(31 October 2011 – Shanghai, China)
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Rolex World No.1 Yani Tseng won the Suzhou Taihu Ladies Open in China on Sunday for her 11th worldwide victory of the year. The 22-year-old closed with a second consecutive 6-under par 66 at Suzhou Taihu International Golf Club to record a seven stroke victory over Sweden’s Pernilla Lindberg. Melissa Reid and Lee-Anne Pace finished in a tie for third one shot behind Lindberg.
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rnIt was Tseng’s 30th career title in four seasons as a professional and her third win in her last four starts. “It’s very exciting for me today. I played so consistently. I was really patient and made lots of good putts to save par so I am proud of myself to finish six under on Sunday and with no bogeys,” Tseng said.
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rnWhen asked if there was a secret to her dominance, she added: “I don’t know. I just play one shot at a time and be patient and keep learning. I just learn from mistakes.”
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rnTseng fired six birdies in the final round to finish with a three-round total of 16 under 200 and earned a first prize of €45,000. After opening with rounds of 68 and 66, she started the final round three clear of Lindberg and widened the gap to five strokes with birdies on the fifth, sixth and seventh holes.
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rnLindberg exerted a little pressure with birdies at the 13th and 14th, but Tseng responded by pitching to 15 feet at the next and holing for birdie to move four clear. Tseng then picked up shots at the par-four 16th and par-five 18th holes to seal the win in front of a huge gallery of adoring supporters, some of whom had their faces painted with ‘YA-NI’ across their cheeks.
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“I’m very excited, especially when you see all the fans here from everywhere. They all cheered for me and it was fun to play in front of those people. I really enjoyed it on the golf course today and those people were great, so thanks for coming to support us,” Tseng said.
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rnAt one stage Tseng had to speak to the crowd about taking too many photographs but was philosophical, saying, “Today there were lots of cameras and I tell myself, ‘Don’t worry about it.’ I play like its normal because I’m happy to see them coming out.”
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rnLindberg commented, “I left some shots out there but overall I’m pretty happy with how I performed in the group I was in. Like I said yesterday, it’s a great experience every time you play with a top player and I feel like I handle it better and better every time. I’m very happy with that.
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rn“She wasn’t making any putts or any birdies in the beginning and I knew sooner or later that she’s going to make some and play great. Of course I always thought I had a chance but then she just ran away from us.”
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rnAs for the ALPG Members in the field, four of the six made the cut with Karen Lunn the best in a tie for 23rd at 2-under par. Frances Bondad and Kristie Smith both got it back to even par in the last round, finishing in tie for 33rd, while Nikki Garrett had a disappointing final round 77 to slide back to a tie for 44th.