Shanshan Feng retains Buick Championship with play-off victory

China's Shanshan Feng retained her Buick Championship title with a play-off victory over South Korean Na Yeon Choi after an exciting final round duel at Shanghai Qizhong Garden Golf Club.

Sharing the lead for the last three rounds, both Choi and Feng carded 67s in testing conditions for a matching 72-hole total of 14-under-par, but it was a frustrating day for Choi, who led for much of the final day only to bogey the last and then the first play-off hole.

Feng, 26, pulled a stroke ahead of Choi with the first of three straight birdies at the fourth, but after both picked up shots on five and six, Feng dropped back with a bogey on the eighth. Choi then birdied the long ninth to take a one-shot lead for the first time on the final day. 

And the 28-year-old world No 18 moved two strokes clear at 11 only for Feng to hit back with a birdie at 12. Two birdies apiece followed at 13 before Choi looked to have taken control by chipping in at 14 to move two clear again.

But Choi's driving became unreliable down the stretch and she had to take an unplayable drop on 15 after hitting her ball under a tree in long meadow grass. She rescued an incredible bogey from there to stay one ahead of Feng and when she then birdied 16, victory looked within her grasp. 

But after a heavy shower set in and play was suspended for 30 minute due to the threat of lightning, the momentum turned as Feng holed a birdie putt on 17 to get within a stroke of the lead and Choi then found difficulty off the 18th tee. 

Feng made her par as Choi took a bogey to force a play-off, in which Choi's first putt travelled way past the hole and she missed the return, allowing Feng to make her birdie attempt from around 10 feet.

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"Today, from the beginning, Na Yeon was ahead and I was behind, but I never gave up," said Feng. 

"When we had two holes left I thought, 'I'm just going to try my best and see what happens,' and I think I had luck on my side. I'm really happy to finish with a birdie on the last hole and I'm really proud that I was able to defend my title."