The time is now, feels Lewis, to catch Tseng

• By Randall Mell
• Jul 5, 2012 11:00 AM ET

KOHLER, Wis. – Stacy Lewis senses an opportunity with Yani Tseng’s confidence dented.

Lewis is No. 2 in the world with designs on taking the No. 1 spot Tseng holds.

Lewis and Tseng both go off at 2:58 p.m. in the first round Thursday but on opposite sides of the course. Lewis goes off the 10^th tee, Tseng off the first tee.

With Tseng having built such a formidable lead in the Rolex World Rankings, Lewis was asked if she feels this is a chance to close the gap.

“I definitely think it is,” Lewis said. “I think at this time last year, Yani was just so far ahead of everybody. She was almost unbeatable in tournaments. Now, she’s been struggling a little bit, and I wouldn’t say she’s beatable, but she’s not playing as well as last year. She’s going to work and grind it out and figure it out, she’s going get back to where she was . . . When she’s not playing her best that’s when we can kind of close that gap and chase her down.”

Tseng is coming off a missed cut at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship. She barely made the cut at the Wegmans LPGA Championship before that, but she still has double the world-ranking points of any other player.