By the end of 2007, when Feng's parents had spent almost all of their savings, they even considered mortgaging their house to support their daughter.

"We felt that if our child couldn't continue doing what she's good at because her family couldn't afford it, it would be a dereliction of duty," said Feng's mother, Zheng Yuyan.

However, all the hard work and family support finally paid off in December 2007 when Feng, who was still a teenager amateur, earned a spot on the LPGA Tour's 2008 season after tying for ninth place at the Tour's qualifying tournament.

Making the Tour turned Feng from an amateur into a professional, with opportunities to win decent purses and lucrative endorsement deals, a breakthrough equal to that of basketball star Yao Ming when he was drafted by the NBA in 2002.

"This has been a dream of Jenny's (Feng's English name) for so long," said Gilchrist. "She had so much courage coming over when she was 17, not being able to speak much English. She's had her battles and her struggles coming up."

The rest of the story developed in a rewarding way as Feng gradually picked up her game on the Tour en route to winning her first title at the LPGA Championship, finishing second at the Reignwood Classic and third at the season-ending CME Group Titleholders last year.

Now, she has joined the likes of Tseng and South Korea's four-time major winner Park In-bee to become a strong Asian presence on the LPGA Tour and inspire her fellow countrywomen.

Zhang Xiaoning, vice-president of the Chinese Golf Association, hailed Feng's overseas training approach as "an ideal model for the rest of China's young hopefuls to emulate".

Despite her success, Feng remains modest: "My path of going to the West might not fit everybody. But, at least, I've proved that a Chinese player can succeed in the Western-dominated sport of golf."