TOKYO - China's Feng Shanshan carded a final-round 4-under 68 to defend her Japan Classic title and take her eighth LPGA championship with a two-stroke win over Ai Suzuki on Sunday.

Feng became the first player on the LPGA Tour to defend a title this season with a total of 19-under 197 at the Taiheyo Club's Minori Course in Ibaraki.

"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'."

Feng held a two-shot lead over Japan's Suzuki going into the final round, then got off to a rocky start with two bogeys and two birdies on the first four holes.

The Olympic bronze medalist tucked away her first par on the fifth and from then on played blemish-free golf.

Feng's sixth birdie of the round on the 17th proved enough to hold off the charging Suzuki, who fought all the way but blew her final chance with a bogey on the 18th when a birdie would have forced a playoff.

"(Suzuki's) ball-striking is so good; she left herself so many birdie chances and I was freaking out over the last few holes," Feng said.

"Before I started the round, I told myself to not look at the other scores."

It was Feng's second win of the season after the Volvik Championship in Michigan in May.

Helped by a stunning hole-in-one on the third, Sweden's Anna Nordqvist shot a six-under final round of 66 to finish third at 15-under, two behind Suzuki.

Agence France-presse

(China Daily 11/06/2017 page23)