BEIJING, October 6, 2013 (HK Golfer Newswire) - Playing before a home crowd, Feng had led Lewis going into the pollution-plagued final round. But the American took a single stroke lead into the clubhouse Sunday after shooting a 68, putting pressure on Feng with a hole still to play.
The 24-year-old Guangzhou native made up the deficit and more with an unlikely eagle on the par five 18th hole to finish at 266, or 26 under par, just ahead of Lewis' 267. Feng’s fairway wood shot seemed destined for the water surrounding the final green, but the ball cleared the hazard by inches, got a favourable bounce off a patch of hard ground before caroming into the pin to set-up a straightforward putt.
Certainly Lewis was less than impressed with what she saw, tweeting: "Btw what (sic) till you see the shot on 18 that won it! Let's just say it involved a rock and the flag stick."
Lewis, this year’s Women’s British Open winner, also voiced her displeasure at the Chinese galleries, again via Twitter: Congrats to Shan Shan on the win, crazy shot at 18. Very disappointed in fans in China this week."
Later she wrote: "Between all the cameras and cheering when I missed putts. It was just really hard to have fun out there. On to the next."
Her tweets drew almost instant criticism from fans around the world and she subsequently closed her Twitter account, signing off with: "For those whose (sic) were actually supportive on twitter, sorry to say I will be signing off here. I'm sorry I say what I believe."
The $1.8 million tournament -- the LPGA's first in China -- was played at the par-73 Jack Nicklaus-designed Reignwood Pine Valley Golf Club near Beijing.
Feng's victory netted her $270,000 and was her second on the LPGA tour after winning the 2012 Wegmans LPGA Championship. With last year's win, Feng became the first Chinese golfer of either sex to cop a major golf championship, according to the LPGA.
World No. 1 player Park In-bee of South Korea, meanwhile, finished third at 271 after also carding a five-under 68.
Final scores:
266 Feng Shanshan (CHN) 70-64-64-68
267 Stacy Lewis (USA) 68-66-65-68
271 Park In-Bee (KOR) 69-68-66-68
272 Karrie Webb (AUS) 71-68-66-67
276 Choi Na-Yeon (KOR) 64-71-72-69
278 Tseng Ya-ni (TPE) 72-70-70-66
280 Beatriz Recari (ESP) 73-68-71-68; Christel Boeljon (NED) 70-71-70-69; Pornanong Phatlum (THA) 70-70-69-71
281 Yoo Sun-Young (KOR) 72-70-72-67; Amy Yang (KOR) 69-71-73-68; Chella Choi (KOR) 73-70-68-70; Caroline Hedwall (SWE) 71-68-72-70; Ryu So-Yeon (KOR) 71-69-70-71