FENG BACK TO BACK WINS

SHANSHAN FENG GOES BACK-TO-BACK WITH WIN IN CHINA

Despite a few stumbles coming in, Shanshan Feng did everything she needed to do to win, again, on the LPGA Tour, becoming the first golfer to go back-to-back in 2017 and projected No. 1 in the Rolex Rankings in the process.

The win at the Blue Bay LPGA in her home country was well received by the fans and her fellow Chinese golfers, who showered her with water on the 18th green.

She is project to become the first golfer – male or female – from China to ascend to the top of golf’s world rankings, and this is the second event in China that Feng has won, the first being the Reignwood LPGA Classic (Beijing) in 2013.

“I’m really, really excited and very proud of myself and I think it’s special because I won this tournament to become world No. 1. I finished first in China, so I actually claimed the world No. 1 in front of all the people at home,” said Feng of what the win means to her. “I’m really happy about that, and I hope all the Chinese are going to be watching me and the Chinese can play golf. Hopefully there will be more Chinese getting on the tours and more world No. 1’s coming up from China.”

Feng becomes the second golfer on the LPGA Tour to win more than twice in 2017, joining IK Kim, who has also won three times. Feng’s other victory came in record-setting fashion at the LPGA Volvik Championship in May.

“I just want 2017 keep going. A never-ending 2017, that would be great,” said Feng.

For Adam Stanley’s full recap of final-round action, visit http://www.lpga.com/news/2017-historic-win-for-shanshan-feng-blue-bay-lpga-recap

MO SO CLOSE

2013 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year Moriya Jutanugarn was one lip out on 18 away from a possible playoff  with champion Shanshan Feng, but it was not to be. Jutanugarn was all smiles though as her younger sister Ariya embraced her on the green, congratulating her on her second runner-up finish of the year.

“Yeah, really happy, and it’s so much fun today” Jutanugarn said after her round. “You know, I made a lot of good putts, a lot of good shots out there. I’m pretty happy with what’s happened.”

With just the CME Group Tour Championship left on the 2017 LPGA schedule, Jutanugarn has one more chance at her first career victory.

“I’m very ready for another week, and then, you know, for my off-season,” Jutanugarn said with a sigh of relief.

LIZETTE LOVING ASIA SWING

After missing the cut at the Cambia Portland Classic back in September, Lizette Salas turned over a new leaf on the 2017 season. With her final score of 2-under par Salas finished T10 to lock in her sixth straight top-13 finish, and eighth top-10 of the season.

“It’s been nice,” Salas said of the Asia swing. “It’s been definitely a confidence booster. It definitely showed me that if I want something and work hard at it, I can get it.”

It’s been a team effort. Jason [caddie] has been amazing these last five weeks, really helping me get stronger mentally and not be such a Debbie Downer. So it’s definitely been a team effort and now I know I can fix my swing by myself.”

While Shanshan Feng will be remembered as the queen of the 2017 Asia swing, Salas was right there with her.

Salas’ Asia Swing Record

Tournament                                                           Finish

LPGA KEB HanaBank Championship                       4

Swinging Skirts LPGA Taiwan Championship          T3

Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia                                    T13

TOTO Japan Classic                                                 4

Blue Bay LPGA                                                 T10

With her Saturday paycheck of $38,425 that brings Salas’ season earnings to $871,060 with over a third of that money coming during the Asia swing ($344,187).

#CMEFINALSTRETCH

With the Blue Bay LPGA in the books, that leaves just the CME Group Tour Championship left on the 2017 LPGA schedule, with the Race to the CME Globe still wide open.

With her third win of the season on Saturday in China, Shanshan Feng is shaking up the standings at the last minute. Feng earns 500 points toward the Race to the CME Globe for winning the Blue Bay LPGA and moves up to third in the standings with 3,147 points.

The top five finishers entering Naples will control their own destiny at the CME Group Tour Championship. Meaning if any of Lexi Thompson, Sung Hyun Park, Feng, So Yeon Ryu, or Brooke Henderson win the tournament, they also win the $1 million CME Globe.

The top 12 finishers entering Naples will also have a mathematical chance to win the $1M CME Globe.

Here’s how the standings look following the Blue Bay LPGA.

Rank    Player                               Points

1          Lexi Thompson                  3304

2          Sung Hyun Park                3219

3          Shanshan Feng                  3147

4          So Yeon Ryu                      3064

5          Brooke M. Henderson       2785

6          In Gee Chun                      2611

7          Cristie Kerr                        2583

8          Moriya Jutanugarn           2513

9          Ariya Jutanugarn               2376

10        Anna Nordqvist                 2214

11        Stacy Lewis                       2211

12        Lydia Ko                             2187

QUICK HITS

With the victory Shanshan Feng is projected to rise to No. 1 in the Rolex Rankings; the first-ever Chinese player (male or female) to get to World No. 1

The victory is Feng’s second-career win in China; she won the 2013 Reignwood LPGA Classic in Beijing

Feng is the first player to win back-to-back tournaments since she accomplished the feat last year

Feng becomes the second player on Tour this season with more than two victories joining: In-Kyung Kim (ShopRite LPGA Classic, Marathon Classic, Ricoh Women’s British Open)

Moriya Jutanugarn’s runner-up finish is her second of the season, at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship she was two strokes shy of winner So Yeon Ryu

In 2017, Jutanugarn has made 26 cuts in 27 starts with 11 top-10 finishes, including six top-5 finishes

Megan Khang collected a career-best finish T3 finish, her seventh career top 10

Jessica Korda’s T3 finish matches her season-best finish, and is her 10th top 20 of the season

Sandra Gal (T7) earned her second top 10 of the season and her eighth top-20 finish of the season

Na Yeon Choi’s T7 finish is her first top-20 finish since she finished T11 at the 2016 ShopRite LPGA Classic

QUOTABLE

“As far as my next objective, to be part of the Hall of Fame. As far as qualification, I think I need to get more championship titles in order to be qualified, one more major, for this qualification.”

                - Shanshan Feng on what her future goals are

“It was great. I know it’s like her home country. Of course everybody is cheering for her. I mean, Shanshan is a great player, and very happy for her that she played really solid. I mean, she had a really good week in her home country, which is really cool.”

                - Moriya Jutanugarn on playing with Shanshan Feng

“It was tough, you know, coming out of surgery, just literally no days of practice before coming out and threw myself in. I definitely gained a lot of confidence over the last two weeks. I’m really excited for the last week.”

                - Michelle Wie on coming back from surgery and playing the Asia swing