INSPIRED BY Rory McIlroy’s recipe for success, women’s world number one Yani Tseng believes she can make yet more history at Hoylake this week. The 23-year-old from Taiwan, the youngest player of either gender to win five majors, is bidding for an unprecedented third successive Ricoh Women’s British Open title this weekend.
She does so over the same course where Tiger Woods won the 2006 Open, but while she has been studying video of that week, it is McIlroy’s three wins in the past month that have really attracted her attention.
The Ulster man went through a summer slump before capturing the final major of the season and now Tseng aims to follow the same path.
“I think Rory is very good for me to look at,” said Tseng, who has missed the halfway cut in three of her last five starts. “He was a little down, but after he won the PGA Championship he won another two. So I’m like ‘okay, it’s my turn to win again’.
“I watched his interviews and he was saying he loves this game and there’s nothing that can get him too stressful because this is his dream. I feel like I’m living the dream too. I’m very hard on myself this year and I’m never like that before, so now I want to get back and enjoy the game again and smile on the golf course as I used to do. This week my goal is just to have fun and show my smile to the fans out here.”
Her mood over the coming days might be tested given the wind, rain and even hailstorm the 156 players have already had to contend with in practice. But Tseng added: “A smile can make the weather better, I think.
“This is England – you expect the weather like this – and I really like playing in these conditions. I’m ready to rock. I’m just excited – I just really need to get that confidence back that when I’m out on the golf course I’m the best.”
Tseng admits she was hurt by reading criticising of her recent performances. “I’m a personality that really cares what people talk about me. I should not look – it’s all negative things and sometimes it really breaks my heart.
“Maybe they really don’t know how tough golf is. It’s hard to always be on top. I feel like I’m learning a lot and I feel if I can win again it will probably be my best trophy ever, she said.”
Irish hopes at the tournament will be carried by Rebecca Codd and Leona Maguire.
Hoylake lowdown
Course: Royal Liverpool, Hoylake
Prize money: €2.75 million (€266,142 to the winner)
Length: 6,660 yards.
Par: 72. Field: 144.
The layout: First time hosting women's British Open. This mainly flat course contains 82 deep revetted bunkers, and is very exposed to wind. Long rough.
Defending champion: Yani Tseng.
Type of player suited to challenge: A good course manager.
Key attribute: Accuracy off the tee is essential, as is avoiding the bunkers and high rough.
Weather forecast: Cloudy with a fair chance of rain on the first two days but likely to be dry at the weekend, with sunniest weather expected on Sunday, and the least wind. Friday likely to be the windiest.
On TV: BBC 2 from 1pm
