Former World No. 1 Shanshan May Be Retiring After The Olympics

Upon missing the KPMG PGA Championship cut, Shanshan Feng revealed she’s contemplating retirement after representing China in the Olympics. The former World No. 1 and former KPMG PGA winner is a mainstay of major leaderboards and recently contended again at the U.S. Women’s Open.

From Beth Ann Nichols’ story for Golfweek.com:

Feng told instructor Gary Gilchrist from the start that she’d like give it her all for 10 years on the LPGA and then move on. The Olympics changed that timeline, and it was pushed back even further due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Feng took all of 2020 off, returning in March at the ANA Inspiration where she tied for third.

“Her swing is better than ever,” said Gilchrist.

Mercer Leftwich has been on Feng’s bag since 2011 and believes that a lot of Feng’s success comes from her confidence. She’s also not one to overwork.

Leftwich jokes that if Feng leaves the tour for too long, he’d fly over to China and bring her back.

“She started laughing,” said Leftwich on Thursday, “saying ‘No, he will!’ ”

Feng, who confirmed the same to Golf Channel after her second round on Friday, played the first two rounds at Atlanta Athletic Club with Anne van Dam, and said that she was routinely 50 to 60 yards behind her.