Tseng in demand after taking title and top spot

Feb. 14, 2011 - PRLog -- LAST year, Yani Tseng rejected a $US25-million five-year sponsorship offer that included the use of private jets and a luxury villa in Beijing. The one proviso of the contract was that she change her nationality from Taiwanese to Chinese.
Tseng was then the world No. 4, so what price now should China come knocking again?
The new No. 1 displaced South Korean Jiyai Shin after yesterday adding the Ladies Masters title at Royal Pines to her Australian Open in Melbourne last Sunday.
Advertisement: Story continues below But, through the first nine holes, it was not the foregone conclusion many expected. Compared with the total command of her game in shooting a nine-under 63 on Saturday, she was scratchy.
But on the back nine, Tseng was back in the groove and, in the end, won by four shots from American Stacy Lewis and Canberran Nikki Campbell.
The Australian, who knew catching Tseng was a forlorn hope, instead set the goal of shooting eight under, which she delivered with a 64.
Karrie Webb, seeking an eighth win, was eight shots back of Tseng, but there is always next year.
Tseng, 22, shot rounds of 67-66-63-68 - 24 under - and when she holed the putt for her inevitable victory, raised both arms to the heavens with a broad smile.
She had achieved that No. 1 ranking that she started to dream of when aged 12.
"I never expected this to come so soon,'' Tseng said. ''There is still a long way to go, there's another 11 months to go [to hold No. 1 for a year]. Today, I just feel like, 'This is not true,' it's unreal.
''I just feel really appreciative of all the people who have been helping me all those years.''
Of the Chinese offer last year, Tseng said at the time: "I don't know if I'm qualified to receive so much money, I don't know if I'm that capable. 'I hope in the future my results can be better or I've reached my target of becoming the world's No 1.
"It doesn't matter which country I'm playing in. I feel I'm bringing glory to ethnic Chinese across the world and I am proud to be Chinese."
Taiwan is light on the ground for sporting heroes and Tseng will have her share of headlines in Taipei today as reporters from the Taiwanese news agency turned up for the first time yesterday to report the news back home.
"I hope it is front-page news at home," Tseng said. "I put on Facebook I'm going to wear pink today so just wear pink when you are watching on TV."
Tseng's ascension to No. 1 could well spawn a host of young Taiwanese women golfers, as Se Ri Pak did in Korea in 1998 when she won two majors in her rookie year on the LPGA Tour.
Webb's record 26-under-par around Royal Pines remained intact yesterday, but never before has the resort course been so systemically plundered.
All 70 players who made the cut finished under par - possibly a first in world golf - and a total of 1529 birdies and 26 eagles were made through the week.
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