Feng Shanshan continues move up women's golf rankings

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Oct. 14 (UPI) -- Feng Shanshan keeps moving up in the world women's golf rankings, reaching the No. 7 spot as of Monday.

Feng finished second to Lexi Thompson at the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia tournament, a result that pushes her past Karrie Webb for seventh in the rankings.

Feng was 10th in the rankings of Sept. 23 but has improved her position one spot each Monday since then.

Thompson, 18, following her second LPGA title, goes to 14th in the rankings after starting the week at 21st.

She's not the highest ranked teenager. That honor is held by No. 5-ranked Lydia Ko, 16. Ko last week submitted a petition to the LPGA to allow her to turn professional.

LPGA rules state a player must be 18 to turn pro but can write to the commission asking for an exemption. Thompson did just that in 2010 when she was 15.

Inbee Park owns the No. 1 spot in the rankings for a 27th week. She won the LPGA tournament n Malaysia last year -- a title that set off a series of strong showings that carried her to the top of the rankings -- but tied for 32nd this year.

No. 2-ranked Suzann Pettersen is the defending champion for this week's LPGA KEB HanaBank Championship in South Korea.

The women's world golf rankings Top 10, listing player's name, home country and ranking points average:

1. Inbee Park, South Korea, 12.13

2. Suzann Pettersen, Norway, 10.86

3. Stacy Lewis, United States, 9.91

4. Ryu So-yeon, South Korea, 7.23

5. Lydia Ko, New Zealand, 7.18

6. Choi Na-yeon, South Korea, 6.97

7. Feng Shanshan, China, 6.49

8. Karrie Webb, Australia, 6.08

9. Catriona Matthew, Scotland, 5.50

10. I.K. Kim, South Korea, 5.41