Fresh from ascending to the top of the women’s golf world rankings, Taiwan’s Yani Tseng flew to Bangkok from Australia late on Monday in preparation for the first tournament of this year’s LPGA Tour.
Tseng told the Central News Agency that she was very happy to return to Thailand for an LPGA tournament.
“Every time I come to Thailand, I make a pilgrimage to the Four-Faced Buddha to pray for his blessings,” the 22-year-old said after her arrival in Bangkok.
Tseng was scheduled to visit the deity’s shrine yesterday before flying to Pattaya for the Honda LPGA Thailand that begins tomorrow.
Tseng swept to the world No. 1 ranking after winning the Australian Ladies Masters at Royal Pines in Queensland on Sunday. She finished last year ranked fifth.
Overtaking Shin Ji-yai of South Korea as the world’s top female golfer so quickly surprised the Taiwanese star, but she does not expect her new status to put too much pressure on her.
Tseng did not have to face Shin or most of the game’s other top players during her swing through Australia, but her No. 1 ranking is on the line in Pattaya where the world No. 2 South Korean and other top-flight competitors will be in action.
Tseng said she is looking forward to the Tour’s late-season stop in Taiwan in October.
“The tournament will be the pride of Taiwan. In the past, our golf fans could only watch the tournaments on TV. This time around, they’ll be able to cheer on their favorites on the course,” she said.
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