World No.1 Yani Tseng will be looking to reignite her winning streak as she defends her title at the Honda LPGA Thailand this week after disappointment in the Women’s Australian Open.
The Taiwanese star, who won 12 titles worldwide last year and seven US LPGA Tour victories, will be hoping to repeat her 2011 victory when the $US1.5 million tournament tees off on Thursday at the Siam Country Club.
Tseng endured the horrors of quadruple and triple bogeys in her last two rounds in Australia to finish eighth, two shots off the six-way victory playoff won by US teenager Jessica Korda.
Tseng has been working on a more powerful swing, which may have contributed to some of her wayward drives in Melbourne, and world No.2 Suzann Petterson will be keen to pounce on any slip-ups on the Pattaya Old Course.
Although Petterson was never really in contention in Melbourne she was upbeat about her performance.
“I am pleased with my overall game,” the Norwegian wrote on her blog earlier this week.
Other major contenders in the 70-strong field in Thailand include big-hitting Hawaiian Michelle Wie, runner-up to Tseng in last year’s tournament.
Japan’s Ai Miyazato, ranked 11th in the world, won the tournament two years ago and after finishing well down the field last year will be looking to recapture her previous form.
There is also considerable interest over teenage prodigy Alexis Thompson who, at the age of 16, became the youngest-ever player to win on the LPGA Tour with her triumph at the Navistar Classic last year.
Now 17, she will be playing her rookie season after receiving an exemption from the minimum age requirement.
Brittany Lincicome has also shown good early-season form, and she came close to winning last-week’s nail-biter in Australia.
Among other leading golfers expected to be in contention this week are third-ranked Na Yeon-Choi of Korea, and the Americans Cristie Kerr and Paula Creamer ranked fourth and fifth respectively.
AFP