Professional golfers hate missing the cut. There is no pay cheque for their week's work, so they pack their bags and leave as soon as possible. But Feng Shanshan stayed and walked.

Before she became the current master of women's golf, Feng was its meticulous student. She missed nine cuts - shooting a combined 61 over par - in her first 10 tournaments of her rookie season in 2008 yet returned to the course, taking mental notes of the leaders.