Tseng Victorious Again
CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA | The manner in which
Yani Tseng is so fully and completely dominating
women’s professional golf at such a young age is
at a level not seen in the game in many years.
Tseng, 23, clobbered the field at the Kia
Classic on Sunday, winning by six shots in a
Sunday romp that was just that easy. Tseng, who
collects her 15th LPGA Tour title with the victory,
shot a 2-under 70 in the final round to go with
three rounds in the 60s to post a 72-hole total of
14-under 274 at La Costa Resort and Spa.
It was Tseng’s third victory in five starts in 2012
and six in her last 12 starts, dating back to last
September’s NW Arkansas Championship. She
holds a commanding lead in the Rolex Rankings,
nearly doubling the points of her closest pursuer.
Tseng is the second youngest to 15 wins
on the LPGA Tour, only coming behind Nancy
Lopez, who was 22 when she hit that mark, and
you have to go back to 1979 to set that standard. Tseng includes five major championships
with that victory total.
Annika Sorenstam hadn’t yet won on Tour
when she was Tseng’s age. Karrie Webb and
Se Ri Pak had eight victories at that age, while
Mickey Wright had five and Kathy Whitworth
and Lorena Ochoa two each.
Tseng collected her 23rd point toward
qualification for the LPGA and World Golf Hall
of Fame. She only needs four more points to
qualify but needs to have 10 years on Tour. She
is in her sixth season.
Tseng, from Taiwan, has no equal in today’s
women’s game. And she proved that by winning the Kia Classic. She led Jiyai Shin of South
Korea by three shots going into the final round.
But the lead reached five shots when she birdied the ninth and Shin made bogey and Tseng
cruised home.
Sun Young Yoo, of South Korea, with a final-round 71, finished second at 8-under 280 at
the newly renovated LaCosta layout, which for
years was a staple on the PGA Tour. Shanshan
Feng, of China, had Sunday’s best round, a
5-under 67, to tie for third with Shin at 7 under.
Shin could manage no better than 74 with four
bogeys on the back nine on Sunday.
Ai Miyazato, of Japan, who finished second
to Tseng in her first two victories this season,
including last week’s RR Donnelley in Phoenix,
tied for fifth with Caroline Hedwall, of Sweden,
at 5 under.
RESULTS
Staff and Wire Reports
