2015 Fubon LPGA Taiwan Championship
New Taipei City, Taiwan
Tuesday Pre-Tournament Notes
October 20, 2015
WARM WELCOME HOME
Yani Tseng knows this week will always be the busiest on her schedule. When Tseng returns home to play in the LPGA’s only event in Taiwan, the five-time major champion expects a flood of media requests, long autograph lines and even the responsibility of local host. Tseng said she’s enjoyed showing her caddie, Scott Lubin, around and suggesting the local fare. It’s Lubin’s first trip to Taiwan and Tseng said he’s not exactly the most adventurous when it comes to trying unchartered Asian cuisine. Asked whether he likes trying out Asian food, Tseng replied with her deep infectious laugh.
“No. He’s American.”
LPGA players routinely ask Tseng for advice on restaurants and things to do in Taipei. But it’s probably the TLPGA players who reap the most rewards from her being back in her home country. Fifteen members from the LPGA of Taiwan are in the field this week and Tseng relishes the opportunity of spending time with them and giving any advice she can. She played a practice round on Tuesday with two members.
“Yeah, we do a little practice round and give some short game tips on this grass,” said Tseng. “It’s kind of fun to hang out with your old friends coming back, and we never change and we still go out this week. It was exciting to give all the Taiwanese players to have a good opportunity, like biggest stage on the LPGA that they can play in and some experience, and after this, they might know what they can work on or how good they are.”
ROLLER COASTER RIDE
Just over two and a half years ago, Yani Tseng was perched on top of the women’s golf world and seemed to be making her case to becoming the most dominant player in the game. With her aggressive and free-willing approach to the game, Tseng made her success look easy, but her game quickly unraveled and results produced more question marks than ones with an exclamation. The 26-year old held the top spot in the Rolex Rankings for 109 weeks but quickly descended when making cuts started to become a challenge.
She fell as low as 90th in the world just this past February and knew she needed a change. She teamed up with Claude Harmon and mental coach Dr. Bob Rotella at the beginning of 2015 and has patiently seen the process starting to pay off. She doesn’t pin point any technical change or nuance in her game that has made the difference but she does admit it’s been nice to see her name near the top of the leaderboard. In her last four starts, Tseng has recorded three top-five finishes and is coming off a runner-up finish last week in Korea.
“That may take a few days to say (laughing),” Tseng said of her recent play. “But for the simple one, I think I’m really happy and enjoying being on the golf course now and feeling very comfortable where I am hitting the shots and making the putts,” said Tseng. “Just enjoy the last few holes, little nerves and just missing that feeling a lot to have a chance to be winning a tournament and to see my name on the first page of a leaderboard, it’s always very exciting.”
Tseng’s last victory came at the 2012 Kia Classic and won this event in its inaugural year in 2011 at the height of her prominence on Tour. Some may think the winner’s circle would be a distant memory for Tseng but she vividly remembers the fanfare that followed her victory here in Taiwan. It’s not a farfetched idea to think she could recreate some magic again this week.
“All I remember is all the fans,” said Tseng. “The fans are incredible. I still remember how many people that’s on the golf course and just incredible. Hopefully I can bring that back and just to do the best performance for the fans in Taiwan.”
With her runner-up finish last week, Tseng jumped 18 spots in the Rolex Rankings.
| TSENG IN THE ROLEX RANKINGS | |
| Date | Rolex Ranking |
| Feb. 14, 2011-March 11, 2013 | 1 |
| Jan. 6, 2014 | 35 |
| Jan. 5, 2015 | 83 |
| Oct. 19, 2015 | 37 |
DOOR WIDE OPEN FOR KO
Rolex Rankings No. 1 Inbee Park will not tee it up this week in Taiwan and tweeted on Tuesday that she will miss action due to a prior sponsor commitment in Korea and the change of original dates of this week’s event and next week’s Blue Bay LPGA. She’ll return to LPGA action next week in China.
“I’m sorry I won’t be able to defend my title at the Fubon LPGA Taiwan Championship this week,” Park tweeted. “The change in tournament dates conflicted with a sponsor commitment I have in Korea. I need to honor that commitment and will return in China next week at the Blue Bay LPGA and hope for a strong finish to the season.”
That will leave the door wide open for No. 2 Lydia Ko to not only close in or pass Park for the top spot in the rankings, she can also help herself to leads in the other season-ending awards races. Ko leads Park by slim margins in Official Money, Race to CME Globe points and scoring average. The duo are now tied with 243 points each in the Rolex Player of the Year Race. Scenarios for Rolex Rankings will determined once the field for the KLPGA’s KB Financial Star Championship is set.
| Lydia Ko | Inbee Park | Margin | |
| Rolex POY | 243 | 243 | -- |
| Official Money | $2,416,753 | $2,370,096 | $46,657 |
| Race to CME | 4,328 | 3,944 | 384 |
| Scoring Avg. | 69.395 | 69.459 | .064 |
LOFTY GOALS FOR KIM PAY OFF
Rookie Sei Young Kim had some lofty goals at the start of the LPGA Tour season for any first-year player. But the 22-year old has transitioned quite well from a successful KLPGA career to having immediate success in her first season on the LPGA. She notched two victories in her first eight starts and started eyeing up accomplishing her two main goals of the year: get three victories and to get within the top-5 in the Rolex Rankings.
She’s currently 11th in the world and has reached as high as No. 10 this season. She’s leading the Louise Suggs Rookie of the Year race and said the season-ending honor would just be an extra bonus.
“So I said, my goal is the Rolex top five,” said Kim. “If I can get a Rookie of the Year, it’s good for me. I hope to have one more win. If I have one more win, that’s perfect this year.”
She has five events left to check off one of her main goals and said a visit with her coach and trainer last week in Korea helped her refresh her mindset heading into the final stretch.
“Yeah, in the beginning, LPGA Tour, I was very fresh, but now after two wins, I feel like a little too tight,” said Kim. “And I want more wins -- too greedy, so they make me more easier and relaxed.”
)
)
)
)
