Lexi Thompson fails to defend title in Dubai
American Lexi Thompson sought to defend her title at the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters 2012, but she was knocked out of contention after a sluggish performance in the last two rounds.
The LET (Ladies European Tour) tournament, held last week at Emirates Golf Club, Dubai, saw the participation of big names like Spanish Carlota Ciganda and Scottish Carly Booth.
However, Thompson was singled out as the hot favourite, given her last year’s triumph at the same course.
Thompson posted an overall 279 to finish tied for the 10th position along with five other contenders. Although it was not considered a bad performance, the American star was expected
to do much better than that.
She made a cautious start, posting a 69 in the first round. The second round also saw her maintain her momentum as she carded a 68.
The rising star could not stick to her guns in the last two rounds, which saw her shoot a 72 and 70 in the third and fourth round respectively.
Thompson was yet to taste triumph in the 2012 season, because she was capable enough of grabbing a title on both the LET and the LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) Tour.
With a solid putting and swing skills, Thompson’ overall game has so far been unmatched. However, she has been eager to end her winning drought since last year when she treated herself to
the season-ending title in Dubai.
On the other hand, she is going thought the same winless phase on the LPGA Tour as well. The golfing sensation won her last title at the Navistar LPGA Classic, beating American Tiffany Joh
by five strokes.
Chinese Shanshan Feng, who was making her first appearance at the season-ending battle, stunned all the contenders as she posted a 267 to win her maiden title in Dubai.
She demonstrated her ability to play in a completely different course condition, shooting a massive 66 in the first round on Wednesday.
Sharing her thoughts about the challenge she faced during the tournament, Feng said that the field featured players who were fully capable of beating her, but she remained in contention till
the last hole.
“The other players in my group, I knew how they were doing, they made some long putts, but I was just focusing on my game,” Feng said.
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