Yani Tseng's Road to Redemption Starts at Home

Remember when former world No. 1 and known right-handed golfer Yani Tseng went viral on Golf Twitter for putting left-handed at the Chevron Championship?

It wasn't a form of aura-farming (as the kids say) or attention-seeking, it was a champion willing to do just about anything to find their game again. Throughout the years, a countless number of golfers have gone to great lengths to overcome yips in their game. From switching up equipment and coaches to mental techniques, we've it all, but the inverse putting stroke was a new one.

But I guess when you go from being the youngest person to win five majors ever to struggling to see weekend golf for years, any semblance of what once was will suffice. And you should never doubt the creativity of a champion.

Related: Before The Drastic Putting Change, Yani Tseng Was As Dominant As They Come

After her TV coverage at Chevron Tseng said, "when TV was following me...I played much better than when I’m by myself. I just feel more pumped up, like I want to show you. I just feel like I still have that inside of me, that I really want to show what I’ve got, but that takes a little time."

It's been another difficult year, but the 2025 season has brought back a sparkle of hope for the 36 year old.

Despite missing the cut, Chevron was the event that got her name circulating again, and a couple of months later, Tseng qualified for a spot in the 80th edition of the U.S. Women's Open at Erin Hills, her first in nine years. She candidly opened up about her struggles over the last several years, citing that it's been a tearful journey but one she's still willing to put up a fight for.

She was on cut-watch at Erin Hills, narrowly missing out on the weekend by a stroke, but it was a step in the right direction.

Her breakthrough finally came late this summer, at the last major of the season, the AIG Women's Open, where Tseng made her first cut since 2018. "It is been a while. Especially I took four years off. And I mean, at least 7 years. It's incredible. I was really nervous coming in."

Tseng continued, "I just want to play free. Hopefully I can play like -- I don't know, I'm excited. I don't really know what's going on. I haven't been playing a weekend for a while, but I hope to just enjoy more out there and then be aggressive and then do the best I can do."

Tseng would go on to finish T-63 at AIG.

Redemption is not a linear path, and neither is golf for that matter. Both ebb and flow, and more often than not, things will get worse before they get better. Tseng will be the first to say that her woes are a mental hurdle that she needs to shake, and confidence is built brick by brick.

And there's no place quite like home to remind you of who you are and how far you've come. Cut to this weekend at the Wistron Ladies Open.

In front of a home crowd at a golf course that she's played since she was just a teenager—the five-time major champion returned to the winner's circle for the first time since the 2014 Taifong Ladies Open.

And she didn't even need the weekend to do it. (Golf, forever the game of irony.) The week at Sunrise Golf and Country Club in Taoyuan, Taiwan was condensed to 36 holes due to unpredictable weather conditions, and she won the damn thing by four shots.

"It’s been a very long time since I’ve felt this”, she said. "I’m so grateful for my fans, friends, and family all cheering me on. It really helped with them on the course and gave me a lot of confidence throughout the last couple of days. Until the last hole, I wasn’t sure if the scores were correct on the board. It’s been such a long time to be able to stand in this position."

With eight birdies on the card during her final 18 holes, the left-handed putting was a thing of beauty, and key to her triumph.

"I’ve been waiting for this trophy for so long," said the former top player in the world. "To win this tournament in my home country and in front of my family and friends is amazing. I’ve been really emotional from this win, and just shows you should never give up on your dreams."

This win means she is now eligible for LET membership, should she choose to accept it.