Team GGGA pro Shanshan Feng rallied past Pornanong Phatlum during the last round of the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia championship with a bogey-free 8-under 63 for a three-stroke victory.
Shanshan entered the final round with a T3 position, and thanks to a 6-under back nine, which included an eagle on the par-5 16th hole that utilized the same 3-wood that solidified her victory in the 2013 Reignwood championship, she was able to pull ahead of Pornanong Phatlum who hit a shot in the water during the same hole.
“I hit the 3-wood with like a smooth swing,” Feng said. “Then I was hoping to get a good bounce, which I did. It reminded me kind of like 18 hole Reignwood last year. Same club. It’s the magic 3-wood again. I made an eagle again. I think that was pretty important for my win.”
The 25-year-old from China has reached her 4th career victory, and has crossed the 1 million dollars earnings mark for the year with this victory contributing $300,000. To date Shanshan has 4 major career victories, and has a pretty successful record in Malaysia with a runner up position in 2013, T-19 in 2012, and T-12 in 2011.
Gilchrist spent a week with shanshan in Beijing, which paid off in a big way leading to her victory at Malaysia. Throughout his stay Gary focused on Shanshan’s putting, chipping, and sharpening her mental approach, which contributed to her successful birdie streaks that netted her 20 birdies and 1 eagle throughout the tournament. “Shashan has a remarkable mental capacity, which I believe contributed to her victory this weekend,” stated Gary Gilchrist. “I knew she was going to win after I saw her eagle during the 16th hole.”
ABOUT GGGA
The Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy, located near Orlando, FL in Howey in the Hills, is the world’s premier junior golf academy. In addition to the junior golf program, GGGA also features summer golf camps, winter golf camps and programs, training and golf lessons for amateurs, professionals and adults.
The Academy is committed to excellence in every facet of golf, fitness, personal development and academics, evident through exclusive relationships with Montverde Academy, an acclaimed private college preparatory school, and the American Junior Golf Association.
Gary Gilchrist, founder of the Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy, has been recognized as a Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher 2013-2014 and as a Golf Digest Top 50 Teacher in America 2012-2013 and 2014-2015. Gilchrist teaches many of the games top juniors and pros at the Academy, including Morgan Hoffmann, Shanshan Feng, Fabrizio Zanotti and many more.
