The Sunrise Golf & Country Club has become the perfect setting this weekend for a story that even the best screenwriters would not dare to write. Amidst fog, endless rain, and impossible schedules, Yani Tseng (-6), the woman who dominated world golf more than a decade ago, is once again leading a professional tournament. The Taiwanese, who was world number one for 109 weeks and a five-time major champion, leads the Wistron Ladies Open with six under par. Eleven years and nine months after her last victory.
The tournament, however, is proving to be a real obstacle course. After Friday’s suspension due to torrential rain, it was officially announced that the event would be reduced to 36 holes. This Saturday, an attempt was made to complete the first round… but even that was not possible. The day began with a new suspension due to fog, and when the sky finally cleared, the accumulated delay made it impossible to complete the 18 holes. With the first round yet to be completed and a second round pending, the organisers are hopeful that Sunday will see the conclusion of a tournament that seems determined to resist.
Amidst all the chaos, Tseng has been a ray of light. The 36-year-old Taiwanese has only played 14 holes, but she has done so with brilliance. She has six birdies without a fault and shares the lead with the Thai Nook Sukapan (-6). Beyond the numbers, the astonishing thing is the how: Yani is putting left-handed, a radical decision she made this year after years of battling the yips and hip injuries. The change, as unusual as it is effective, has restored confidence and fluidity to her game. Since then, she has made three cuts this season, the first in a Major in seven years, and last week she finished sixth in the Jing-Mao Ladies Open. Now, at home, she is on the brink of a victory that would be historic.
In Spanish terms, Luna Sobrón (-3) has also taken advantage of the weather break to stand out. The Balearic player is in sixth place, three strokes off the lead, with four holes still to play in the first round, a good final round could bring her much closer to the season’s top ten goal.
Nuria Iturrioz (PAR), who started fourth after the first day’s attempt, did not have her best day: two bogeys on the final holes leave her at par, tied with Ana Peláez (PAR). Marta Martín, with +1, and María Hernández, with +6, complete the Spanish participation in a tournament where every birdie can mean a jump of several positions.
In Taiwan, nothing is guaranteed. Neither the sun, nor the schedule, nor the outcome. But just seeing Yani Tseng back at the top is worth the whole weekend. The left-hander of the miracle is back in the fight, and this time she seems determined to stay.
