Feng Comes from Behind to Win 2nd Women’s Open Championship
TENAFLY, N.J. - Rayee Feng of Short Hills claimed the 2nd New Jersey Women’s Open Championship on Tuesday, winning by three strokes at Knickerbocker Country Club. Feng, an amateur, fired a final round 4-under par 68 on the 6,055 yard course.
"It feels really great,” Feng exclaimed after her victory. “I played this event last year and it was really fun, and I just came back wanting to play the event again.”
Feng, a rising junior at The Pingry School becomes the first amateur to win the major championship. Meaghan Francella, a profesional at Philadelphia Cricket Club won the inaugural event last season.
Coming off a trip to the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship last week, Feng used that as a learning experience to excel at Knickerbocker over the last two days.
"I learned to be more patient with myself,” Feng added. “Even if I hit a bad shot, I would still be ok and could recover from it.”
After shooting an opening round 72 (E), Feng came back on Tuesday, compiling six birdies en route to the victory.
"My putting was pretty good today,” said Feng. “My irons were closer to the pin and it gave more birdie chances.”
Starting the day four strokes behind first round leader Brooke Oberparleiter, Feng opened her round with back-to-back birdies.
"There’s a lot of great players,” expressed Feng. “I’ve seen a lot of very big names here.”
Despite trailing Oberparleiter, Feng stuck to her own game, and didn’t check the leaderboard all day. She closed out her round birdieing three of the last six holes.
"I wasn’t the one in the group to do live scoring today,” Feng said. “I didn’t want to see where I was standing and just focus on my game.”
Feng joins her brother, Rayhoa, in the 2024 win column. Rayhao won the W.Y. Dear Boys Championship in June at Mercer Oaks Golf Course.
Oberparleiter, a rising sophomore at the University of Kentucky finished in solo second place. She turned in a 3-over par 75 on Tuesday.
Monet Chun of Canada and Lauren Peter of New York shared low professional honors, carding an even par 144 over 36 holes. They finished in a share of third place overall.
Aidong Ma of Heron Glen Golf Course had a hole-in-one on No. 6, a 152-yard par 3.
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