March 2012: Golf Digest Woman: Golf Digest

Tseng slowly falls into a tie at Kraft

Saturday, March 31, 2012

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. -- Slow play is endemic in professional golf, and it took its toll with the best player in women's golf in the midst of her quest to win the Kraft Nabisco Championship on Saturday.

Strong winds and slow play contributed to Tseng's three bogeys on the back nine. (Photo by Getty Images)

After Yani Tseng made a birdie at the 10th hole of the Dinah Shore Tournament Course, she and playing partner Haeji Kang were informed by a rules official that they were out of position. Indeed, they were a hole behind the twosome in front of them. Tseng, two-under par on her round and leading by one at the time, then bogeyed three of the next five holes. She finished with a one-under par 71 that tied her with Sweden's Karin Sjodin heading into Sunday's final round.

Tseng said that it might have been a factor in her reversal of fortune. "I think so," she said. "I always have that problem. I don't know why. I had that last week and the week in Phoenix, too. It was like I don't know if I play too slow or what. "I just feel like I wasn't comfortable with myself a little bit [on the back nine] and was just thinking too much and trying too hard." Strong winds with gusts estimated to reach 30 miles per hour contributed to slowing the pace, making club and shot selection increasingly difficult.

--John Strege

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Lexi's 68--and the wind--carry her up the leaderboard

Saturday, March 31, 2012

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. -- Lexi Thompson needed a low round followed by high winds to inject herself into the story at the Kraft Nabisco Championship on Saturday. She got both.

Thompson, 17, the youngest winner in LPGA history, shot a four-under par 68 on the Dinah Shore Tournament Course that could have been better, had she not missed two short par putts on the back nine. Still, her round carried her from a tie for 33rd to a tie for ninth as strong winds wreaked havoc with those she was chasing. "I felt like I left probably about two out there," she said, "but overall I'll take a positive out of it. I putted a lot better today."

The bulk of her Saturday climb came early, before the strong winds that were expected arrived on cue. She birdied four of the first five holes. "It got me pretty excited and got me going," she said. Her only blemishes came from missed short putts, one on 14, when a bird flew overhead, "right in the middle of my stroke," she said. "I saw the shadow and it sort of messed with mind a little bit." She also missed three-foot par putt on 18. She has to post another low round on Sunday to have a chance. "I would think it's going to take something like a 66," she said.

--John Strege

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Tseng takes lead, heads out to play... basketball?

Friday, March 30, 2012

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. -- Victory is never preordained in golf, but it sometimes seems that way these days. One round into the Kraft Nabisco Championship, it was said that Yani Tseng trailed by two and that they'd never catch her. Two rounds into it, the question now is what her margin of victory will be.

Tseng's Friday 68 included five birdies and one bogey. (Photo by Getty Images)

It isn't over, of course. She could twist an ankle. With an afternoon off on Friday, Tseng said she planned to go to the gym to "do some cardio and play some basketball with my team."

Seriously. "I played basketball when I was very young," she said. "I played every day."

An Orlando Magic fan by virtue of her residence in the area, Tseng shot a second straight round of four-under par 68 on the Dinah Shore Tournament Course to open a two-stroke lead over Sun Young Yoo.

Lindsey Wright, who was one shot off the lead after the first, is now three back and has yet to tee off.

"Today was much better than yesterday," Tseng said. "Today, my focus was so much better. I was hitting the ball very consistently today. Everything was very good today."

--John Strege

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Lindsey Wright: From depression to major success

Thursday, March 29, 2012

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. -- Lindsey Wright left the game last September and did not intend to return. She was prepared to surrender her livelihood in an attempt to counter the depression and anxiety that had her life spinning out of control. On Thursday, Wright was the early leader of the season's first major, the Kraft Nabisco Championship, with a five-under-par 67 on the Dinah Shore Tournament Course. In between, Wright, 32, found the balance in her life that has enabled her to cope with her increasingly debilitating illness and to return to golf.

Lindsey Wright posted the early clubhouse lead with a 5-under 67 in Thursday's first round of the 2012 Kraft Nabisco Championship. (Photo by Getty Images)

She did not pick up a club in four months, though she stayed around the game, working on the administrative side of the New South Wales State Open and the men's Australian Open. "I could have shot 80 today, and I'd still feel really great," she said. "I'm happy, and I don't feel like I'm swimming with weights and dragging around ten pounds of excess baggage. I sleep better and I'm happier. I'm very lucky. I'm lucky to be sitting here now and very happy to be feeling the way I am."

An Australian, Wright is an eight-year veteran of the LPGA who was spending too many sleepless nights that diminished her ability to focus on the golf course and heightened her unhappiness. "I think the lowest is when you have insomnia and you're waking up at 2 a.m., with strong emotions in your head. Then you have anxiety so you don't know what you're doing. You're all over the place. There's no relief from your mind. The only time I really had any relief is if you had probably two bottles of red wine. It helps you sleep, but it's not the way to combat it. That's when I realized I've got a problem here, and I've got to deal with it because I'm getting worse, I'm not getting better. When I did go to the doctor and get a diagnosis, I realized, geez, I really do have a problem here. I wish I'd done it sooner."

Wright returned to golf in January and a month later won the New Zealand Women's Open. It was her fourth professional victory, the other three coming on the Futures Tour. "I took the time off and experienced other things," she said, "and I think that's made a massive impact for me coming into this year. There's no pressure on my game. I'm really enjoying my golf, which is not a grind anymore, the good and the bad." Her plan is to play three weeks, then leave the game behind for three weeks, while she does something else. "I'm not putting too much pressure on myself. I'm really loving this, and I've found a balance. I just want to enjoy my life, from when I wake up in the morning to when I got to bed at night."

--John Strege

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Liselotte Neumann named next European Solheim Cup captain

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. -- The Ladies European Tour's aggressive, though ultimately unsuccessful courtship of Annika Sorenstam to captain its Solheim Cup team in 2013 led them to the Swede who initially piqued Sorenstam's interest in golf.

The LET announced here on Wednesday that Liselotte Neumann, 45, would be the next European Solheim Cup captain.

Photo: David Cannon/Getty Images

Sorenstam was approached twice about becoming the captain, but each time declined, citing time constraints as a result of raising two young children.

Neumann, who won 13 LPGA and eight LET tournaments, is best known for her victory in the U.S. Women's Open in 1988, which Sorenstam credits for having inspired her to pursue golf more vigorously. Neumann played on six consecutive European Solheim Cup teams from 1990 through 2000.

"I think the Solheim Cup for me obviously has a lot of highlights in my career," she said here Wednesday morning. "I'm definitely ranking this at the very top, I think."

Yani Tseng, "Never touching the trophy again"

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. -- The best explanation for Yani Tseng's dominance might have been her own, issued unwittingly last month in Singapore: She is not playing the same golf courses that others are. "The fairway is wider...the green is bigger," she said.

Aren't they always for the best of the best, of which Tseng, at 23, is now a part? It is an exclusive club of those talented and confident enough that they set out not hoping to win, but expecting to win. Tseng was discussing the improvement in her game, but was describing the confidence that enabled it. She might have added that the hole is bigger, too. The expectation of winning has been heightened by 12 victories in 2011 (seven on the LPGA) and from winning three of her last four starts, including the last two, in 2012. At 23, Tseng already has 15 career victories, five in major championships, and is rapidly closing on the LPGA Hall of Fame qualification, sans the requisite 10 years (she won't officially be eligible until 2017).

The infamous first-tee trophy hoist that many say jinxed Yani Tseng in the final round of the 2011 Kraft Nabisco Championship. (Photo by Getty Images)

On Thursday, Tseng will resume her historical journey in the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the LPGA's first major, on the Dinah Shore Tournament Course at Mission Hills Country Club. A victory would move her into the top 10 on the all-time list of most majors. Though she requires no additional motivation in a major championship, she has some nonetheless. A year ago here, Tseng, before hitting a single shot, infamously (if figuratively) squandered the two-stroke lead she was taking into the final round of the Kraft Nabisco. She did so by hoisting the trophy on the first tee. Tempting fate in this game seldom turns out well and it did not in this case, either. Tseng wound up losing to Stacy Lewis by three strokes, a defeat that still stings a year later. "My emotional control wasn't very good," she said. "I had been very stressful, hitting a bad shot, hitting a bad putt, and I wasn't being as patient as I am right now, so I'm learning from that week. But it took me a couple weeks to go through that because I was crying after the round, even after a couple days when I think about it."

Meanwhile, the Kraft Nabisco trophy she has at her Lake Nona home near Orlando for having won the tournament in 2010 has a stuffed Angry Bird (from the popular Angry Birds game) in it, a seething reminder of what she lost a year ago. Incidentally, Tseng has vowed not to touch the trophy that is typically displayed at the first tee on Sunday, has vowed not even to look at it. "After that I won't touch a trophy again," she said. "I will never see it again. Even when I see it I would just pretend I'm not seeing anything. Like Wegmans on number one, the trophy was there, but I just tried to not look at it and just tried to ignore the trophy and focus on the tee shot."

-- John Strege

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The Style Blog: Belt it out

Monday, March 26, 2012

Ever get that itch to just buy yourself a little something? I know it well -- it gets me in trouble every time. But there's something to be said for giving the itch a quick scratch. It boosts your mood, and a happy golfer is usually a better golfer. So when I get the I-need-to-buy-something-new urge, I pick myself up a little something that satisfies the craving without giving me that bloated feeling when I'm done. For instance, a belt. Belts come in all shapes and colors, and they're a great way to liven up a golf outfit without breaking the bank.

Go ahead, try it. It's a cinch.

--Argy Koutsothanasis

J. Crew Italian Leather Skinny Belt; $39.50, Visit website
Banana Republic Thin Braided Leather Belt; $39.50, Visit website
Puma Golf Check Enamel Belt; $50, Visit website
Rugby by Ralph Lauren Grosgrain Ribbon Belt, $39.50, Visit website
Linea Pelle Collection Bo Multi Braid; $158, Visit website
Vineyard Vines Fishbone Embroidered Canvas Belt; $45, Visit website
Nike Golf Tech Essentials Web Belt; $20, Visit website

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Yani Tseng: The secret to her success

Monday, March 26, 2012

When Yani Tseng won the LPGA Championship as a 19-year-old rookie in 2008 (becoming the second-youngest major winner in LPGA history), LPGA fans knew she was something special. The unassuming tomboy from Taiwan displayed mad talent, including serious distance off the tee. But she was shy, almost insecure, and she didn't speak English.

The next couple of years brought moments of greatness (four wins, including two majors) from a still very young player, and frequent English classes helped Tseng slowly come out of her shell. But she was still a mortal, someone who tended to let her nerves get the best of her in tense situations. She buckled under pressure more than she prevailed -- as most girls in their early 20s would.

Yani Tseng (left) is finally comfortable in her role as world-beater. (Photo by Getty Images)

In 2011, Tseng seemed to shake the nerves; she won seven LPGA Tour titles including two majors; five other titles worldwide; and put major distance between herself and the rest of the tour in the Rolex World Rankings. And now, she has risen from mortal to supernatural. The Yani Tseng that has emerged in 2012 is nothing short of astounding. The 23-year-old has won three of the first five tournaments of the season (including Sunday's Kia Classic by a whopping six shots), and six of her last 12 starts dating back to last year. It's the type of dominance only seen a handful of times in the history of the women's game, and never by someone Tseng's age (for example, Annika Sorenstam was 24 before she won her first LPGA Tour event). What's changed?

Tseng's longtime coach Gary Gilchrist says her transformation is more the result of a mental-game boost than any major swing fixes. "Starting out, she came from another country and she couldn't speak the language, so learning English was a great strategy to help improve her self-image," he says. "Now she can talk with confidence." A body-language education also helped. "Her post-shot routine was bad; she used to get down on herself very quickly. So I said, what's your goal? To be the number one player in the world? Then even when you hit a bad shot, you're going to walk with confidence." Tseng worked on her posture and on thinking positive thoughts between shots, and it's translated to lower scores. "In the past, when she hit it long and off-line, she'd make bogeys and pars," Gilchrist says. "Now, she still makes birdies. She found out that you don't have to hit the ball perfectly every time to win -- you just have to have an attitude. That, over time, has made a big difference."

Tseng's incredible success in 2011 could easily have derailed the inherently shy player, but she's not letting her newfound fame scare her anymore. "How do you manage being No. 1?, when everybody expects more and more out of you? I told her not to put more pressure on herself," says Gilchrist. "I told her to balance her expectations, just focus on what she does well. Stay on the same track, stay patient, and she did. She became very comfortable with the No. 1 thing quickly."

Tseng isn't only comfortable these days -- she's having a blast. Gone is the shy, nervous kid who would blow a lead because she doubted her own abilities. The new Yani is relaxed, confident and having a good time. And as intimidating as her golf game has become, the girl swinging the club is more approachable than ever. When asked Sunday if she feels like the other players are looking at her differently now that she's so dominant, she said, "I don't know what they think, but I don't feel like I've changed. On the golf course I still have so much fun [when I play with] all the other players. I really don't know if they look at me differently. But I look at everybody all the same."

--Stina Sternberg

Follow @StinaSternberg

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A victory preordained? Tseng up three

Saturday, March 24, 2012

CARLSBAD, Calif. -- Once Yani Tseng took a share of the lead after the first round, the LPGA Tour's Kia Classic took on an aura of finality, that the only uncertainty was the margin of victory. Tseng is on the kind of roll that few ever have the opportunity to experience, where victory at the outset of a tournament is, if not imminent, then likely. An accomplished billiards player, Tseng looks to be, in that game's vernacular, running the table. "I feel pretty relaxed," she said. "I'm very looking forward to tomorrow."

No kidding. On Sunday, Tseng will seek her second straight victory and third in four starts this year, and sixth in her last 12 starts dating to last year. She shot a three-under par 69 on Saturday at La Costa Resort to take a three-stroke lead over Jiyai Shin. This despite a round with which she was dissatisfied. "Overall, I wasn't happy," she said, lamenting the number of short putts she missed. "It was so-so. I felt it should have been so much better than three-under." That doesn't bode well for those in pursuit. Even luck is on her side. She hit a poor drive right of the fairway at 18, destined to meet its demise in a creek. Instead, the ball bounced across a narrow bridge and continued a fortuitous and long trip down the cart path. She saved par and completed a bogey-free round.

Yani Tseng got a little help from a cart path on the 54th hole of the LPGA Tour's Kia Classic at LaCosta Resort in Carlsbad, Calif. (Photo by Getty Images)

A similar day on Sunday will move her within four points of the number required to qualify for the LPGA Hall of Fame (and by extension the World Golf Hall of Fame; victories are worth a point, major victories worth two). At this point, the most formidable obstacle will be the wait. She is 23 and in only her fifth year on the LPGA; 10 years are required for Hall of Fame enshrinement.

-- John Strege

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Se Ri Pak: Venerable, but still relevant

Friday, March 23, 2012

CARLSBAD, Calif. -- Se Ri Pak forged the better part of her Hall of Fame career closer to its beginning, which might leave the impression that she has entered its twilight years. Yet she's only 34, and obviously is still a factor, as a second round 66 at La Costa Resort in the LPGA Tour's Kia Classic on Friday emphatically demonstrated. It gave her the lead, temporarily, at least (Yani Tseng was just getting her round started when Pak finished hers). Of Pak's 25 career victories, 22 came in her first seven years on the LPGA. She's won only three times since 2004, her last victory coming in the Bell Micro LPGA Classic in 2010.

Part of it is that she is a victim of her own success, of course. Pak is the South Korean responsible for launching the Asian revolution in women's golf, of which Taiwan's Yani Tseng is a part. The LPGA has never had such depth. Part of it is the expectations she has from having won so often. "That puts a lot of pressure on you," she said.

Meanwhile, Pak has the same goal she's always had. "Every single week I'm trying to get on top of the leaderboard and trying to win," she said. By her estimation, she's getting closer. "Actually, since last year, the end of the season, every tournament I feel really great about it," she said. "My swing's getting better and better each week, every tournament. If I make more putts, it will be great."

--John Strege

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