First Major Champion From Mainland China
While not as high-profile as tennis star Li Na’s endorsement deal with Rolex, this week Chinese golfer Feng Shanshan signed a landmark deal with the sports, fashion and media company IMG for worldwide management and marketing representation.
The first Chinese player to earn a spot on the LPGA Tour (in 2008) and the first mainland Chinese champ of any gender to win the LPGA Championship (last year), Feng is currently ranked fifth worldwide and #1 in China.
Often overshadowed by Taiwanese pro Tseng Yani, 23-year-old Guangzhou native Feng is certainly on her way up, having racked up six wins on three different Tours in 2012. Under the management of IMG’s Will Wei, Feng certainly has a chance to step further into the limelight and — like other IMG golfers like Michelle Wie and Annika Sorenstam — cash in this year.