Feng rallies to win LPGA Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR (AP) ― China’s Shanshan Feng rallied to win the LPGA Malaysia on Sunday for her fourth LPGA Tour title, playing a six-hole stretch on the back nine in 6 under.

The 25-year-old Feng, four strokes behind Thailand’s Pornanong Phatlum entering the round, closed with a bogey-free 8-under 63 for a three-stroke victory over Phatlum. Feng birdied Nos. 11-14 to tie Phatlum at 16 under and pulled away with a four-stroke swing when she holed a 10-foot eagle putt on the par-5 16th and Phatlum made a double bogey on the par-3 15th.

Feng parred the final two holes to finish at 18-under 266 at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club.

Playing a group behind Feng, Phatlum birdied the 16th and parred the last two holes for a 70. She was trying to become the LPGA Tour’s first Thai winner.

Sweden’s Pernilla Lindberg and South Korea’s Ryu So-yeon and Chella Choi tied for third at 14 under. Lindberg had a 63, and Ryu and Choi shot 67.

Lydia Ko missed a chance to take the No. 1 ranking from Stacy Lewis. The 17-year-old New Zealander needed to win and have Lewis tie for 12th or worse. Instead, Ko closed with a 70 to tie for eighth at 11 under. Lewis had a 69 to tie for 21st at 7 under.


Bae opens up 4-shot lead

NAPA, California (AP) ― Bae Sang-moon took the lead early and expanded it late Saturday in the Frys.com Open, closing with three big putts for a 7-under 65 and a four-shot lead going into the final round.

The final three holes at Silverado changed everything.

They enabled Matt Kuchar and Brooks Koepka to get back into the hunt, but only briefly because of the great finish by Bae.

The South Korean was on the verge of making a sloppy bogey on the par-5 16th. Leading by two, he went into a hazard, hit a poor chip that barely got onto the fringe and then holed the 15-footer to save par.

With the tee moved forward on No. 17 to make it play about 292 yards to an elevated green, Bae hit drive to just inside 6 feet and holed that for eagle, and then made a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole.

He was at 16-under 200, four shots clear of PGA Tour rookie Zach Blair, who made a late birdie for a 69.

Kuchar hit driver to 5 feet on the 17th for an eagle and shot a 66, putting him in the penultimate group.