Course: Reignwood Pine Valley Golf Club, measuring at a little over 6,500 yards. Expect low scored. Like, insanely low. 18 players finished at ten under or better last year.
Strength Of Field: C-. The field is headlined by Stacy Lewis and Inbee Park, but there are quite a few notable players missing, such as Lydia Ko, Michelle Wie, and Lexi Thompson. It's also a limited field event that is filled with players from the China LPGA Tour.
Extra Tidbits: Last year, this event was won by hometown hero Shanshan Feng who took the lead on the final hole from Stacy Lewis after hitting her second shot off the rocks and within a few feet for an eagle...This event will be the first of six events by majors golf tours that take place in China. The LPGA will return later this month for the Blue Bay LPGA Classic.
Fantasy Four:
Shanshan Feng - Why not? Won last year and is having a really good year, so I have no reason to think she can't repeat. The crowd is going to be very loud and very biased, and whoever gets paired with her will be in for a long afternoon.
Inbee Park - If she is to catch Lewis for the Player Of The Year crown, she will have to start making her move here. Lewis will likely not be helped by the bad memories of what she experienced here last year, so Park needs a big week in order to put added pressure on her. Whenever Park needs to make a statement, she tends to deliver.
So Yeon Ryu - Was disqualified in her last start at the Evian, so she's likely to be a little hot under the collar. Still only two tournaments removed from her first victory in two years. All the Asian players should be playing with extra motivation throughout the course of this stretch, and as long as Ryu plays well on Sunday, which has been her bugaboo, then she will be part of the conversation.
Suzann Pettersen - Six top ten finishes in her last seven starts, and is entering the time of year where she is historically at her best. She has won six times in Asia in her career, and has won ten times with a score of ten under or better. Pettersen will likely make this feature throughout the course of the Asian swing.
(SLEEPER) Xi Yu Lin - Chinese golfer that should have a legion of fans this week. Missed the cut at the Evian, but finished T9 in Portland the tournament before. That came at the end of a five week stretch of made cuts. Lin has improved as the season has gone alone, so her homecoming this week could make for a great week for the teenager.
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