Yani Tseng Falls Short of Grand Slam

When you think of young golfers who have dominated the sport, names like Tiger Woods and Annika Sorenstam come to mind. But now, there is a new name to add to that list. Yani Tseng, at the tender age of 22, has become the youngest golfer in history to win four majors after her impressive victory at the LPGA Championship in late June. But her dominance fell short on the 11^th of July, when she failed to win her first Grand Slam at the US Open.

Four Majors

Tseng’s first major came back in 2008 at the McDonald’s LPGA Championship at the Bull Rock Golf Course in Havre de Grace, Maryland. At only 19 years of age, Tseng won the event in her rookie season after a four-hole playoff with Maria Hjorth. The two finished the tournament 12-under 276, topping Sorenstam and Lorena Ochoa.

Yani Tseng was forced to wait another two years before she was able to bring home another LPGA major. At the 2010 Kraft Nabisco Championship at the Mission Hills Golf Club in Rancho Mirage, California, Tseng managed to squeeze past Suzann Pettersen by one stroke. She finished the event with an impressive 13-under, 275.

Tseng’s third major victory came only a few short months after the Kraft Nabisco Championship at the Ricoh Women’s British Open in August. At the Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England, Tseng finished the event 11-under 277, one stroke ahead of Katherine Hull of Australia.   

At the end of June, Yani Tseng won her fourth major to date and her second LPGA Championship in four years. Finishing with a record-tying 19-under 269, Tseng bested the competition at the Locust Hill Country Club with an impressive 10-stroke margin over runner-up Morgan Pressel.

Just Short of Grand Slam

Tseng had her sights set on joining Sorenstam on the list of women golfers who have won a Grand Slam in their career. However, a troublesome four days at the US Open on July 4-10 ended her hopes. Although play was suspended as of July 11, Tseng finished her final round with a ho-hum 73, finishing the event with tied for 17^th with an uncharacteristic 6-over 290.