Yani Tseng heads to Japan with head held high
Current world number one Yani Tseng is one name that has already grabbed much of attention for the upcoming Mizuno Classic 2012, but how she ends her winning drought this week remains to be seen.
In most of the recent LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) tournaments, Tseng had her mind elsewhere after watching the worst slump of her professional career, but she is expected to be motivated when she comes face-to-face against other giants such as Stacy Lewis and Inbee Park.
With some observers saying that it should not be expected that there will be free-flowing golf because the competition will be tougher than the last year.
The Mizuno Classic 2012 is slated to be staged from November 2-4, at Kintetsu Kashikojima Country Club, Shima-s**+, Mie, Japan, with the defending champion Momoko Ueda of Japan eager to shine again.
Tseng, who has seen her career teetering since her last victory at the Kia Classic in March 2012, now appears to have risen to the occasion as she has done well in the last two LPGA tournaments.
She recorded a third-place finish at the Sunrise LPGA Taiwan Championship 2012 and LPGA Hana Bank Championship 2012, reflecting that the top-ranked prodigy still has plenty of golf left in her and she is not willing to walk away without putting up a tough fight.
It was not a case of job-done for the struggling LPGA giant at the Sunrise LPGA Taiwan Championship 2012 as she was defending her title, but she managed to subdue several contenders in a rock-solid lineup.
Two third-place finishes are not enough for a player like Tseng, but her fans think that it has helped the Taiwanese star overcome her worries and she will now face rivals with a renewed confidence.
On the LPGA Tour, every event matters as it adds to a player’s profile. So, Tseng cannot afford early slip-ups in Japan.
Although the tournament will cast most of the limelight on the defending champion, South Korean Inbee Park can emerge as the star performer.
“I mean I’ve always loved the Asia swing. I’m Asian and we get to go to Korea also. It’s been really fun. The LPGA does a great job of taking care of players,” Park said while speaking to the LPGA Tour during her pre-tournament interview on Wednesday.
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