybe just messed up the feeling about controlling the ball,” Feng said. “I got that back, so I’m really happy about that. I think this is not the last one, for sure, so as many as I can win.”
Hyo Joo Kim, nine shots behind after opening with a 71, closed with a 64 and finished fifth.
Park never got anything going in the final round. She made only one birdie on the par 5s, didn’t make a birdie after the 12th hole and closed with a 69.
Feng won for the 10th time on the LPGA Tour, but her first victory
since Blue Bay in China in November 2017.
The shootout on the soft Thornberry Creek at Oneida course materialized the way everyone expected.
Patty Tavatanakit shot 61 and was part of a five-way tie for the lead before the final two groups even teed off. She wound up in a tie for 15th. Seven players had at least a share of the lead at some point in the final round. CLUTCH PUTT PROPELS WOLFF >> Matthew Wolff made a 26-foot putt from the fringe for an eagle on the final hole to win the 3M Open at 21 under par, beating Collin Morikawa and Bryson DeChambeau by one stroke in a tense finish to the first-time PGA Tour event.
Wolff, 20, struck his second shot on the 573-yard, par-5 hole from the fairway to the far left of the green where it landed just a few feet away from a bunker. He sank the dramatic putt in front of a packed 18th gallery at the TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minn., before waiting to watch Morikawa just miss his eagle attempt from 22 feet.
When the ball rolled on the left edge and about 3 feet too long, Morikawa winced as Wolff hugged his caddie in celebration of the $1.152 million prize and his tour card just six weeks after winning the NCAA individual title with Oklahoma State.
“I’m really not an emotional guy, but tears came to my eyes,” Wolff said.