Tseng survives scare at Honda Thailand
BY Bruce Young | LPGA Tour | 2012 Honda LPGA Thailand | Wrap | 19 Feb 2012
The Honda LPGA Thailand event has been played twice previously and today the winners in its opening two years, Ai Miyazato and Yani Tseng, fought out the battle to become the first two time winner.
Tseng emerged the winner, recovering from a slow start to the week to win by one over Miyazato with another shot back to Korean Jiyai Shin.
Amy Yang, playing her first event of the season, finished alone in 4th position.
The leading three players have all experienced their time at the top of the Rolex Rankings in the past two years but today Tseng extended the already massive lead she has at the top of the female game and opened the door for yet another great year to follow her twelve victories in 2011.
Tseng was stuck by a mystery illness before the final round of last Sunday’s Australian Women’s Open and although she staged a brave defence of her title she finished two shots behind the six way playoff at Royal Melbourne.
Tseng began this week with a round of 73 on Thursday to be six shots off Miyazato’s pace but by Friday evening she was just one behind the Japanese star, although five behind Karrie Webb who led at that stage.
Heading into today’s final round Tseng was still one behind Miyazato who had the lead by one over Tseng and by two over Shin and Webb.
Tseng’s brilliance was again to the fore when she eagled the opening hole of today’s round and by the turn she led by three over Shin and by four over Miyazato.
Tseng began to struggle early in her back nine and by the time the pair stood on the 17th tee Tseng was tied with Shin and one ahead of Miyazato.
Both Tseng and Miyazato would both then birdie the last two holes for Tseng to finish one ahead of Miyazato and two ahead of Shin.
Webb appeared as if she might be a challenger today when she stayed in touch with two early birdies before disaster struck at the 7th with a quadruple bogey. At the time she was just two from the lead but would eventually finish with a round of 75 and a tied for 9th.
The LPGA Tour will now move to Singapore for this week’s HSBC Women’s Champions event where Karrie Webb is the defending champion.
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