Yani Tseng (; born 23 January 1989) is a Taiwanese professional golfer playing on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour. She is the youngest player ever, male or female, to win five major championships. She was ranked number 1 in the Women's World Golf Rankings for 109 consecutive weeks from 2011 to 2013.
Early life In 1989, Tseng was born. In 2002, she won the Callaway Junior World Golf Championships in the girls 13–14 age group. Tseng was the top-ranked amateur in Taiwan from 2004 to 2006.
Amateur career The highlight of her amateur career was winning the 2004 U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links, defeating Michelle Wie in the final, 1 up. In addition, she won North and South Women's Amateur Golf Championship in 2005.
Professional career Ladies Asian Golf Tour Tseng turned professional in January 2007. That year she competed on the Ladies Asian Golf Tour, and won the DLF Women's Indian Open. She also competed on the CN Canadian Women's Tour, where she won the CN Canadian Women's Tour event at Vancouver Golf Club.
LPGA Tour Tseng entered the LPGA Qualifying Tournament in the fall of 2007, and finished sixth in the final Qualifying Tournament in December, which gave her full playing privileges on the LPGA Tour for 2008. In June 2008, she claimed her first LPGA tour victory at the LPGA Championship to become the first player from Taiwan to win an LPGA major championship. At age 19, she was also the youngest player to win the LPGA Championship and the second-youngest player to win an LPGA major.
Tseng was named LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year in 2008.
On 29 March 2009, Tseng became the fastest player in LPGA history to reach the $2 million mark in career earnings. She achieved this mark in 32 events, spanning one year, one month, and 13 days. The previous record holder was Paula Creamer, who reached the mark in one year, four months, and 15 days in 2006. On 4 April 2010, Tseng won the first major championship of the LPGA season, the Kraft Nabisco Championship, by one stroke. She went on to win her second major of the year on 1 August 2010 by winning the Women's British Open by one stroke, and became the youngest woman in the modern era to win three major championships. LPGA founder Patty Berg was younger than Tseng when she won the 1939 Titleholders Championship. However, that was before the formation of the LPGA Tour in 1950 and the designation of official LPGA major tournaments.
In September 2010, Tseng was offered a five-year sponsorship deal from a Chinese company worth NT$1 billion (US$25 million), with access to a luxury villa and private jets. Tseng rejected the offer because it required she switch her citizenship from Republic of China to China.
In January 2011, Tseng defended her title at the Taifong Ladies Open on the LPGA of Taiwan Tour. Three weeks later she won the ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open, and a week later the ANZ RACV Ladies Masters, both events co-sponsored by the ALPG Tour and the Ladies European Tour. Her wins moved her into the number 1 position in the Women's World Golf Rankings. She won again the next week in the first tournament of the LPGA season, the Honda LPGA Thailand.
In June 2011, she won the LPGA State Farm Classic over Cristie Kerr by three strokes. Two weeks later, she won the LPGA Championship. This made her, at age 22 years and five months, the youngest player to win four LPGA majors. The next month she defended her title at the Women's British Open, becoming the first defending champion winner at the Women's British Open as a major. Her five major titles also made her the youngest player, male or female, at 22 years, six months, to win five major championships.
Tseng won the LPGA Tour Player of the Year for a second straight year. She wrapped up the award while the season still had four events remaining.
Tseng won three of the first five events on the 2012 LPGA Tour: the Honda LPGA Thailand, the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup and the Kia Classic. The Honda LPGA Thailand victory was her second consecutive win at that event.
Tseng's career took a sudden downturn beginning in the latter part of the 2012 season. At the end of 2013, she had dropped from fourth to 38th place on the official LPGA money list and from first to 34th in the Women's World Golf Rankings. Her performance dropped further in 2014; she ended that year at 54th on the official money list and ranked 83rd in the world. Tseng has not won a LPGA tournament since March 2012 (Kia Classic). After accumulating seven top-10 finishes, including four wins, in majors in 2010 through early 2012, starting with the 2012 Women's PGA Championship, she has missed the cut or did not play in a majority of the majors and finished no higher than T13 in the others. There have been no reports of major injuries or other explanation for the sudden change.
Hall of Fame Since March 2012, Tseng has been four points away from qualifying for the World Golf Hall of Fame via the LPGA points system, which requires 27 points for Hall of Fame eligibility. Tseng earned one point for each regular tour victory on the LPGA Tour and two points for every major championship victory. She also earned a point each for her two Rolex LPGA Player of the Year awards and one point for winning the Vare Trophy. Tseng has already met the requirement to win one LPGA major, Vare Trophy, or Rolex award.
Personal life Tseng's father is Mao Hsin Tseng and her mother is Yu-Yun Yang.
Tseng lives in a residential community at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in Orlando, Florida, in a house that she purchased from former LPGA player Annika Sörenstam in April 2009.
Awards and honors In 2008, Tseng was named LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year. In 2010 and 2011, Tseng won the LPGA Tour Player of the Year award. Tseng was named to Time magazine's list of the "100 Most Influential People in the World in 2012."
Amateur wins 2002 Callaway Junior World Golf Championships (Girls 13–14) 2004 U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links 2005 North and South Women's Amateur Golf Championship
Professional wins (28) LPGA Tour wins (15) Legend Major championships (5) Other LPGA Tour (10) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-upWinner'sshare ($)18 Jun 2008McDonald's LPGA Championship73-70-65-68=276−12Playoff Maria Hjorth300,000224 May 2009LPGA Corning Classic68-70-62-67=267−211 stroke Paula Creamer Kang Soo-yun 225,00034 Apr 2010Kraft Nabisco Championship69-71-67-68=275−131 stroke Suzann Pettersen300,00041 Aug 2010Women's British Open68-68-68-73=277−111 stroke Katherine Hull408,714512 Sep 2010P&G NW Arkansas Championship67-68-65=200−131 stroke Michelle Wie300,000620 Feb 2011Honda LPGA Thailand66-71-70-66=273−155 strokes Michelle Wie217,500712 Jun 2011LPGA State Farm Classic67-66-66-68=267−213 strokes Cristie Kerr255,000826 Jun 2011Wegmans LPGA Championship 66-70-67-66=269−1910 strokes Morgan Pressel375,000931 Jul 2011Ricoh Women's British Open71-66-66-69=272−164 strokes Brittany Lang392,1331011 Sep 2011Walmart NW Arkansas Championship66-67-68=201−13Playoff Amy Yang300,000119 Oct 2011LPGA Hana Bank Championship65-70-67=202−141 stroke Choi Na-yeon270,0001223 Oct 2011Sunrise LPGA Taiwan Championship68-71-67-66=272−165 strokes Azahara Muñoz Amy Yang300,0001319 Feb 2012Honda LPGA Thailand73-65-65-66=269−191 stroke Ai Miyazato225,0001418 Mar 2012RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup65-70-67-68=270−181 stroke Choi Na-yeon Ai Miyazato225,0001525 Mar 2012Kia Classic67-68-69-70=274−146 strokes Yoo Sun-young255,000 Co-sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour.
LPGA Tour playoff record (2–1) No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result12008McDonald's LPGA ChampionshipMaria HjorthWon with birdie on fourth extra hole 22008State Farm Classic Oh Ji-youngLost to par on first extra hole32011Walmart NW Arkansas Championship Amy YangWon with birdie on first extra hole
Ladies European Tour wins (7) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMarginof victoryRunner(s)-up112 Mar 2010Handa Women's Australian Open74-71-72-66=283−93 strokes Laura Davies21 Aug 2010Women's British Open68-68-68-73=277−111 stroke Katherine Hull36 Feb 2011ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open70-67-68-71=276−167 strokes Ji Eun-hee Melissa Reid Jiyai Shin413 Feb 2011ANZ RACV Ladies Masters67-66-63-68=264−244 strokes Nikki Campbell Stacy Lewis531 Jul 2011Ricoh Women's British Open71-66-66-69=272−164 strokes Brittany Lang630 Oct 2011Suzhou Taihu Ladies Open68-66-66=200−167 strokes Pernilla Lindberg726 Oct 2025Wistron Ladies Open63-67=130−144 strokes Amelia Garvey Co-sanctioned by the ALPG Tour. Co-sanctioned by the LPGA. Co-sanctioned by the Ladies Asian Golf Tour. Co-sanctioned by the Taiwan LPGA Tour.
Ladies Asian Golf Tour wins (3) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMarginof victoryRunner(s)-up13 Mar 2007DLF Women's Indian Open70-70-75=215−1Playoff Russy Gulyanamitta216 Jan 2011Taifong Ladies Open77-73-68=218+23 strokes Nam Min-ji330 Oct 2011Suzhou Taihu Ladies Open68-66-66=200−167 strokes Pernilla Lindberg Co-sanctioned by the Taiwan LPGA Tour. Co-sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour.
ALPG Tour wins (3) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMarginof victoryRunner(s)-up112 Mar 2010Handa Women's Australian Open74-71-72-66=283−93 strokes Laura Davies26 Feb 2011ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open70-67-68-71=276−167 strokes Ji Eun-hee Melissa Reid Jiyai Shin313 Feb 2011ANZ RACV Ladies Masters67-66-63-68=264−244 strokes Nikki Campbell Stacy Lewis Co-sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour.
Taiwan LPGA Tour wins (7) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up111 Apr 2007TLPGA Tour Nan-Fong Tournament at Nan-Fong Golf Club72-68=140−4Playoff Yueh-Chyn Huang212 Jan 2008Royal Ladies Open66-64-66=196−2017 strokes Lee Eun-Kyoung Pornanong Phatlum317 Jan 2010Taifong Ladies Open69-73-77=219+34 strokes Wei Yun Jye416 Jan 2011Taifong Ladies Open77-73-68=218+23 strokes Nam Min-ji511 Dec 2011Swinging Skirts TLPGA Invitational72-70-68=210−67 strokes Ryu So-yeon Jiyai Shin626 Jan 2014Taifong Ladies Open73-72-70=215−12 strokes Yen Ling Pan726 Oct 2025Wistron Ladies Open63-67=130−144 strokes Amelia Garvey Co-sanctioned by the Ladies Asian Golf Tour. Co-sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour.
Other wins (1) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up129 May 2007CN Canadian Women's Tour at Vancouver Golf Club(CN Canadian Women's Tour) 68-72=140−42 strokes Stephanie Sherlock
Major championships Wins (5) No.YearChampionshipWinning scoreTo parMarginof victoryRunner-upWinner'sshare ($)1 2008 LPGA Championship 73-70-65-68=276 −12 Playoff 1 Maria Hjorth 300,0002 2010 Kraft Nabisco Championship 69-71-67-68=275 −13 1 stroke Suzann Pettersen 300,0003 2010 Women's British Open 68-68-68-73=277 −11 1 stroke Katherine Hull 408,7144 2011 LPGA Championship (2) 66-70-67-66=269 −19 10 strokes Morgan Pressel 375,0005 2011 Ricoh Women's British Open (2) 71-66-66-69=272 −16 4 strokes Brittany Lang 392,133 1 Defeated Hjorth with birdie on fourth extra hole.
Results timeline Results not in chronological order. Tournament 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012Chevron ChampionshipT21T17123U.S. Women's OpenCUTCUTT42CUTT10T15T50Women's PGA Championship1T23T191T59Women's British Open2T2011T26 Tournament 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026Chevron ChampionshipT48CUTCUTCUTCUTCUTCUTCUTCUTCUTWDU.S. Women's OpenCUTT35CUTT59CUTCUTWomen's PGA ChampionshipT19T30CUTCUTCUTCUTCUTCUTCUTCUTThe Evian Championship^CUTCUTCUTT36CUTNTWomen's British OpenCUTCUTT13T31T30CUTCUTT63CUT ^ The Evian Championship was added as a major in 2013
CUT = missed the half-way cut NT = no tournament WD = withdrew T = tied
Summary Tournament Wins 2nd 3rd Top-5 Top-10 Top-25 Events Cuts madeChevron Championship 1 1 1 3 3 5 16 6U.S. Women's Open 0 0 0 0 1 2 13 6Women's PGA Championship 2 0 0 2 2 5 15 7The Evian Championship 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 1Women's British Open 2 1 0 3 3 5 14 9Totals 5 2 1 8 9 17 63 29 Most consecutive cuts made – 15 (2009 British Open – 2013 LPGA)