Although most golfers would not look forward to playing a tournament in a tropical storm, Taiwan’s Yani Tseng on Tuesday said she would not mind a little wind, as long as the game can continue.
“My shots are usually not affected by the wind too much. If it becomes windy, it could be quite a big advantage for the Taiwanese players because we grew up here, and it has always been windy here,” Tseng told reporters in Taipei when asked if she is concerned that the approach of tropical storm Koppu could affect the upcoming Fubon LPGA Taiwan Championship.
As there is often little wind on golf courses in the US, players from the US and some other countries might not be accustomed to playing on a windy course, Tseng said.
Photo: AFP
“So the wind could become our advantage, as long as it doesn’t turn into a typhoon,” she said. “I just hope we can play.”
The weather could wreak havoc at this week’s tournament, with Koppu currently forecast to head north from the Philippines and reach Taiwan later this week.
The tournament, the Taiwan leg of the LPGA tour, is scheduled to take place from today until Sunday at the Miramar Golf and Country Club in New Taipei City.
Tseng made the remarks after a press conference that was also attended by six other golfers taking part in the tournament — Christina Kim, Michelle Wie and Marina Alex of the US, Alena Sharp of Canada, Ai Miyazato of Japan and Phoebe Yao of Taiwan.
“This is my fourth trip here to Taiwan and the people here are amazing, the culture is phenomenal, the food is incredible here,” Kim said.
“Just seeing the amount of passion that people have for this game, and seeing what Yani has turned Taiwanese golf into, and seeing how much the professional tour here has progressed, is just mind-boggling,” she said.
Wie also said she is thrilled to play in Taiwan again, describing the Miramar Golf course as “extremely challenging.”
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