'Aunt Shanshan' encourages next gen to seize chance

Former world No 1 Feng Shanshan reckons the improving women's golf scene in China gives the new generation an ideal platform to emulate her own trailblazing feats on the fairways.

"I think the younger players now are really lucky. They have more chances to compete in high-level tournaments. They need to cherish such opportunities," said the 32-year-old at last week's 2021 China Women's Golf Heritage Forum in Shanghai.

"I'm still not used to the younger players calling me 'Aunt Shanshan' now. I remember when I was a teenager, there were only about five youth tournaments in China each year.

"So I needed to compete in amateur tournaments and sometimes even professional events. I played in any tournament I could. Back then, I was probably the Chinese girl who played the most matches each year."

Feng's perseverance reaped rich rewards. In 2008, she became the first Chinese member of the LPGA Tour, going on to win 10 times on the circuit, including the 2012 LPGA Championship. She also bagged a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

"When I was younger, I watched those golf stars on TV who shined at international tournaments. But actually I didn't know how difficult the road to becoming a professional player would be," Feng said.

"So I played in those tournaments with older players and I was just a little sister to them. I learned a lot from them, not only in terms of skills. That's when I realized that to succeed in pro golf you need to have a wide range of abilities.

"I never considered myself a prodigy, especially compared with many foreign players. So I want to thank my father who steered me along the right path since I was a child. He taught me how to think and how to make decisions individually.

"He also taught me how to overcome difficulties. So through all these years, I gradually developed my own style of play and training routine."

Former pro Ye Liying, who played in the LPGA of Japan and these days is a coach, said that for all the advantages the new generation of Chinese golfers have over their predecessors, there is no substitute for good old-fashioned hard work.

"My suggestion to the younger players is that they need to know how to better manage their time. If you cannot arrange your daily schedule well, how can you have an efficient training plan?" Ye said at last week's forum.

"I remember years ago, when I played with Feng Shanshan, who was still a teenager at the time. She impressed me a lot. I once asked her what she does when she walks off the course, and she told me she needs to finish her homework right away."

Feng's bronze medal at the Rio Olympics remains a milestone in her career and for Chinese golf in general. She believes that the inclusion of golf on the Olympic program will encourage kids to embrace the sport.

"I feel lucky to have participated in two Olympic Games. Actually, previous generations of Chinese golfers also played at a high level but at that time they did not have a chance to compete in the Olympics," said Feng.

"Luckily enough for me, I was in my prime when golf made its return to the Games. I showed my strength and won the medal. Actually, my performance was not ideal before the Rio Games, but after winning the bronze, I regained my confidence.

"The Olympics is very significant to the entire golf community worldwide. Olympic sports always attract the most attention in China, so when people realize golf is also an Olympic event and there are Chinese players, they will start to watch the sport.

"During the Tokyo Olympics, I was reading comments on Chinese social media. People asked questions like, 'They've already played 10 hours so how come the match is still not over?', 'Did the players eat during the match?' 'What do they do if they want to use bathroom?' It was kind of cute and also shows how the Olympics can help educate people about golf."