Shanshan Feng has always excelled at keeping the mood light.
The former No. 1 has yet to tee it up this year on the LPGA, and she’s not the least bit concerned about it.
“I’m (almost) 31 years old,” said Feng, a 10-time winner on the LPGA. “I’m never going to ask for the offseason to finish.”
Like several of the LPGA’s high-profile players, Feng decided to start her 2020 season in Thailand, skipping the first four events of the season. She arrived in the U.S. shortly before the start of the Chinese New Year in late January. Feng expected to have three weeks of practice in Los Angeles before heading over to Asia for the start of a three-week swing.
Concerns over the coronavirus, however, forced the LPGA to cancel all three of those tournaments in Thailand, Singapore and China.
In addition, the Buick Shanshan Feng AJGA Girls Invitational has been postponed with Chinese juniors expected in the field. The event was scheduled to be held Feb. 15-17 at Stanford Golf Course.
“I just feel sorry for the juniors,” said Feng. “Those girls that practiced so hard.”
Feng will now start her 13th season on the LPGA March 19-22 at the Volvik Founders Cup in Phoenix.
As for the LPGA losing several limited-field events, Feng noted that it actually levels the playing field for many players.
“It’s maybe more fair to the rookies and the players that wouldn’t be in Asia,” said Feng. “Plus, the Diamond Resorts (Tournament of Champions). (Three) tournaments with no cut before the reshuffle. Now it gives the rookies and others a lot more chances.”
The mysterious coronavirus originated in Wuhan, far away from Feng’s family in Guangzhou.
With many restaurants closed, Feng said her friends have upped their cooking skills in recent weeks, posting daily photos of their kitchen creations.
Feng likes to tease them by sending her own photos from her restaurant favorites in Los Angeles. After several of her friends were lamenting about missing barbecue in a private chat, Feng went out the next day and really rubbed it in, propping up her camera on the restaurant table.
“Like six of them were watching me live eating barbecue,” she said, laughing.
With so much heartbreaking news in China, Feng wanted to bring a smile to their faces.
“I wanted to make them laugh,” she said.
