'Excited' Feng Shanshan rises to world No. 1

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Feng Shanshan has spoken of her elation at becoming the first golfer from China to be ranked world number one.

She achieved the feat after claiming back-to-back wins with a thrilling victory at the Blue Bay LPGA on Hainan Island on Saturday.

No Chinese golfer, male or female, has ever topped the rankings before and her slice of history underlines the country's growing heft in the sport in both sexes.

“I'm really, really excited and very proud of myself and I think it's special because I won this tournament to become world No. 1," Feng said. "I finished first in China, so I actually claimed the world No. 1 in front of all the people at home.

“I'm really happy about that, and I hope all the Chinese are going to be watching me and the Chinese can play golf. Hopefully, there will be more Chinese getting on the tours and more world No. 1s coming up from China.”

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It took Feng 11 years to go from world No. 611 to world number one. She was the first player from the Chinese mainland to become a member of the LPGA Tour, which she joined in 2008.

Feng, 28, has nine victories on the tour, including one major from the 2012 LPGA Championship. She was also the first from the mainland to win an LPGA title, as well as the first – male or female – to win a major championship.

“I just want 2017 to keep going. A never-ending 2017, that would be great,” she said.