Some of the best players in the world will be in the field for the LPGA Tour’s Drive On Championship, but one of the most notable appearances will be from former World No.1 Yani Tseng, whose most recent start on the circuit came in 2021.
The Taiwanese player had been firmly on the road to becoming one of the all-time greats before poor form and injuries knocked her career off track. She claimed five Major titles between 2008 and 2011 – a quicker timeframe than even Tiger Woods took to accumulate the same number. In total, she also amassed 15 LPGA Tour wins and spent 109 weeks at the top of the world rankings, the fourth longest in the women's game.
A severe downturn in form followed her most recent LPGA Tour win in 2012, though, while a back injury sustained in 2019 forced her out of the game for almost two years.
Tseng returned to action in 2021, but she struggled to get back to her best. A low point came when she was disqualified from the Hugel-Air Premia LA Open when she failed to sign her scorecard after shooting a 16-over 87 in the first round, while she missed the cut in each of her other eight appearances that year.
Tseng’s most recent start on the circuit came at the Volunteers of America Classic in July of that year, but after almost three years out, she makes her long-awaited return at the Bradenton Country Club event just two days after her 35th birthday.
The field for the tournament includes 22 Major winners, but such was Tseng’s early career dominance that she heads into it with the most of any player, having won the Women’s PGA Championship in 2008 and 2011, the ANA Inspiration in 2010 and the Women’s British Open in 2010 and 2011. She also racked up four other top-10 Major finishes between 2008 and 2012.
The most recent of Yani Tseng's five Major wins came at the 2011 British Women's Open
More evidence of Tseng’s incredible ability comes in the fact that, even after 12 years without an LPGA Tour win, she remains just four points away from the threshold of 27 needed to enter the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame.
While Tseng will likely be using her LPGA Tour return primarily as a chance to assess the condition of her game, for one player in the field, the possibility of securing a place at the Hall of Fame is now tantalisingly close. After Lydia Ko eased to victory at season-opener the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, she now stands just one point away from the honour.
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