China's Feng happy there's a new kid in town

Feng Shanshan has been the figurehead for Chinese women golfers since becoming the first player from China to become a member of the LPGA Tour in 2008, and the first Chinese golfer to win a major when she took the 2012 LPGA Championship. But she may not be ploughing a lone furrow for much longer, after 17-year-old Lin Xiyu joined her in the field for the Ricoh British Women's Open this weekend.

Lin, from Guangzhou like Feng, carded a flawless seven-under-par 65 over the notoriously treacherous Kingsbarns Links to qualify for the season's penultimate major at the Old Course, St Andrews.

She proved she was worthy by comfortably making the Open cut at St Andrews, her four-under tally putting her five shots ahead of Feng, who barely made it into the weekend.

Feng is a bit older (she turns 24 tomorrow), but already a veteran compared to Lin, with 24 major tournaments under her belt and one won. Far from seeing Lin as a potential threat to her leading-light status, Feng says she'll do everything she can to get Lin to join her among the top stars of the women's game.

"We come from the same city in the same province in the same country, so I will do whatever I can to help her, while for me, it's nice to have a fellow Chinese player in the field, makes me feel more at home," said Feng.

"In China, we have two national squads for the girls, one for the players who play and train in China, mostly at the new National Centre at Nanshan, another for professionals like me who play overseas, six in each squad and it appears to be working well so far.