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A Major Leap for Yani Tseng

by Jeff Skinner

Friends and practice partners Yani Tseng and Suzann Pettersen played a friendly round of golf on a sunny Sunday afternoon yesterday in California.  However, the stakes were a bit higher than their normal skins game.  The two LPGA stars teed off in the final group at the season’s first major championship, The Kraft Nabisco Championship.  Tseng bested her buddy, playing solid, conservative par golf coming down the stretch. She had pulled away from the field with an eagle on two and a birdie on three.  She actually led by four strokes during the final round.  Pettersen had to gamble to make birdies and she had plenty of opportunities but couldn’t convert on three of her good chances on the back nine.

When Pettersen’s eagle chip on eighteen just missed the cup, Tseng had her second major championship.  This 21 year old has three LPGA wins and two are major championships.  She won the LPGA Championship in 2008 and is the only player since then to win two majors.  At 21 she could a significant force on the tour for decades.

Tseng’s controlled, even temper play contrasted with Pettersen who as usual struggled to control her emotions and was even caught on air dropping an F-bomb.  Stuff happens and Suzann Pettersen isn’t shy about showing her emotions.

Tseng was thrilled with the win and after a champagne shower from her LPGA friends took the traditional leap into Poppy’s Pond with her caddy and a few friends.  It’s a wonderful tradition and a great way to kick off the 2010 major season.

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