BRASELTON, Ga. – The American Junior Golf Association announced that Buick will partner with Shanshan Feng to title sponsor the Buick Shanshan Feng Girls Invitational in 2018. The event joins the ANNIKA Invitational, ANA Junior Inspiration, Rolex Girls Junior Championship and the Swinging Skirts Invitational as the events which feature the world’s best female golfers by invitation only on the AJGA schedule.
Buick, international modern luxury automaker, returns as a 20-plus year title sponsor of an event in Michigan. The event, held from 1985-2006, featured a storied history with champions such as Phil Mickelson, Paula Creamer and Leigh Anne Hardin.
Shanshan Feng of Guangzhou, China, was the first Chinese player to join the LPGA Tour in 2008. Since then, she has accumulated seven professional wins, including the 2012 Wegmans LPGA Championship. Feng won the bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. She is currently No. 4 in the Rolex Rankings.
“I’m very excited to continue the partnership with the AJGA and very grateful for Buick’s joint sponsorship in the Buick Shanshan Feng Girls Invitational in February,” Feng said. “To be part of the top-level tournament on the AJGA calendar is a true pleasure for me, and I’m looking forward to bringing together the best girls from China and all around the world.”
The event will be hosted at TPC Valencia outside Los Angeles. Feng will be on-site for the event to interact with tournament participants. Other current LPGA Tour players who host AJGA events include Alison Lee, Stacy Lewis, Azahara Munoz and Annika Sorenstam.
“We are excited to extend Shanshan Feng’s support of the AJGA,” AJGA Chief Business Officer Jason Etzen said. “Since 2015, she has shown a passion for junior golfers, and we welcome her to the AJGA Invitational schedule for the next three years. We also look forward to having Buick on board for the event.”
Feng’s 2016 event featured champions Qi Tian of Beijing, and Eddy Lai of San Jose, California. Tian earned entry into her first event as the Qualifier medalist, while Lai secured his third title at the AJGA Shanshan Feng Junior Championship.