Home crowd can lift Feng to victory at Reignwood LPGA
China's first major champ out to repeat Classic win of last year
The power of home support should never be under-estimated in golf. Just ask the 12 Europeans who, raucously cheered on by the Gleneagles galleries, swatted aside the limp challenge of their disunited American rivals last week.
While Ryder Cup-style match play mania may not yet have gripped China, Feng Shanshan can attest to the importance of a vocal, local crowd.
It was 12 months ago that Feng produced an astonishing denouement to a tense head-to-head battle with world number one Stacy Lewis, edging the American thanks to a closing eagle-three.
It was my best tournament last year and I will be doing everything I can to replicate that form and give the fans something to cheer about
Not only did that remarkable climax ensure Feng was crowned the inaugural Reignwood LPGA Classic champion, but also it meant the spectators departed the venue with the warm, fuzzy feeling that comes with any hometown triumph.
No wonder 25-year-old Feng is champing at the bit ahead of the second edition of the richest of the LPGA Tour's eight Asian stops, offering a hefty prize purse of US$2.1 million.
Feng, ninth in the world rankings, said: "I love playing in China - I get great support from all the fans and can just relax and play my game.
"It feels great to be back in Beijing at Reignwood.
"It was my best tournament last year and I will be doing everything I can to replicate that form and give the fans something to cheer about."