Shanshan Feng has become the first player from China to win the Ladies European Tour’s Order of Merit after her season-ending victory at the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters.
The world No 6’s record third win in the event crowned a tremendous season, which featured a victory at the Buick Championship in Shanghai and two further top three finishes, at the Evian Championship and Sanya Ladies Open, from six starts on the Ladies European Tour in 2015.
The 26-year-old from Guangzhou teed up in Dubai with an unassailable lead and, after collecting a first prize cheque for €75,000, took her season’s earnings to 399,213.41 euros, 150,062.84 euros ahead of second placed Melissa Reid from England. Feng now boasts 15 career wins, including five on the Ladies European Tour, since turning professional in 2007.
The only golfer from mainland China, man of woman, to win a major, at the Women’s PGA Championship in 2012, Feng is a figurehead for golf in her native China, where she is inspiring a new generation of golfers to play the sport. As the winner of the Order of Merit, she joins a prestigious list of former champions including Dame Laura Davies, Annika Sorenstam and Ai Miyazato who have all had a significant impact on the growth of the game.
“Overall I think I did well this year on the European Tour,” said Feng. “I always love this tour because it’s good prize money, good players, good sponsors. I think the Tour is getting better and better, because I’m in the player meeting every year here, so actually I can tell the tour is growing. I’m happy to see that change. If I have more chances to support this tour, I would love to.”
The “Ladies European Tour Order of Merit” is a listing of Ladies European Tour Members in order of priority according to money won in Ladies European Tour Ranking Tournaments in the current season. It is used to determine certain categories of exempt status for the following year. In order to qualify to appear on the Order of Merit a Member must have played in a minimum of six (6) Ranking Tournaments in the current season. The winner of the 2015 Order of Merit receives a cheque for 20,000 euros and a seven (7) year exemption to play on the Ladies European Tour, valid until 31st December, 2022.
Winners of the LET Order of Merit:
1979 Catherine Panton-Lewis
1980 Muriel Thomson
1981 Jenny Lee Smith
1982 Jenny Lee Smith
1983 Muriel Thomson
1984 Dale Reid
1985 Laura Davies
1986 Laura Davies
1987 Dale Reid
1988 Marie-Laure Taya
1989 Marie-Laure de Lorenzi
1990 Trish Johnson
1991 Corinne Dibnah
1992 Laura Davies
1993 Karen Lunn
1994 Liselotte Neumann
1995 Annika Sorenstam
1996 Laura Davies
1997 Alison Nicholas
1998 Helen Alfredsson
1999 Laura Davies
2000 Sophie Gustafson
2001 Raquel Carriedo
