There was bad news/good news for Taiwanese women’s golf in Thursday’s first round of the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia.
Taiwan’s Yani Tseng, the world No. 1, is still struggling to find her form. She opened with a 78 in Kuala Lumpur.
Taiwan’s Min Lee, a 17-year-old amateur, opened with a 66 and is just one shot behind the leaders, Na Yeon Choi and Karrie Webb.
Tseng has inspired a new generation of young female golfers in her homeland. There’s more talent coming up with Lee. She is just the sixth-ranked amateur in Taiwan. She earned her way into this week’s event through a regional qualifier.
Lee got a thrill playing with Tseng in a practice round on Tuesday.
“Yani is my idol,” Lee told reporters after the first round. “She taught me many things during the practice round about golf, like the mental aspect, which was very helpful.”
Tseng won three times in the first three months of this season, but she is looking for her first top-10 finish in almost six months. The LPGA moves to her homeland in two weeks to play the Sunrise LPGA Taiwan Championship. Tseng is the defending champ.