Taiwan’s Yani Tseng missed the cut at the US Women’s Open on Friday with five-over 145.
Her performance signaled another frustrating stay at a major championship for the 26-year-old, who has a more accomplished career than some of the game’s most prominent women’s players. Her five major championships are more than Laura Davies, Nancy Lopez or Cristie Kerr have. She has been on the verge of qualifying for the World Golf Hall of Fame since she was 23.
Now, Tseng wonders if she will ever win again.
“I have tried everything,” she said. “I have no excuse to play bad. That is how much pressure I put on myself to score, but it seems that it just does not work.”
The question of what happened to Tseng’s game is one of the most baffling in golf. How could a player so good, so dominant — winning five majors, nine tournaments and more than US$9 million in prize money on the LPGA Tour by 22 years of age — just disappear from the winner’s circle altogether by the age of 23? Since her last win on tour at the Kia Classic in March 2012, Tseng has played in 81 events. She has registered a top-10 finished 13 times, but missed the cut 20 times. She was ranked No. 1 for 109 weeks and is now 79th.
She has not been injured. She has not undergone a swing overhaul. She has switched caddies four times, but Tseng’s struggles have continued.
“It is still hard,” Tseng said. “I can walk here and feel very happy, and by the time I walk there, I am not as happy. Things are very easy to get in your mind, especially when you are doubting yourself.”
Tseng is still fighting to get back a piece of where she was. If her game never comes all the way back, so be it. There is one thing that Tseng wants. When she says it, you can see the old burning determination of the former dominant player come back.
“I am OK with not getting back on top, but I am not OK if I am not winning any more tournaments. It is an identity thing. I just want to get in that winner’s circle again,” she said.
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