Feng shoots 66 and wins LPGA Tour finale

By DOUG FERGUSON (AP Golf Writer)November 24, 2013 6:00 PMAP - Sports

.

View gallery

China's Shanshan Feng watches her approach during the final round at the Malaysian LGPA event in Kuala Lumpur, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2013. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)

NAPLES, Fla. (AP) -- The only trouble Shanshan Feng faced Sunday was figuring out how to light the cannon that signaled the end of the LPGA Tour season.

She made the golf look easy at the LPGA Titleholders.

Two shots behind going into the final round, the 24-year-old from China ran off four birdies in the opening six holes to seize control, and she closed with a 6-under 66 to win by one shot and claim the richest prize in women's golf.

It also was her second win this year, which meant as much to her as the $700,000 check.

''I had a goal to win two tournaments,'' she said. ''I won in China. I didn't think I was going to achieve my goal, and I made it in my last tournament in Florida.''

Feng said her win last month in Beijing required a little luck - a shot that took a weird and wild bounce out of the rough, raced across the green and crashed into the flagstick to set up a tap-in eagle.

Sunday was sheer skill.

Feng was in such control of her game that she missed three birdie chances inside 6 feet in the middle of her round that kept the outcome in doubt until the end. Gerina Piller stayed within one shot of Feng, and she hit a 7-iron into 10 feet for a chance at birdie to force a playoff. The putt narrowly missed, and Piller had to settle for a 69 and her best finish on the LPGA Tour.

Pornanong Phatlum of Thailand had a 70 and finished alone in third.

Feng finished at 15-under 273, the number she had in mind at the start of the day - even if it didn't result in a win.

''Before I started, I never thought I was going to win,'' Feng said. ''I knew I was only two behind. But I thought all the people in the last group were really strong competitors.''

No one was stronger than Feng, who played the final 31 holes without a bogey.

Natalie Gulbis, tied for the 54-hole lead with Pornanong and Piller, wasn't up to the task. Going for her first win in six years, Gulbis didn't make a birdie until the 14th hole, and by then she couldn't stop a spectacular slide. Gulbis closed with an 82.

Stacy Lewis had to settle for only one prize. The Women's British Open champion became the first American since Beth Daniel in 1994 to win the Vare Trophy for the lowest scoring average. She had to win to capture the money list, but after an early birdie, Lewis never regained any momentum. She closed with a 71 and tied for sixth.

''As Americans, we hear about that all the time - it's been 18 years or it's been 20 years or whatever it is,'' Lewis said. ''I'm just glad to have that kind of checked off the list. We've got to get American golf on the map. That's been the goal and I'm just fortunate I've been playing good golf.''

Inbee Park, who clinched player of the year last week in Mexico, had a 68 to finish fifth. She won the LPGA Tour money title.

The only other award at stake Sunday was rookie of the year. That went to Moriya Jutanugarn of Thailand, who closed with a 72. She won by one point over Caroline Masson of Germany.

Feng just stole the show on the final day of the season.

As winner of the CME Group Titleholders, she lit the cannon to signal the end of the year. That proved far more difficult than the 7-iron she hit into 8 feet for birdie on the 15th, or that pitch up the slope on the 17th hole that led to her final birdie.

''I was really nervous,'' she said. ''I don't know how I did it. Once it touched the thing and then it just went out in like a half a second, and I was shocked it released so fast and it was gone already. I was really excited.''

As for that paycheck?

Feng says she is not a big spender and said she would put it in the bank, perhaps buy herself a small gift later.

Piller put up a good fight. She stuffed her approach on No. 15 to within 4 feet for birdie to pull within one shot. Feng was in the group ahead and went over the green on her second shot into the par-5 17th, and then hit a chip that settled within tap-in range to reach 15 under. Piller matched her birdie at the 17th with a solid up-and-down from a collection area, but she couldn't get that last birdie to force a playoff.

''I was happy with the way I hit the putt,'' Piller said. ''I just didn't read enough break.''

The win should take Feng to No. 4 in the world.

Park, who went into a minor slump after winning her third straight major at the U.S. Women's Open, closed out her LPGA season with two top 10s. She still has one event left in Taiwan before taking a long winter's break, with plans to go to Australia to prepare for next season.

She won the money title for the second straight season.

''I played better this year,'' Park said. ''There is definitely room to improve for next year and I probably have a little more pressure on me next year, but I think I have a lot of pressure this year, anyways. A little bit more doesn't really make a difference for me.''

Feng wins Titleholder's championship

By Braig Handel, The Sports XchangeNovember 24, 2013 6:19 PMThe SportsXchange

NAPLES, Fla. -- Shanshan Feng did not get a chance to see Gerina Piller's putt that would have tied her on the final hole in the CME Group Titleholder's championship.

The silence told her all she needed to know.

The putt missed, and Feng held off the hard-charging Piller to win the LPGA's season-ending event at Tiburon Golf Resort on Sunday.

Feng shot a final-round 66 to finish 15-under for the tournament. She had six birdies on the day.

"I said I want to win more in the states on the LPGA, so I set a goal to win twice," Feng said. "I didn't win any before China but in the last four, I won two so that was amazing."

Feng earned a tour-high $700,000 with the victory but doesn't plan on spending much on herself.

"I'll put most of it in the bank and when I retire, I want to start an academy," she said.

Even though she accomplished her goal of a second victory this season, she said it was more important to her to shoot 15-under.

"If I did that, it didn't matter if I win or not," she said. "I did it. It didn't matter how Gerina was doing."

Feng did see Piller's approach on the final hole from 162 yards out from in front of a bush. Using a 7-iron from the rough on an upslope, Piller put her shot about 10 feet away.

"It was amazing," Feng said.

"I had some juices going," Piller said. "That's what you practice for. So I just stood over it and said, 'Just trust yourself.' I hit it pretty good and it ended up pretty good."

On the subsequent putt that missed by inches, Piller said, "I just didn't read enough break."

While disappointed she didn't win, the American still made $139,713 for finishing second.

Tied with Natalie Gulbis and Pornanong Phatlum after three rounds, Piller fell behind Sunday, then had birdies on three of her last six holes.

"To come out and grind like I did and give myself an opportunity to force a playoff, I'm pretty excited about that," she said. "I've been hitting my driver really well all week and I'm sure with nerves I was starting to hook it and it got me in trouble the first couple of holes. But I just knew that I hit it well all week and anything can happen out there."

Piller said Feng is super consistent.

"She's a major champion, so hats off to her," Piller said. "She played great today and I knew it was going to be tough."

Feng said she missed some birdie putts during the day that could have given her a larger cushion. However, she came up with birdies on Nos. 15 and 17 that proved crucial.

Phatlum finished third at 13-under and Sandra Gal was fourth at 12-under. Player of the Year Inbee Park finished fifth, at 11-under.

Cristie Kerr, Sun Young Yoo and Stacy Lewis came in at 10-under.

Lewis earned the Vare Trophy for lowest average score per round. She's the first American to win that award since Beth Daniel in 1994. Her scoring average of 69.484 is the eighth-best all time in LPGA history.

"It's awesome," Lewis said. "As Americans we hear about that all the time: It's been 18 years or it's been 20 years or whatever it is. I'm just glad to have that kind of checked off the list. We've got to get American golf on the map. That's been the goal and I'm just fortunate I've been playing good golf.

"I know I've been making a lot of birdies this year so I kind of didn't really realize what it was at for most of the year. The last few months I watched it and kept posting low numbers. Just to be a part of history is so cool. My name is now included among the greats of this game and it's an honor."

Gulbis, who began the day in a three-way tie for first, shot 10-over for the day.

Lydia Ko shot 2-under Sunday for a finish of 4-under. The teenager, who turned pro a month ago, made $16,063 with her first paycheck.

The LPGA Tour will start its 2014 season with the Pure Silk Bahamas Classic from Jan. 23-26.

Kisner holds on for win at Pebble Beach

November 24, 2013 8:53 PMAP - Sports

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) -- Kevin Kisner made a 15-foot par putt on the 18th hole for a 2-over 74 and a one-stroke victory over Chesson Hadley at the Pebble Beach Invitational on Sunday.

Kisner began the day with a two-stroke lead and finished at 13-under 275 after a tumultuous final round in the tournament featuring 80 professionals from the PGA, LPGA, Champions and Web.com tours.

''I wish I would had about a six-stroke lead, so it wasn't so stressful,'' said Kisner, who rejoined the PGA Tour this season. ''The back nine was playing brutally hard. I just got unlucky.''

Kisner, who had a tournament-low 64 Saturday at Spyglass Hill, moved to 17 under and a six-stroke margin after 11 holes. But he bogeyed the 12th, double-bogeyed the 14th and bogeyed the 17th.

''I just hung in there,'' said Kisner, who in March claimed his second Web.com Tour at the Chile Open in Santiago. ''Things like this always happen when you are in the hunt. Only when you are in a position to win does it seem to happen.''

Hadley shot a 70 and was four shots in front of Scott Langley (68) and William McGirt (73), who tied for third at 8 under.

Hadley, playing in the final group with Kisner, began the day trailing by five shots. But he remained steady while Kisner stumbled.

''When Kevin double-bogeyed 14, I definitely thought I still had a chance,'' said Hadley, a 2014 PGA Tour rookie. ''The conditions were tough out there, but I thought I had a chance on the 18th, but Kevin made a downhill 15-footer to win. My hat's off to him.''

Mina Harigae had a 71 to top LPGA finishers and finished tied for fifth with Sam Saunders (74) and Mark Brooks (70) at 281.

Brooks, who has won the event three times, moved into contention and was six under on the day and 11 under for the tournament halfway through the final round before faltering.

Tommy Armour III (68) and Kirk Triplett (72) were the top Champions Tour finishers and were among five players at 282.

Jason Kokrak started the day in second two shots back, but shot 80 and finished among seven players at 283.

Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam, who has played in the event several times since retiring from the LPGA in 2008, finished at even par after a final-round 75.

Kisner earned $60,000 of the $300,000 purse.

Feng ends her season with a (cannon) bang

By DOUG FERGUSON (AP Golf Writer)November 25, 2013 3:35 AMAP - Sports

NAPLES, Fla. (AP) -- Shanshan Feng of China set a goal to win twice on the LPGA Tour in one season, which she accomplished in her final four starts of the year.

The two wins could not have been any more different.

Her first win was before a hometown crowd in Beijing and required no small amount of luck. Trailing most of the day, she hit a shot on the final hole that she figured was in the water. It barely cleared the hazard, took a weird and wild hop out of the rough, was running fast across the green and struck the pin to settle tap-in distance away for an eagle and a one-shot win over Stacy Lewis.

''I think it was magic,'' she said.

Sunday at the LPGA Titleholders was sheer skill.

Starting the final round two shots behind and never thinking it was her tournament to win, the 24-year-old Feng ran off four birdies in six holes to take the lead, missed three birdie putts inside 6 feet that could have put it away, and then held off Gerina Piller with two birdies over the final four holes at Tiburon Golf Club.

Feng closed with a 6-under 66 for a one-shot win over Piller to claim $700,000, the richest prize in women's golf.

''I actually didn't think I was going to achieve my goal, but I made it at the last minute at the last tournament in Florida, so I'm really, really happy,'' Feng said.

The only trouble she faced was figuring out how to light the cannon that signaled the end of the LPGA Tour season. Feng was given that duty as the winner of the CME Group Titleholders, and once she was shown how, she was shocked at how quickly she heard the boom.

Feng wasn't the only winner this week along the gulf shores of Florida. Here were the five biggest winners:

FLAWLESS FENG: Feng played the final 31 holes without a bogey to make up ground on a strong leaderboard that included some of the best in women's golf. She only needed three holes to take the lead, and she came up with two big shots down the stretch. Her 7-iron into the 15th stopped 8 feet away for a birdie to give her a two-shot lead, and then she hit a touch pitch behind the green on the par-5 17th that set up a tap-in birdie.

Those were important, because Piller made birdie on both in the group behind Feng to stay within range.

Feng only wanted to get to 15-under 273, win or lose, and it turned out to be a winner. She is expected to go to No. 4 in the world ranking, and her $700,000 check allowed her to finish the season at No. 4 on the money list.

AMERICAN GIRL: Lewis shot a 63 on Saturday that all but wrapped up the Vare Trophy for the lowest scoring average. She was in position Sunday to win the tournament until a bogey on the front nine that slowed her momentum, and Lewis never got it back.

Even so, she closed with a 71 to tie for sixth and became the first American since Beth Daniel in 1994 to win the Vare Trophy.

''As Americans, we hear about that all the time - it's been 18 years or it's been 20 years or whatever it is,'' Lewis said. ''I'm just glad to have that kind of checked off the list. We've got to get American golf on the map. That's been the goal and I'm just fortunate I've been playing good golf.''

INBEE PARK: Inbee Park closed with a 68 to finish fifth, but she was a winner all week. Park, who won three straight majors among her six wins this year, clinched the LPGA player of the year last week in Mexico. On Friday night at the Ritz-Carlton, she delivered one of the most moving acceptance speeches, including this line, ''As soon as happiness became my goal, I achieved more things than ever.''

Park wound up winning the LPGA Tour money title for the second straight year, both times going over $2 million

PILLER'S BEST: Piller just bought a house in Texas and figured the $700,000 would go a long way toward paying that off. She came close. With birdies on the 15th and 17th holes, she stayed within one shot of Feng and at least gave herself a shot at a playoff on the 18th. From behind a small native bush, the wind at her back, she hit 7-iron from 162 yards from 10 feet and narrowly missed the putt. It didn't go in, but the stroke was not tentative.

Piller finished the year by playing in her first Solheim Cup team, and her runner-up finish at the Titleholders was the best of her career.

LOOKING AHEAD: One of the highlights of the season-ending event was the announcement of the 2014 schedule. In previous years, the schedule was so tenuous that it wasn't announced until January. LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan and his staff put together a 32-event schedule, up nine tournaments from two years ago.

The LPGA returns at the end of January in The Bahamas.

'Wild Thing' continues comeback in South Africa

November 25, 2013 9:26 AMAP - Sports

.

View gallery

John Daly of the United States greets the spectators on the 9th green during the final round of the BMW …

MALELANE, South Africa (AP) -- John Daly will play in the European Tour's Alfred Dunhill Championship this week as he comes back from elbow surgery.

The two-time major winner is in the field at Leopard Creek Golf Club near Kruger National Park in northern South Africa for only his second tournament since an operation in July to repair a shattered tendon in his right elbow.

The American got off to a promising start at last month's BMW Masters in his return to golf, before fading over the weekend to finish 5 over and in a tie for 48th.

''I'm really fresh and I want to play,'' Daly said Monday. ''I don't want to waste the end of this year. I'd like to get something going for the end of this year so I can get on track for next year.''

Daly returns to South Africa for the first time since the early 1990s, when he won a couple of tournaments to kick-start his career.

It's been nearly a decade since the 1991 PGA Championship winner and '95 British Open champion won on the U.S. or European tours, but he showed encouraging signs at the BMW Masters in China by opening with a 68.

He goes up against 2011 Masters winner Charl Schwartzel and Brendon de Jonge this week, but the Leopard Creek course could suit him.

''It's a ball striker's golf course,'' Daly said after his first look at the layout. ''You've got to hit the fairways. And the greens are tricky. It's the kind of course where you'd almost prefer a 20-footer to a 10-footer on these greens.''

The Alfred Dunhill is the second of three straight tournaments in South Africa to start the new European season and the 2014 Race to Dubai.

Morten Orum Madsen won the South African Open on Sunday, while Henrik Stenson, Justin Rose, Luke Donald, Sergio Garcia, Schwartzel and De Jonge are part of a 30-man field at the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City on Dec. 5-8.