BEIJING, May 23 (Xinhua) -- A year after winning her second China LPGA Tour title, Shi Yuting is back at home this week looking to successfully defend her Le Coq Sportif Beijing Ladies Classic title and hopefully turn around a season that admittedly has been a struggle.
Speaking Wednesday after her practice round at the Beijing Orient Pearl Country Club, the 20-year-old said she was aiming to build on the positive momentum of defending her championship and being around family, friends and familiar faces.
This season, Shi, who is 314th in the Rolex world rankings, is playing full-time on the CLPGA Tour after losing her playing card in Japan last year.
"My fitness in Japan last season was divided into two stages: the first half of the year was a stage of ascension, my condition was getting better and better. It was good until mid-year and I was in the top-50 of the prize ranking," she said.
"In the second half of the year there was some decline, my performance was not particularly good, even missed the cut in some games. I think it because the events were too close and I was not doing particularly well on physical distribution."
Shi, whose best result this year was an equal seventh at the CTBC Ladies Classic in March, said she had improved her bunker play, chipping and attacking the greens within 70 yards. She had also worked to improve her fitness. Her goal for the rest of the year was to regain her full playing card for Japan.
"This week is very special for me to play as it is my sponsor's event. It's very intimate. Beijing is my hometown, my family is here and also many fans. I will try my best to defend."
Out to spoil Shi's homecoming party is Li Jiayun. The Guangzhou native won the tournament in 2016 with an impressive 13-under score and is playing her best golf of the year after finishing fifth at the EFG Hong Kong Ladies Open earlier this month.
"That result gave me more confidence. My goal this week is the same as in Hong Kong getting under par in each of the three days," said the 29-year-old veteran, a two-time winner on the Tour.
"I am very familiar with this course as the CLPGA Tour has held many events here. But there have been some changes this year. The distance is longer (6,417 yards), the position of the trees has changed so the strategy needs to be changed as well."
