Stacy Lewis arrived on the plane Monday to Beijing – a place it would have been easy for her to run from after last year. That’s never been Lewis, though. She doesn’t back down from a challenge and she wasn’t about to duck on the tournament that slipped from her grasp a year prior. It wasn’t just about losing the golf tournament. That happens. It was also about feeling like the grace and dignity she expects of herself in defeat wasn’t as present after being frustrated by what she perceived as a lack of etiquette at times during the final round as the fans cheered on one of their own – China’s Shanshan Feng – in the final group with Lewis.
So when planning out which of the six consecutive Asian events this fall that she’d play, Reignwood LPGA Classic wasn’t about to be left off of the list.
“Obviously last year didn’t go the way I wanted to. I played some great golf. I definitely probably didn’t handle things the way I wanted to. That’s why I’m back this year,” said Lewis. “I kind of want to right the ship a little bit. I never back down from a challenge. That’s why I’m here. More than anything, it’s an opportunity to win. It’s a golf course I played really well on last year, and I feel like I’ll have a good shot again this year.”
She lost by the thinnest of margins a year ago. Entering the 18th hole with a one-shot lead over Feng, Lewis laid up on the 495-yard par-5 only to watch Feng’s shot take a fortunate bounce in front of the green, thump off the flagstick and come to rest three feet from the hole, sending the Beijing crowd into a greenside frenzy.
Lewis then missed her 18-foot birdie putt, the crowd celebrated, and their local hero drained the eagle putt to take the victory in the LPGA’s first trip back to China since 2008 – a country where golf is exploding in popularity and playing numbers. Lewis, for her part, wasn’t used to the fans not cheering her on and in turn, regretted the way she handled the frustration of what she perceived as a celebration over her loss.
“I think the hardest part, a lot of the countries we play in in Asia golf is fairly new. A lot of the etiquette with fans and the crowds is not what it is in the U.S.,” said Lewis. “Rightfully they’re going to cheer for someone from China. That’s how it is.”
There’s no doubt at the time the loss was too palpable for Lewis to be content with the result. However, looking back, Lewis realizes the golf history she was a part of, and wasn’t about to skip the opportunity to return to Reignwood when figuring out which events of the six consecutive week Asian swing she would play in.
“Just having this event in China, we can thank Shanshan for that. Her winning here was massive,” said Lewis. “It’s going to be great for the game of golf, and it’s going to continue to grow. 10, 15 years from now on you’ll probably see a lot of Chinese players coming like Se Ri Pak and South Korea. I think it’s one of those moments that’s going to change history down the road.”
It’s already changing the LPGA and the game in China as this won’t be the only stop for the LPGA Tour in China during the next six weeks in Asia. For the first season in history, two events in China will occupy slots on the schedule with the world’s best set to tee it up in three weeks at the Blue Bay LPGA in Hainan Island, China.
Entering this event, Lewis says she has more energy than she can ever remember in the last couple of years at this point in the season. That’s needed energy to right the ship in China, and to potentially get her fourth win of the year. Currently ranked first on the Tour in the standings for the Race to the CME Globe, the money list, scoring average, and the Rolex Player of the Year, Lewis knows she’ll need that energy to hold on to all of the end of the season awards she covets.
“You kind of start paying attention a little bit more as the year goes on, but at the same time you got to out there and win tournaments,” said Lewis. “I checked off a lot of goals I had for this year already, and I still have six tournaments left to take it up another notch. I’m excited to be here.”
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