Yani Tseng

Yani Tseng

Born: January 23, 1989
Age: 35
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Biography

Yani Tseng (Chinese: 曾雅妮 Zēng Yǎní; born 23 January 1989) is a Taiwanese professional golfer playing on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour. She is the youngest player ever, male or female, to win five major championships and was ranked number 1 in the Women's World Golf Rankings for 109 consecutive weeks from 2011 to 2013.

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Amateur career

Tseng was the top-ranked amateur in Taiwan from 2004 to 2006. The highlight of her amateur career was winning the 2004 U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links, defeating Michelle Wie in the final, 1 up. Her amateur accomplishments include:

  • 2002 Won - Callaway Junior World Golf Championships (Girls 13-14)
  • 2004 2nd place - Callaway Junior World Golf Championships (Girls 15-17)
  • 2004 Won - U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links
  • 2005 Won - North and South Women's Amateur Golf Championship
  • 2005 Semi-finalist - U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links
  • 2005 2nd place - North and South Women's Amateur Golf Championship

Professional career

2007

Tseng turned professional in January 2007. That year she competed on the Ladies Asian Golf Tour and won the DLF Women's Indian Open. She also competed on the CN Canadian Women's Tour where she won the CN Canadian Women's Tour at Vancouver Golf Club.

2008

Tseng entered the LPGA Qualifying Tournament in the fall of 2007 and finished sixth in the final Qualifying Tournament in December which gave Tseng full playing privileges on the LPGA Tour for 2008. In June 2008, she claimed her first LPGA tour victory at the LPGA Championship to become the first player from Taiwan to win an LPGA major championship. At age 19, she was also the youngest player to win the LPGA Championship and the second-youngest player to win an LPGA major.

Tseng was named LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year in 2008.

2009

On 29 March 2009, Tseng became the fastest player in LPGA history to reach the $2 million mark in career earnings. She achieved this mark in 32 events, spanning one year, one month, and 13 days. The previous record holder was Paula Creamer who reached the mark in one year, four months, and 15 days in 2006.

2010

On 4 April 2010, Tseng won the first major championship of the LPGA season, the Kraft Nabisco Championship, by one stroke. She went on to win her second major of the year on 1 August 2010 by winning the Women's British Open by one stroke and became the youngest woman in the modern era to win three major championships. LPGA founder Patty Berg was younger than Tseng when she won the 1939 Titleholders Championship. However, that was before the formation of the LPGA Tour in 1950 and the designation of official LPGA major tournaments.

In September 2010, Tseng was offered a five-year sponsorship deal from a Chinese company worth NT$1 billion (US$25 million) with access to a luxury villa and private jets. Tseng rejected the offer because it required she switch her citizenship from Republic of China to China.

2011

In January 2011, Tseng defended her title at the Taifong Ladies Open on the LPGA of Taiwan Tour. Three weeks later she won the ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open and a week later the ANZ RACV Ladies Masters, both events co-sponsored by the ALPG Tour and the Ladies European Tour. Her wins moved her into the number 1 position in the Women's World Golf Rankings. She won again the next week in the first tournament of the LPGA season, the Honda LPGA Thailand.

In June 2011, she won the LPGA State Farm Classic over Cristie Kerr by three strokes. Two weeks later, she won the LPGA Championship. This made her the youngest player to win four LPGA majors. The next month she defended her title at the Women's British Open, becoming the first defending champion winner at the Women's British Open as a major. Her five major titles also made her the youngest player, male or female, to win five major championships.

Tseng won the LPGA Tour Player of the Year for a second straight year. She wrapped up the award while the season still had four events remaining.

2012

Tseng won three of the first five events on the 2012 LPGA Tour: the Honda LPGA Thailand, the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup and the Kia Classic. The Honda LPGA Thailand victory was her second consecutive win at that event.

Mid-2012 career downturn

Tseng's career took a sudden downturn beginning in the latter part of the 2012 season. At the end of 2013, she had dropped from fourth to 38th place on the official LPGA money list and from first to 34th in the Women's World Golf Rankings. Her performance dropped further in 2014; she ended that year at 54th on the official money list and ranked 83rd in the world. Tseng has not won a tournament since March 2012 Kia Classic. After accumulating seven top-10 finishes, including four wins, in majors in 2010 through early 2012, starting with the 2012 Women's PGA Championship, she has missed the cut in seven out of 14 majors played and finished no higher than T19 in the others. There have been no reports of major injuries or other explanation for the sudden change.

Hall of Fame

Since March 2012, Tseng has been four points away from qualifying for the World Golf Hall of Fame via the LPGA points system, which requires 27 points for Hall of Fame eligibility. Tseng earned one point for each regular tour victory on the LPGA Tour and two points for every major championship victory. She also earned a point each for her two Rolex LPGA Player of the Year awards and one point for winning the Vare Trophy. If she accumulates the required 27 points before her tenth season on the LPGA Tour, she will have to wait until the tenth year to gain full Hall of Fame eligibility. Tseng has already met the requirement to win one LPGA major, Vare Trophy, or Rolex award.

Personal life

Tseng's father is Mao Hsin Tseng and her mother is Yu-Yun Yang.

Tseng resides in a residential community at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in Orlando, Florida, in a house that she purchased from former LPGA player Annika Sörenstam in April 2009.

Tseng was named on Time Magazine's list of the "100 Most Influential People in the World in 2012."

Professional wins (27)

LPGA Tour wins (15)

Legend
Major championships (5)
Other LPGA Tour (10)
No. Date Tournament Winning score To par Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up Winner's
share ($)
1 8 Jun 2008 McDonald's LPGA Championship 73-70-65-68=276 −12 Playoff Maria Hjorth 300,000
2 24 May 2009 LPGA Corning Classic 68-70-62-67=267 −21 1 stroke Paula Creamer
Kang Soo-Yun
225,000
3 4 Apr 2010 Kraft Nabisco Championship 69-71-67-68=275 −13 1 stroke Suzann Pettersen 300,000
4 1 Aug 2010 Ricoh Women's British Open 68-68-68-73=277 −11 1 stroke Katherine Hull 408,714
5 12 Sep 2010 P&G NW Arkansas Championship 67-68-65=200 −13 1 stroke Michelle Wie 300,000
6 20 Feb 2011 Honda LPGA Thailand 66-71-70-66=273 −15 5 strokes Michelle Wie 217,500
7 12 Jun 2011 LPGA State Farm Classic 67-66-66-68=267 −21 3 strokes Cristie Kerr 255,000
8 26 Jun 2011 Wegmans LPGA Championship 66-70-67-66=269 −19 10 strokes Morgan Pressel 375,000
9 31 Jul 2011 Ricoh Women's British Open 71-66-66-69=272 −16 4 strokes Brittany Lang 392,133
10 11 Sep 2011 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship 66-67-68=201 −13 Playoff Amy Yang 300,000
11 9 Oct 2011 LPGA Hana Bank Championship 65-70-67=202 −14 1 stroke Choi Na-Yeon 270,000
12 23 Oct 2011 Sunrise LPGA Taiwan Championship 68-71-67-66=272 −16 5 strokes Azahara Muñoz
Amy Yang
300,000
13 19 Feb 2012 Honda LPGA Thailand 73-65-65-66=269 −19 1 stroke Ai Miyazato 225,000
14 18 Mar 2012 RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup 65-70-67-68=270 −18 1 stroke Choi Na-Yeon
Ai Miyazato
225,000
15 25 Mar 2012 Kia Classic 67-68-69-70=274 −14 6 strokes Sun-Young Yoo 255,000

LPGA Tour playoff record (2-1)

No. Year Tournament Opponent(s) Result
1 2008 McDonald's LPGA Championship Maria Hjorth Won with birdie on fourth extra hole
2 2008 State Farm Classic Ji-Young Oh Lost to par on first extra hole
3 2011 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship Amy Yang Won with birdie on first extra hole

Other wins (12)

No. Date Tournament Winning score To par Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
1 3 Mar 2007 DLF Women's Indian Open (LAGT) 70-70-75=215 −1 Playoff Russy Gulyanamitta
2 11 Apr 2007 TLPGA Tour Nan-Fong Tournament at Nan-Fong Golf Club
(Taiwan LPGA Tour)
72-68=140 −4 Playoff Yueh-Chyn Huang
3 29 May 2007 CN Canadian Women's Tour at Vancouver Golf Club
(CN Canadian Women’s Tour)
68-72=140 −4 2 strokes Stephanie Sherlock
4 12 Jan 2008 Royal Ladies Open (The LPGA of Taiwan) 66-64-66=196 −20 17 strokes Lee Eun-Kyoung
Pornanong Phatlum
5 17 Jan 2010 Taifong Ladies Open (The LPGA of Taiwan) 69-73-77=219 +3 4 strokes Wei Yun Jye
6 12 Mar 2010 Handa Women's Australian Open (ALPG Tour, LET) 74-71-72-66=283 −9 3 strokes Laura Davies
7 16 Jan 2011 Taifong Ladies Open (LAGT, The LPGA of Taiwan) 77-73-68=218 +2 3 strokes Nam Min-ji
8 6 Feb 2011 ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open (ALPG, LET) 70-67-68-71=276 −16 7 strokes Eun-Hee Ji
Melissa Reid
Jiyai Shin
9 13 Feb 2011 ANZ RACV Ladies Masters (ALPG, LET) 67-66-63-68=264 −24 4 strokes Nikki Campbell
Stacy Lewis
10 30 Oct 2011 Suzhou Taihu Ladies Open (LAGT, LET) 68-66-66=200 −16 7 strokes Pernilla Lindberg
11 11 Dec 2011 Swinging Skirts TLPGA Invitational (The LPGA of Taiwan) 72-70-68=210 −6 7 strokes Ryu So-Yeon
Jiyai Shin
12 26 Jan 2014 Taifong Ladies Open (The LPGA of Taiwan) 73-72-70=215 −1 2 strokes Yen Ling Pan

Major championships

Wins (5)

No. Year Championship Winning score To par Margin
of victory
Runner-up Winner's
share ($)
1 2008 LPGA Championship 73-70-65-68=276 −12 Playoff 1 Maria Hjorth 300,000
2 2010 Kraft Nabisco Championship 69-71-67-68=275 −13 1 stroke Suzann Pettersen 300,000
3 2010 Women's British Open 68-68-68-73=277 −11 1 stroke Katherine Hull 408,714
4 2011 LPGA Championship 66-70-67-66=269 −19 10 strokes Morgan Pressel 375,000
5 2011 Women's British Open 71-66-66-69=272 −16 4 strokes Brittany Lang 392,133

1 Defeated Hjorth with birdie on fourth extra hole.

Results timeline

Results not in chronological order before 2015.

Tournament 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
ANA Inspiration DNP DNP T21 T17 1 2 3 T48 CUT CUT CUT
Women's PGA Championship DNP DNP 1 T23 T19 1 T59 T19 T30 CUT
U.S. Women's Open CUT DNP T42 CUT T10 T15 T50 CUT T35 CUT
Women's British Open DNP DNP 2 T20 1 1 T26 CUT CUT T13
The Evian Championship ^ CUT CUT CUT

^ The Evian Championship was added as a major in 2013
DNP = did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
T = tied
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10

Summary

Tournament Wins 2nd 3rd Top-5 Top-10 Top-25 Events Cuts made
ANA Inspiration 1 1 1 3 3 5 9 6
Women's PGA Championship 2 0 0 2 2 5 8 7
U.S. Women's Open 0 0 0 0 1 2 9 5
Women's British Open 2 1 0 3 3 5 8 6
The Evian Championship 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
Totals 5 2 1 8 9 17 37 24
  • Most consecutive cuts made - 15 (2009 British Open - 2013 LPGA)
  • Longest streak of top-10s - 4 (2010 U.S. Open - 2011 LPGA)

LPGA Tour career summary

Year Tournaments
played
Cuts
made*
Wins 2nd 3rd Top 10s Best
finish
Earnings
($)
Money
list rank
Scoring
average
Scoring
rank
2004 1 1 0 0 0 0 T33 n/a 71.50
2005 1 0 0 0 0 0 MC n/a 77.00
2006 1 0 0 0 0 0 MC n/a 76.00
2007 1 1 0 0 0 1 T6 64,909 n/a 69.00 n/a
2008 28 27 1 6 2 11 1 1,752,086 3 70.77 4
2009 27 26 1 3 0 14 1 1,293,755 7 70.44 5
2010 20 19 3 1 2 8 1 1,573,529 4 70.66 8
2011 22 21 7 2 1 14 1 2,921,713 1 69.66 1
2012 24 21 3 0 3 11 1 1,430,159 4 71.12 15
2013 23 17 0 1 1 4 2 405,068 38 71.71 35
2014 24 18 0 1 0 2 T2 303,127 54 72.19 65
2015 27 18 0 3 0 4 T2 648,400 21 71.52 36
Totals 196 166 15 17 9 69 1 10,327,837 12

*

World ranking

Position in Women's World Golf Rankings at the end of each calendar year.

Year World
ranking
Source
2006 unranked
2007 134
2008 2
2009 5
2010 5
2011 1
2012 1
2013 34
2014 83
2015 38

Team appearances

Amateur

  • Espirito Santo Trophy (representing Taiwan): 2004

Professional

  • Lexus Cup (representing Asia team): 2008
  • International Crown (representing Chinese Taipei): 2014

[ Source: Wikipedia ]


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