World number 10 Shanshan Feng of China will defend her Buick Championship title at Shanghai Qizhong Garden Golf Club on home soil from Thursday. Here, last year’s LET Order of Merit winner talks about her Olympic dream.
Shanshan: when you were younger, the dream of playing in the Olympic Games wasn’t there for golfers… but it is now. When you first heard about that and the opportunity that might be there for you, what went through your mind and how is the excitement level for you now?
I would say, first of all, I was really lucky to be born at the right time, so I need to thank my parents for giving me this chance. I’m really happy that golf is back in the Olympic Games. The first time I heard, I thought I might have the chance to be involved, so I was really, really excited. But like when they first announced it, seven years ago, I was like, oh, it’s seven years later… so I’ve got a long time to go, and I’ll be 27, so that is great timing for it.
Now that we have golf a part of the Olympic Games, it’s a fresh sport that will inspire a new generation. Does that make you more nervous?
Yeah, I’m shaking already, but also excited at the same time because I mean, I’m really excited to meet all the other athletes. I mean, we haven’t had a chance to meet any of them before. We only see like golfers like each other, but now, maybe I’ll get a chance to… well, first, I can see maybe the male golfers like Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy, and then I can see like all the other athletes. So I’m really, really excited!
Shanshan, you said in a recent press conference that you want to catch Missy Franklin, the US swimmer, who won five medals in one games at London 2012, but you can only win one medal. How do you plan to catch her?
I would say if we only have one gold medal every four years, then if I want to catch her that’s talking about 20 years. So after 20 years I would be like almost 50. Well, it might not be a mission impossible, so I’ll try, yeah! (If Missy wins more medals) then I’ll play till I’m 70!
Do you plan to go to the opening ceremonies? If so, do you plan to stay or are you coming back?
The day after the opening ceremony is actually my birthday, so August 5th. I’m really willing to go, but I did already ask the Chinese team and they said because we are later in the schedule (with the women’s golf competition being played on August 17-20), maybe we won’t have a chance to actually be involved in the opening ceremony, but maybe in the closing.
What are your thoughts on making the most of the opportunity to brand yourself and become a bigger star through the Olympic Games?
You know, what I always focus on is just being the best golfer that I can be. I know I do have character. Well, you can tell right now, because off the course I’m usually like a funny, silly person, and I look different on the course because on the course we always have poker faces because we’re working. We want to make a living, so maybe it will look a little bit different. But I do think that all the girls, we have different personalities and we can all have maybe different brands. I think, as I represent China right now, I know a lot of the Chinese people are watching me, so I just want to prove to them that the Chinese can be good at golf and hopefully it will just inspire more people to start the game.
Do you feel pressure to represent your country in that way?
Well, there is always pressure, but I think pressure is a good thing because pressure actually pushes you to want to be better. So I never mind the pressure, but I don’t give myself any extra.
How did the inclusion of golf in the Olympic Games change how the sport is viewed in China? What is the hype like as we get closer?
Well, in China if you talk about sports you have two types of sports: one type is Olympic sports, while the other type is non-Olympic sports. So golf was in the non-Olympic sports. We do have sports ceremonies every year and because I won the major in 2012, actually I got the award for the best non-Olympic athlete for the year. But now because golf is in the Olympics I would say next time if I want to be nominated maybe it’s for best female athlete for the year. But I’m really happy for that, even though it’s difficult. Because now we are on a different platform. There will be more people, more channels that will be showing golf other than just watching golf on the Golf Channel. But now we can see golf everywhere during the Olympics, and more people will see how good golf is and especially how Chinese people can actually represent the country by playing golf. So I think that’s going to change the whole thing. It’s going to make the sport really, really popular in China because it’s such a great sport. That’s why I started it.
Imagine yourself standing on that podium and watching your flag go up. What would it mean for you personally?
Actually, what I thought was maybe I would cry… not because I’m sad, but because I’m too happy! I think I will be really, really proud of myself and also for my country because everyone knows China is not one of the strongest countries for golf right now, but if a Chinese golfer can win a gold medal maybe at the Olympics, then I can see that there will be more people playing golf in China. Well, all we have is people in China! Our population is huge, so once the sport becomes really popular, then we have a lot of people. So watch out… the Chinese are coming!
