SAGSTROM LEARNING FROM VETERAN FENG
Anybody who follows the LPGA knows that Shanshan Feng has one of the biggest personalities on Tour. So when rookie Madelene Sagstrom played with her in the final group on Friday, she truly enjoyed learning from one of the best how to enjoy yourself on the golf course.
“Every opportunity I get to play in the last groups, it’s just awesome because I keep learning and keep building,” said Sagstrom, who will again play in the final group with Feng on Saturday, this time along with Cristie Kerr. “Playing with Shanshan is awesome because she’s so relaxed. It’s just awesome to watch.”
KIM REMAINS OPTIMISTIC DESPITE PENALTY
The smile on Sei Young Kim’s face belied the unfortunate penalty at No. 17 which cost her two strokes and her spot at the top of the leaderboard. With her ball in a bunker off the tee and at 10-under for the tournament, Kim removed a leaf from the bunker, an infraction of Rule 13-4.
“That’s fine. We have two more rounds,” said Kim, ever the optimist.
While she sits four strokes behind 36-hole leader Shanshan Feng, Kim is comfortable with her ball-striking and feels that a weekend charge is well within her grasp.
“I’ll just focus on what I have to do,” said Kim, who won the 2017 Citibanamex Lorena Ochoa Match Play. “That was key today. So I’ll keep going, whatever happens come to me, and I just focus and trust myself.”
QUICK HITS
- Shanshan Feng is one of the nine players to have played in all seven previous Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia events; she is the 2014 and 2016 champion, and was runner-up in 2013 and 2015
- Madelene Sagstrom is playing in her first Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia
- Sagstrom’s 36-hole score of 132 is her career best, bettering the 135s she returned at the 2017 McKayson New Zealand Women’s Open (where she finished T8) and the 2017 Meijer LPGA Classic (where she finished T4)
- Cristie Kerr is playing in her fifth Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia and first since 2013; her best finish was eighth in 2010
- Kerr’s second-round 63 is tied for the third-lowest round of her LPGA career and second-lowest round of 2017
- Sei Young Kim is playing in her second Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia, she finished 51st in 2015
- Play was suspended at 11:10 a.m. due to dangerous conditions and resumed at 3 p.m.
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