	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

LPGA STATE FARM CLASSIC

July 20, 2008

Yani Tseng

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS

ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Yani, thanks for coming in. I know you had a long day that featured an extra hole of golf out there and you fought till the very end. So just your thoughts on the rounds and how you felt you played today?
YANI TSENG: Yeah, I didn't play real well on the first nine holes. I really felt nervous. It's my first time on top of the leaderboard. I felt lost for a minute. But after that hole, I hang in there and tried my best. Took every chance for birdie. I just I tried hard, and I couldn't get it, so...
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: I think the last couple of times we saw your name up high on the leaderboard, you were maybe chasing the lead going into Sunday. So was today a little different because you had the lead?
YANI TSENG: Yeah, I feel if you have the lead you have more pressure than when you are not leading. When you are loose and you are not leading, so you can do anything you want. You just try to relax and have fun and enjoy, but just couldn't do it. Yeah, but not in second place.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Some of the things that you learn as a rookie. Better to learn as a rookie than far down the road.
YANI TSENG: Yeah, that's true.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: All right. Questions for Yani.

Q. Is the first time you played 18 a second shot, did you just catch a flyer there or what exactly happened?
YANI TSENG: I don't know. I didn't think the wind was so strong. Maybe I hit it too good and it just fly over. It's like 170. I hit 7-iron and it just fly over. I couldn't do anything.

Q. On 18, regulation hole, you did chip on. And I think you were getting ready to putt, then you kind of backed off just for a second. Was it nerves or did you see something you didn't like? I mean what happened there?
YANI TSENG: I just don't feel comfortable when I was putting. I just couldn't lineup. I feel like I'm lining up right, the second time I was lining up left. Just not confidence there.

Q. I know you said earlier in the week your putting has been very good. Just today being in the lead at the LPGA I know you kind of came from behind to get into the playoff, right?
YANI TSENG: Yeah.

Q. So you're 1 and 1 in playoffs now. You won the LPGA in a playoff?
YANI TSENG: Yeah, four holes.

Q. That was four holes, yeah. On 16 today did you birdie or eagle?
YANI TSENG: I birdied.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: She had a 25-foot putt.

Q. Oh, I see. At that point maybe right after that, maybe she bogeyed 17. Were you aware of that?
YANI TSENG: Yeah, I saw that. I saw that. She had missed the putt, like a very short putt.

Q. I mean you were on the tee?
YANI TSENG: Yeah. So I feel very comfortable I've got the lead. And I feel I can win, but the 18 hole on the second shot just not in.

Q. The course seemed like the winds picked up today compared to the last few days. I mean for everybody, a few players had low scores, but was the wind more of a factor today do you think?
YANI TSENG: Yeah, I think the wind was more stronger. But the final round is always everybody gets pressure. Always the last round it's not a very good score for like everybody. I just feel the pressure.

Q. What is the biggest plus you'll take out of this experience today?
YANI TSENG: Biggest? I don't know. This is my first runner-up, so I really just learned a lot. Today I think I just didn't relax enough and I didn't play my game. I know if I play my game. I think too much today.

Q. You say you've had a lot of success for your rookie year. You won a major, you finished second here, and you're very high on the money list. Growing up in Taiwan when did you really start thinking about maybe coming to the United States and playing on the LPGA TOUR? When did that become a goal or a dream for you? How old were you, maybe?
YANI TSENG: I think I was about 10 years old. Annika Sorenstam was number one at that time. So I told myself I want to be number one, too. I don't know if the LPGA TOUR, but I just know I'm going to be number one in the world.
When I was 13 years old, I went to the U.S. Open. At that time I say I told my manager, I say I'm going to play in this tournament. When I was 13, I don't know.
I said I can play some players on that U.S. Open. So I say I'm going to play, that's why I came to the USGA Tournament and to Q-school.

Q. Many of the girls from Korea, and Taiwan, and Ji shot 63, from China, and many players from Asia. All of you have come over here. Why do you think you girls have been so successful? Is it just flat out hard work and focus?
YANI TSENG: Yeah. It's really hard to say. I don't know. They've got a really good mental. I think the Korean, they've got a really good mental. I lost three times in amateurs and it's a Korean. The 2000 amateurs, they're Korean. They're Korean. Everyone I play is Korean.

Q. The two amateur tournaments? Which two amateur tournaments were those?
YANI TSENG: The Girls' Junior. I lost that, and one junior tournament in Asia. I shot 62 in the final, and she tap in for birdie. I thought, okay, the National Team for Korean. Their mental is like strong like a rock. They're just very hard. They can hold under every pressure. (Indiscernible) like her dad was training her hard. So she was living like one month in a very scary place.

Q. You go to France from here?
YANI TSENG: Yeah.

Q. You go like to Chicago tonight to get a plane?
YANI TSENG: Yeah, I take shuttle to Chicago at 10:00 o'clock. We were talking about it. I asked Ji what time is your flight and she said 8:00. She said maybe they can stretch. I said okay, I won this hole and I let you go.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Yani, thanks for coming in this week. Great job. We always like talking to you here.
YANI TSENG: Thank you.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297