Women’s Golf: Shanshan Feng Takes Charge of Dubai Leaderboard
Shanshan Feng is leading but Dame Laura is chasing hard and playing her heart out at the 2015 women’s golf season closes in on the end.
Defending champion Shanshan Feng wasted no time taking charge of the Dubai Ladies Masters leaderboard on Thursday.
Feng fired back-to-back 67s to return to her familiar place atop the leader board going into the penultimate round of the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters at Emirates Golf Club.
The world number six fired off another bogey-free 67 to post 10-under for the tournament, two shots ahead of Dame Laura Davies and five clear of Sweden’s Caroline Hedwall and Thailand’s Pornanong Phatlum, the winner in 2013.
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Feng, who holds the record for the lowest 72-hole score at the Emirates – the 21-under par 267 that she posted in 2012 – appeared relaxed and confident during her Thursday round.
"“I am not thinking about [the record]. Every year conditions are a little bit different, so, it doesn’t really matter if I break my own record or not. I just want to enjoy and be relaxed this week. I have had two good days so far, and there is another two days to go,” said the Guangzhou ace, who is also an Omega ambassador."
Davies, coming into the season-ending Dubai Ladies Masters from The Queens Cup last week, fired consecutive opening rounds of 68 to sit at eight under par, despite playing with a painful torn tendon in her heavily strapped left ankle.
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She made five birdies against one bogey on 17 – the result of some fairly spectacular adventure golf – was feeling pleased with her putting but struggling with her long game.
"“I don’t think I’m at full power, especially with the driver. Doesn’t really matter. We can take half a club more. But I’m not quite hitting it as long as I normally do, and I think it’s that I can’t load up and really get through it because I can feel it a little bit, but maybe that’s helping me hit more fairways.”"
Still, despite her injury, Davies plans to come out Friday and do it again.
Phatlum, who’s been feeling a bit under-the-weather, and Hedwall, who’s struggled all season with a game that won’t quite kick into gear, both posted four birdies on the Majlis Course.
Hedwall, who has tinkered with her game, was particularly pleased with her round:
"“I’m just happy I started rolling in some putts. Today I didn’t have a single bogey, so that felt nice. After China, after Xiamen, I had eight weeks off and changed my grip and been working hard on that. It’s nice that it’s paying off.”"
Frenchwomen Ariane Provot and Jade Schaeffer are tied for fifth on four under par, while overnight co-leader Liz Young from England carded a second round of 75 to slip back into a share of seventh on three under par. Fellow first round co-leader Carmen Alonso had a 77 to slip back into a share of 14th place, while social media sensation Paige Spiranac from the United States missed the cut at 12 over par after a second round 79.
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Golf Channel begins coverage of the 3rd round of the Dubai Ladies Masters on Friday, December 11 at 5am ET as the women’s golf 2015 season draws to an end.