The "golf spirit" in my eyes is "self-challenge". During the competition, I will not look at the standings, but only focus on every swing, because golf is a sport that defeats myself, see the space for myself to improve, and keep climbing upwards.
- Golf world champion Feng Shanshan
Feng Shanshan, selected for the 2018 Forbes China 30 Years Old with lower body education list
"Many people say that 'women' is a barrier. We work hard to do everything well and plan for our future. Everything in life is going in an orderly manner. At the age of thirty, there is nothing to be afraid of." This is the narration of the movie "29+1" directed by Hong Kong female director Peng Xiuhui .
What does thirty mean? Some people say that entering the age of 30 is a milestone in life; some people say that 30 means the end of youth; some people think that 30 means everything has just begun, and the true "standing at 30" is a new starting point, a new starting point.
30 years old, for Feng Shanshan, there is more responsibility, more goal, and more responsibility. As a golfer and as the captain of the Chinese Olympic women's golf team, she made a birthday wish on her 30th birthday, "I hope more and more people can participate in the golf sport, and more Feng Shanshan and Li Haotong can appear in China."
August 5, 2019 Shanshan's 30th birthday party
"National Treasure Shan", "No. 1 Golf Sister", "World No. 1", "Li Na on the Golf "... There are too many dazzling tags shining on her body. From the first person in China to enter the Women's Golf Professional Tour (LPGA), to the first person in the mainland of the Grand Slam, to the first Olympic medal winner in Chinese history, to the world's number one in the women's high school this week... Feng Shanshan has always been the creator of the Chinese golf record. So, what about after reaching the top "world number one"? "National Treasure Shan" gave a beautiful answer: There are no limits in life, continue to move in a better direction!
In October this year, Feng Shanshan will face world golf friends in Shanghai to compete for the championship of the Buick LPGA Championship. Regarding this game, she is familiar with her skills and said confidently: "This game is the only 8 LPGA-level competitions in China this year. The players are similar to the usual lineups, and they are more familiar with each other. I will try my best to adjust my state like I did in the past to bring the best performance to Chinese fans."
Father is a golf passerby
Since childhood, Feng Shanshan has been a girl who is suitable for both movement and silence, loves to study and is extremely diligent. When you see Feng Shanshan who has a solid body shape, it is hard to imagine that she used to be thin and weak. "When I was a child, I had a bad foundation. In order to strengthen my physical fitness, I had tennis, swimming, skating... as long as it is a sports event to strengthen my body, my parents asked me to try it all. Maybe I didn't have talent, so I gave up halfway." Shanshan quipped, "You are more stable in playing golf now, right?"
has a connection with golf, which can be traced back to the 1990s. In 1987, Guangzhou established the Guangzhou Youth Golf Team in preparation for the Provincial Games. China's golf has just started, and Guangzhou does not even have an official professional golf course . That year, Shanshan had just turned ten years old. Her father Feng Xiong was the leader of this team. He would bring a group of children to practice football every day. So, watching everyone practice football became a compulsory course for Shanshan every day. Until one day, a coach came over and said to her, "Little girl, why don't you try it too?" With the idea of giving it a try, Shanshan waved the first shot in her life. "Talented" was the coach's praise for her. In this way, Shanshan entered the sports field of golf, which was rarely visited at the time, and started a long swinging path.
Shanshan and her father Feng Xiong
If that coach is Shanshan’s mentor, then her father is the guide for her opening the door of golf.Deep in Shanshan's memory, my father's sternness is famous. When he was practicing, he put on a " poker face ". "I still remember when I was a child, my father had very high requirements and expectations for me. In our youth team, every child knew that there was an "Uncle Feng" in the team who was staring at everyone's practice, but as the saying goes, "Strict teachers produce high disciples", because my father kept urging and encouraging me, which laid a solid foundation at that time." Shanshan recalled. "Later, I went on the tour and gradually had my own fixed team. My father gradually 'retreated' to the second line, but he and my mother have always been an important spiritual pillar for me. Over the years of my career, whenever I encounter setbacks or fall into confusion, they are the ones who give me strength."
Shan and his mother Zheng Yuyan
2007, in order to allow Shanshan to receive better training, his father sent her to the American International Youth Golf Academy. The high living expenses, competition and examination expenses spent the Feng family’s 20 years of savings within one year. Fortunately, Shanshan lived up to expectations. A year later, she successfully passed the LPGA qualifiers and became the first mainland Chinese player in LPGA history to win a full card.
My goal never sets a limit
"Golf has never been perfect," this is the golf in Shanshan's eyes. She explained: "Because the sport of golf always has room for progress, and the height of pursuit does not have a 'ceiling'. In different periods, Shanshan will set a small goal for herself. When she was 12 years old, she was determined to enter the LPGA Women's Golf Championship with her own strength; after playing on the LPGA platform, she had a target for chasing - Chinese Taipei player Zeng Yani ; then, LPGA champion, Olympic medal, and the world's number one... Small goals followed one by one, and the passion was not there. Reduce, dreams are immortal, and following the goal, she is creating her own "golf miracle" step by step.
On the golf course, the players shed sweat and tears, burning their youth in competition and competition. Through all the way, Shanshan has achieved success and friendship. She transformed from a restrained little girl to the "No. 1 golf sister in the world". For her, golf is a sport, a career, the most important part of life, and carries lofty ideals. "Golf emphasizes self-discipline, challenge, respect for others and friendship. In fact, it is sometimes not just a sport, but more like an educational method, which can shape a person's character. "When she mentioned the thing that attracted her the most to golf, she thought for a while and said with a smile: "Uncertainty, you will never know what the result will be if the game is not the last shot." There is no limit to pursuing the golf road, and I always feel that I can still have room for improvement. Just like this year's Masters, the 43-year-old tiger Woods returned to win the championship, which made me extremely excited. "
016 Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia
The field of sports competition, challenges and success are parallel. Time goes back to the first half of 2016. That year is undoubtedly a historic moment for every golfer: golf returns to the Olympics. On the eve of the Olympics, Feng Shanshan temporarily decided to change her relatively conservative playing style during the urgent preparation period. "My condition has been poor in the first half of 2016. There is no problem in entering the top ten in the Olympics, but winning medals is not optimistic. So, I compared my abilities with the top three in the world at that time and found that the top three players were very young. Their style of playing was relatively enterprising, similar to my style of playing when I was 18 years old. I stared at the flagpole at one glance, but completely ignored obstacles such as the ponds and sand pits in front. As for me, after years of experience accumulation and exploration, my playing style has gradually become conservative, so I have lost the ability to "shoot birds". After some thought, I chose to change my playing style and finally won the first Olympic bronze medal in my life. ”
won the first Olympic medal in life
Nothing is impossible, everything is possible. The world's first, this is the ultimate dream of all athletes. Feng Shanshan's "world's first" dream came true in the 2017 Blue Bay Masters.Before the game, many media predicted that Shanshan would be sure to win, but the "conservative" girl in front of her always insisted on waiting until the last moment after the precise calculation of points, because "golf is always uncertain." As expected, Shanshan narrowly defeated Thai female player Molia with a slight advantage, won the championship and stood on the world-class podium. According to the points, Feng Shanshan surpassed Liu Xiaoran, the former world-ranked No. 1 South Korean player, and became the new "Follower" and the thirteenth "Follower" since the founding of the women's world rankings. She told the world by herself: Chinese athletes can also reach the top of the world of golf. "When I saw the five-star red flag appearing in the world's number one position, I felt very proud and proud. At that time, I had been playing for 18 years and had been on the LPGA for 10 years. At that moment, I felt that everything I had done before was worth it. This honor not only belongs to myself, but also to those around me who have been silently helping me."
017 Blue Bay Masters
10-year-old touching the ball and standing at the top of the world at the age of 28. This Guangzhou girl took 18 years. 18 years is a cycle from a person to adulthood. During this cycle, Feng Shanshan matures, and China's golf has gradually matured. Feng Shanshan's name is not only engraved at the top of the golf world rankings, but also triggered a new effect in the hearts of the people across the country - the "Feng Shanshan effect". She also has a love name: "Li Na on the golf course". Shanshan acted very humble in this regard. She waved her hand: "I am very grateful for everyone's recognition of me. In fact, I am just a guinea pig of Chinese golf, a pioneer, to explore and try, and then share experience with the younger generations. The 'Feng Shanshan effect' is more like a powerful psychological hint: it turns out that Chinese people are also suitable for golf. It's okay for Shanshan to do it."
Don't be happy with your heart, and you're disappointed and not lose your ambition. This is the real "winner in life". In the past 20 months of silence, Shanshan's condition has fluctuated. "In the past period, I was trying to increase my batting distance, but my feel was a little out of control, and the accuracy was also affected. The victory of the Thornberry Creek Elite Championship made me feel a long-lost self-confidence. I told myself: This is definitely not my last win, I can continue to win!" Shanshan smiled calmly: "Frustration, frustration, and challenges are commonplace. I am an optimistic person. Even if I fail, I will not let myself fall into negative territory for a long time. Emotion, because no one is perfect, you have to allow yourself to make mistakes. Moreover, golf is a tour system, with so many games a year, this game is not played well, and you can make a good summary, and work hard to do the best next time."
Golf is still my career after retirement
Although golf has developed in China for more than 30 years, golf is not a popular sport in China, and the general public knows very little about golf. Now, more and more people are participating in this sport, and Shanshan is full of confidence in the future of golf. "Whether it is participants or event organizations, there are far more and more participants in the teenagers, especially the number of participants in teenagers is increasing exponentially. I believe that as more and more Chinese golf players achieve good results on the international stage, golf will also receive more and more people's attention in China. "
In the eyes of many people, perhaps golf is a "noble sport", especially for young people with poor families, if they want to enter this field, "economic problems" are already the biggest "blocking stone" in front of them. But, this may be a misunderstanding. Shanshan explained, "I am a living example. My family is just an ordinary well-off family. Compared to when I was studying football, many golf colleges have been established in China, and there are also some experience activities that go to campus and popularize. With the strong support of government , associations and all sectors of society, this path can be fully understood. You are better than yours. I believe that more golf experts will appear in the future."
When asked about what you want to do most after retirement in the future, Shanshan said bluntly: "Stay in this industry and make some contributions.In 2014, I opened a golf academy and I always felt that I should use my current influence to do something substantial for the sport. After retiring, I have more time to manage and manage my own golf academy, train the children to become talents, take over our class when I grow up, and let the five-star red flag continue to fly on the world stage. "
Entering the World Golf Hall of Fame and participating in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in Japan are two new goals set by Feng Shanshan for herself. 30 years old is just a new starting point in life. Burn! Take advantage of the present.
The following is the conversation between Forbes China and Feng Shanshan.
Forbes China: On weekdays, do you have any other interests and hobbies besides golf?
Feng Shanshan: Apart from golf, I usually like karaoke and go with a group of mic bullies Let yourself go. There are also relatively relaxed shows such as watching dramas and variety shows, which are also my "secrets for unzipping". In addition, I actually like fashion-related things, some items that I think are good-looking, but I can't use them myself, so I like to buy them for those around me (haha).
Forbes China: Who is your favorite athlete in the field of sports?
Feng Shanshan: First of all, I think it is of course the eternal king Tiger Woods in golf! His return to the king at the American Masters this year is very touching. In addition, I also like Feder , he is 37 years old this year, but his courage to compete on the court and his perfect tennis skills have all demonstrated the charm of a mature and great athlete. As for Chinese athletes, I especially admire Yao Ming and Li Na. They have made great contributions in their own fields and are my role models.
Forbes China: If you choose your career again, what career you want to pursue most besides golf?
Feng Shanshan: Maybe you can do a translation (haha), because I am quite interested in language.
Forbes China: Do you have any suggestions for up-and-comers who want to enter the golf field?
Feng Shanshan: First of all, I would like to suggest that young players should be braver, children over 18 years old and have good level. If you have the opportunity to participate in the tour qualification exam, you must go to the tour qualification exam, especially for qualification exams like LPGA. Even if you cannot pass it in one go, at least you know your true strength and how much room for improvement. Summarize your experience and what you are welcome is to "successfully pass the level".
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