SINGAPORE -Climbing to No. 1 in the world in 2017 was an undoubted career highlight for China's Feng Shanshan, but she is not giving herself undue pressure to hold on to the coveted ranking.
Speaking to the Singaporean media in a conference call on Thursday (Feb 8) ahead of this year's HSBC Women's World Championship, Feng said she was just focused on playing as well as she can in the March 1-4 tournament at the Sentosa Golf Club.
"Becoming No. 1 has really given me a lot of confidence but at the same time I'm not giving myself higher expectations or more pressure," said the 28-year-old, who is the first Chinese golfer, male or female, to reach No. 1 in the world.
"I'm still in my off-season mode now and I'm not going to think too much about the No. 1 thing. I can only control my preparation, not what the others are doing."
Feng was the fifth woman to hold the No. 1 ranking in 2017, after Lydia Ko, Ariya Jutanugarn, Ryu So Yeon and Park Sung Hyun, the last of whom held the spot for just one week before Feng replaced her at the top.
All four will feature at the New Tanjong course for the US$1.5 million (S$1.96 million) tournament, with Park and Ryu, both Major winners last year and the current world No. 2 and 3 respectively, leading the chasing pack.
Feng did not think she is playing now with a target on her back, and reiterated that she is not doing anything too differently when on the course.
"There are a lot of good players out there and even though my ranking is better than the others now it doesn't mean I'm the best player on the planet," said Feng, who picked up an LPGA Tour-best three victories in 2017.
"15-under is my goal for the week so if I can achieve that it doesn't matter what position I end up with. I'm not going to go out and try to shoot 25-under (just because I'm No. 1), that's just not me."
In her trademark laid-back fashion Feng joked that she had become No. 1 at the right time, at the end of the 2017 LPGA season.
"It was perfect timing because there was only one week to go (for the season) and then it was the off-season and I got to stay there without doing anything. So I was really happy about that," she said.
