Shanshan Feng admitted she exceeded her own expectations in winning the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters at Emirates Golf Club.
The world No.6 completed a dominant start-to-finish performance, acknowledging her work with the short-stick in her five-shot victory.
“I wanted a top-five finish this week and I did even better than that. I played solid all week and my putting was the key,” she said.
The 23-year-old went into the final round with a commanding 5-stroke cushion after superb rounds of 66, 65, and 67 and carded a final-round 3-under par 69 to finish the tournament on 21-under, a new four-day course record.
But despite her massive 54-hole lead, the winner of this year’s World Ladies Championship in New York, wasn’t resting on her laurels, claiming she still had a plan for her final round.
“I was just playing my own golf. I said at the start if I shot five under nobody could catch me,” she said.
“We had a little more wind and it was tougher to play, so three under was not a bad score. I didn’t look at the leaderboard until 18, so I had no idea how everyone else was doing.”
Feng calmed the nerves making par at the first two holes and then put the result beyond doubt when she made eagle on the par-five, third. Dewi Claire Schreefel of the Netherlands, who shot a superb course record 9-under par 63 on Friday, finished second on 16-under while Becky Brewerton of Wales came from the clouds to shoot a final round 7-under par 65 to tie for third with Caroline Masson on 12-under.
Germany’s Masson was hoping a third place finish would see her win the money race but the Order of Merit was taken by Spain’s Carlota Ciganda, who closed with a 4-under par 68 to tie for 10th.
By winning the Order of Merit, Ciganda became the first player since Laura Davies in 1985 to win both the Ladies European Tour money list and the Rookie of the Year title in the same season.
“It ends an unbelievable season,” Ciganda said. “I’m very proud.”
