IBARAKI, Japan – Defending champion Shanshan Feng of China fired a 4-under 68 on Sunday to win the LPGA Tour’s Japan Classic by two strokes.

Feng recovered from two bogeys on the first three holes with six birdies to finish at 19-under 197, two shots ahead of Japan’s Ai Suzuki, who also shot a 68.

Feng became the first golfer on the LPGA Tour to defend a title in 2017 and claimed her second victory of the year, having captured the LPGA Volvik Championship in May.

“That was my goal, before I started the week, to defend my title,” said Feng. “My caddie told me: ‘This week, you’re going to be first. Two weeks ago, you finished third. Last week, you finished second, so you know what comes after that. first.’ I was like, OK, let’s go for it.”

Suzuki had a chance to overtake Feng through the back nine, but any time Suzuki made a birdie, it seemed as though Feng would answer with one of her own. She couldn’t capitalize on opportunities late in the round, and a final-hole bogey sealed the win for Feng.

“Her ball striking is so good. She left herself so many birdie chances and I was freaked out,” Feng said of Suzuki. “Before I started the round, I told myself to not look at the other scores and just go to 21-under par. I played very well.”

Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist had a hole-in-one on the par-3 third hole and added five birdies against a lone bogey for a 66 to finish in third place at 15-under 201.

Brooke Henderson, the lone Canadian in the field, shot a 2 under 70 and finished the tournament 6 under.

Lizette Salas was fourth after finishing with a 68.

Former World No. 1 Lydia Ko was among a group of seven golfers tied for fifth place after firing a 68 that included five birdies and a bogey on the final hole.

World No. 1 So Yeon Ryu had a 73 in the final round and said she would be taking next week off in order to rehab her still-injured shoulder as she makes a push for Player of the Year honours.

IBARAKI, Japan – Defending champion Shanshan Feng of China fired a 9-under 63 on Saturday to take a two-stroke lead after the second round of the LPGA Tour’s Japan Classic.

Feng carded seven birdies and an eagle at the Taiheiyo Club to move to 15-under 129, two strokes ahead of Japan’s Ai Suzuki, who was in sole possession of second place after a 65, that featured four birdies and an eagle on the back-nine.

Feng birdied five of her first seven holes to jump out to a quick lead. The 2012 Women’s PGA Championship winner eagled the 12th hole then picked up two late birdies to keep ahead of the fast-finishing Suzuki.

“I was shocked, because that wasn’t a very usual start for a round,” said Feng. “But then after that I kind of kept my good putting going on and finished with a 9-under.”

Feng is aiming to become the first golfer on the LPGA Tour to defend a title in 2017. She is looking for her second victory of the year, having captured the LPGA Volvik Championship in May.

Charley Hull of England had six birdies and an eagle at the second for at 64 that put her in a tie for third at 10-under 134 with South Korean Min Young Lee.

Stacy Lewis shot a 67 and was tied for fifth with Lizette Salas, Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist, and the Japanese pair Momoko Ueda and Ayaka Watanabe.

Brooke Henderson, the lone Canadian in the tournament, shot a 3-under 69 and is 4 under through two rounds.

Lexi Thompson struggled with the conditions and offset three bogeys with three birdies for a 72 that left her in a tie for 42nd.

Five more golfers are at 8-under par including World No. 1 So Yeon Ryu, who is still battling a shoulder injury, and New Zealand’s Lydia Ko, who is looking for her first victory of the year.

“Putting and driving are always going to be important no matter what tournament you play,” said Ko. “So those are things I’ll always be working on, to try to be more consistent.”

IBARAKI, Japan – Defending champion Shanshan Feng fired a 6-under 66 on Friday to share a seven-way lead after the first round of the LPGA Tour’s Japan Classic.

Feng carded six birdies in a bogey-free round at the Taiheiyo Club and was joined at 6 under by Americans Lizette Salas and Jane Park, Japanese players Saiki Fujita, Ai Suzuki and Nasa Hataoka, and Lee Ming-yong of South Korea.

Feng was only 1-under through 11 holes, but made five birdies in her last seven holes to climb into a tie for the lead. She is aiming to become the first golfer on the LPGA Tour to defend a title in 2017.

“I did start the day slowly, just like usual, and then I got my first birdie on the eighth hole finally,” Feng said. “After that I was like ‘that’s just the first of many,’ and then my ball striking was very good on the back nine,”

Anna Nordqvist was a further stroke back at 5 under, tied for eighth with South Koreans Sei Young Kim and Chae Young Yoon.

Lexi Thompson offset three bogeys with seven birdies for a 68 and was tied for 11th in a group of 13 players including No. 1-ranked So Yeon Ryu, Lydia Ko and Stacy Lewis.

In her last six starts, Feng has finished in the top seven five times, and is riding a hot streak into her title defence this week.

“What I did today was good, and I think I just stick to my same plan,” Feng said. “I believe if my ball striking is as good as normal then I’ll give myself a lot of birdie chances every day. So, if my putting is working I should be able to shoot lower scores.”

Salas, who bogeyed her first hole of the day but rebounded with seven birdies over the rest of her round, is also on a hot streak. She has finished in the top five in three of her last four events, but is still looking for her first title of the year.

“I feel really confident with these greens,” she said. “They’re slick (and) they’re fast, which are the kind of greens I like. My iron play has been improving so far, and I’ve been making clutch putts when I need to.”

The last time World No. 13 Brooke Henderson was in Japan, she was hoisting the individual title trophy at the 2014 Women’s World Amateur Games in Karuizawa. Henderson is making her first start at the TOTO Japan Classic, and a win this week would bring her record to 2-0 when playing in Japan.

“Playing in the World Am a few years ago, was a highlight of my amateur career, and experiencing playing in Japan for the first time was really cool,” Henderson said. “Going into Tokyo and doing a few extra things made it extremely memorable and I’ve been really looking forward to this visit back.”

So excited to be back in Japan! Last trip here was for World Amateur Team Championships 2014! Silver Medal for?? and Low Individual Honours pic.twitter.com/1kqlVf1Dma

— Brooke Henderson (@BrookeHenderson) October 30, 2017

Henderson is in top form heading into the TOTO Japan Classic finishing in the top 10 in three of her last four starts, including her second victory of the 2017 season at the MCKAYSON New Zealand Women’s Open.

“I’d like to get another top 10, of course a win would be amazing, but top 10 is my goal,” Henderson said. “Keep the streak alive a little bit, but just to continue to play well and improve my world ranking and position in the Race to the CME Globe. Hopefully this week will be a boost in that direction.”

Entering this week, Henderson is fourth in the Race to the CME Globe standings, 241 points behind third place So Yeon Ryu. If Henderson holds her position in the top five, she will control her own destiny at the CME Group Tour Championship, meaning if she wins in Naples she will win the $1M CME Globe.

Augusta James (left) looks on as Brooke Henderson, (middle), and Brittany Marchand of Canada, high-five at the 18th hole on (Oshitate Course) during the first round at the 2014 Espirito Santo Trophy at Karuizawa 72 Golf East in Karuizawa, Japan on Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2014. (Copyright USGA/Steven Gibbons)

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Cristie Kerr made her 20th career victory on the LPGA Tour one to remember.

Locked in a four-way tie for the lead going to the 18th hole, Kerr made a 35-foot birdie putt for an even-par 71 and a one-shot victory in the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia to cap off a wild finish at the TPC Kuala Lumpur.

Kerr, who won earlier this year in Hawaii, became the 27th player in LPGA Tour with 20 career victories.

“What a way to win,” Kerr said. “I always said I wanted to get a win by my 40s, and I got it pretty quick.”

“That’s probably the longest putt I’ve ever made to win a golf tournament.” @CKGolferChic #SimeDarbyLPGA pic.twitter.com/eFLiAgDg58

— #CMEFinalStretch ? (@LPGA) October 29, 2017

Kerr, who celebrated her 40th birthday on Oct. 12, became the first player since Catriona Matthew (42) at the 2011 Lorena Ochoa Invitational to win in her 40s. This one packed a little more excitement than she anticipated.

She took a one-shot lead over defending champion Shanshan Feng into the final round, only to slip into a tie for the lead with a double bogey on the par-3 seventh hole. Kerr still had the tournament in her grasp until a two-shot swing on the 17th hole – Kerr made bogey and Feng made birdie.

Danielle Kang, who won the Women’s PGA Championship this year for her first major, closed with a 66 and Jacqui Concolino had a 67. They also were tied for the lead and waiting to see if there would be a playoff.

Kerr made sure there wasn’t.

For a player who has made a career with her short game, even Kerr was impressed. As the photographers were lining up for the trophy presentation, Kerr and her caddie went back to the spot and stepped off the putt one more time.

“I knew it was going to be like a five-way playoff,” Kerr said. “I was just like, ‘Got to do it. Got to do it.’ The only thing I could control was trusting my line and hitting the putt with the speed to make it. And I did it.”

Kerr finished at 15-under 269 and earned $270,000 and went over $19 million for her career, third on the all-time list behind Annika Sorenstam and Karrie Webb. She also became the seventh player with multiple victories this year.

Feng was trying to win in Malaysia for the third time in four years, and nearly pulled it off. She now has two victories and three runner-up finishes in the tournament.

“I think second is still not a bad finish here, and I’m still keeping my record pretty good here in Malaysia,” Feng said after closing with a 71.

Concolino earlier had a 10-foot birdie putt on the 18th that caught the lip and stayed out. The runner-up finish was her best on the LPGA Tour.

“Cristie making the putt on the last hole is kind of inevitable I guess,” Concolino said.

Canada’s Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., posted the low score on the day with a bogey-free 64, moving her into a four-way tie for 5th place.

.@BrookeHenderson puts 7 birdies on the card for her final round to finish with an #LPGAHotRound of 64 at #SimeDarbyLPGA! pic.twitter.com/DEQBKAV5tc

— #CMEFinalStretch ? (@LPGA) October 29, 2017

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Cristie Kerr fired a 6-under 65 Saturday to take a one-stroke lead over defending champion Feng Shanshan at the Sime Darby.

The American veteran, who posted the tournament’s lowest score of 63 on Friday, had five birdies in the opening nine holes of the third round and got two more for an overall 15-under 198.

“I’m just going to enjoy it,” Kerr said of Sunday as she aims to clinch her first title in six months. “I’m just going to try to not put too much pressure on myself. I try to do the best on every shot, so that’s my mantra tomorrow.”

Former top-ranked Lydia Ko, the first-round leader, saw her title challenge all but end after posting a 70 to end the day tied for 12th on 7-under 206.

Feng stays in firm contention after the Chinese shot 3-under 68, despite only managing three birdies in tropical conditions at TPC Kuala Lumpur.

“It was really hot with no breeze,” Feng said. “I almost felt like I was going down, but I tried my best … I mean, my ball-striking wasn’t as accurate but I think overall 3-under, bogey-free round is still a very good score for Saturday.”

South Korea’s Kim Sei-young is four shots behind Kerr in third, while American duo Stacy Lewis and Jacqui Concolino are tied for fourth.

Canadian Brooke Henderson shares a four-way tie for 19th place at 6 under par.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Shanshan Feng had three birdies before a lengthy rain delay and three more after it, shooting a 6-under 65 Friday to take a one stroke lead after the second round of the Sime Darby.

Play was halted for close to four hours because of heavy rain at TPC Kuala Lumpur. But Feng, a two-time champion from China, managed to stay steady on both sides of the interruption to lead at 11-under 131.

“I didn’t have as many birdie chances as yesterday, but I think I actually made more putts,” Feng said. “So that actually made me happy, and I think 6 under is still a very good score here.”

Madelene Sagstorm (66) is in second place, followed by Cristie Kerr (63) at 133. Kerr’s round was the lowest of the day.

“I have an easy time starting to think too much, so it’s about finding the right position,” Sagstrom said. “It’s not the job on the course. I’m just trying to get back into what I know works, and I kind of got back in that rhythm afterwards.”

Overnight leader Lydia Ko (72) couldn’t maintain her first-round form and carded four bogeys in the second.

Canada’s Brooke Henderson posted a 2-under-par 69 to sit tied for 23rd midway through the championship.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Lydia Ko fired a 64 for her best opening round of the year to lead the LPGA Tour’s Sime Darby event at 7 under on Thursday, and is hoping her best start will lead to her first title of 2017.

The former No. 1-ranked Ko is one shot ahead of Su Oh and two ahead of defending champion and two-time winner Feng Shanshan, Madelene Sagstrom and Eun Hee-Ji, who won by six strokes in Taiwan last week for her first LPGA Tour title since 2009.

“Today I tried to be positive and as confident as I can,” said Ko, who finished second in Taiwan last week. “I think playing well last week really gave me good momentum going into today.”

Ko opened with a birdie, one of seven in an unblemished round on the par 71, 6,246-yard course at the TPC Kuala Lumpur.

“Made a string of birdies late in my front nine and I was able to keep that momentum going into the back nine,” she said.

Ko has three top-10 finishes since September, and 10 overall this year.

No. 6-ranked Feng, who has been runner-up here twice along with her victories in 2014 and ’16, said her ball striking was “super” but she missed some birdie chances.

“I think that means maybe I can still make more over the weekend,” she said, “I think it’s a good start.”

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., sits tied for 20th after opening at 1 under par.

TAIPEI, Taiwan – Eun-Hee Ji fired a 7-under-par 65 to win the Taiwan Championship on Sunday for her first LPGA title since the 2009 U.S. Women’s Open.

Ji, who had a six-stroke lead heading into the final round, carded seven birdies to finish at 17-under 271, six strokes ahead of Lydia Ko, who also closed with a 65.

Top-ranked So Yeon Ryu also shot a bogey-free 65 to move into a tie for third place with Lizette Salas and Carlota Ciganda.

“I’m so happy and excited because I haven’t won in 8 years, I’ve been waiting for this moment.” Eun-Hee Ji interview at #SwingingSkirts pic.twitter.com/wNGRLJDtqF

— #CMEFinalStretch ? (@LPGA) October 22, 2017

Sung Hyun Park, the U.S. LPGA Tour rookie of the year, shot a 71 to finish well back at 5-over while defending champion Ha Na Jang was a further stroke behind after closing with a 68.

LPGA Tour veteran Jenny Shin, who started the final round tied for second, struggled with the conditions and fell into a tie for 14th after a 73.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., and Hamilton’s Alena Sharp both finished the tournament even – Henderson after shooting a final-round 68 and Sharp going out with a round of 74.

TAIPEI, Taiwan – Eun-Hee Ji carded a 3-under 69 to open up a six-stroke lead after the third round of the Taiwan Championship on Saturday.

Ji, who shared the overnight lead with Jenny Shin, recovered from a bogey on the par-4 5th with four birdies for a total of 10-under 206. The South Korean veteran is looking for her first win since the 2009 U.S. Women’s Open.

Lydia Ko carded seven birdies against a bogey and a double bogey on the 17th for the day’s lowest round of 68 and is tied for second with Shin at 4-under 212.

“It was pretty tough out there with the wind being pretty strong and starting from the first hole,” Ko said. “It kind of progressively picked up. I played solid and made a few good putts. A little careless plus little mistakes on 17, but it’s always nice to be able to finish with a birdie on the last.”

Shin had three bogeys on her way to a 75 but the LPGA Tour veteran wasn’t ruling out a surprise on Sunday.

“Everybody has a bad day,” Shin said. “Everybody has a good day. That was my bad day. So hopefully tomorrow I can come back with a solid round and hopefully try to catch the leader.”

Cristie Kerr shot a 70 and was tied for fourth in a group that included Brittany Altomare (75).

Top-ranked So Yeon Ryu and No. 2 Sung Hyun Park, the U.S. LPGA Tour rookie of the year, struggled to find their rhythm. Ryu finished with a 75 for a share of 16th place, and Park was 6 over after a 73.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp is the top Canadian. She sits 2 under after shooting a 71 in the third round.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., is 4 over after also shooting a 71.