It’s been one year since Yani Tseng returned to the winner’s circle as she was victorious on home soil at the 2025 Wistron Ladies Open.
The five-time Major champion produced an emotional victory at Sunrise Golf and Country Club winning for the first time in 4,306 days.
Tseng returns to her homeland as defending champion for the 2026 edition of the Wistron Ladies Open, which is co-sanctioned by the TLPGA and Ladies European Tour (LET).
This year’s tournament takes place from October 29 – November 1 and has an elevated prize purse of $1.2 million USD. The former world number one can’t believe it’s been one year since that magical moment.
“It’s crazy [that] it’s been a year now,” she said. “I feel like it was just like yesterday, but I’m just very happy to be back and I feel this year, it’s a better version of myself. I feel more comfortable. I feel more confident on the course, and my body is feeling healthy.
“I’m just very happy to be back playing in front of the home crowd again, and after last year, I just feel very grateful. I look back and I’m very grateful that I am still able to play golf and am still able to be with all the best players in the world. Last year winning brings me back a lot of great memories from the past of winning as well because it had been 11 years and some of the feelings I had almost forgot.
“There were so many times I pressured myself if I can do it again or if I can win and then last year everything finally pays off and it brings back the memories that I still got this game and I never forget how to win the tournament. I was just embracing all the feelings, sinking and soaking it in and I just feel very grateful.
“Even this year, there were tough times. There’s always good times and tough times, but I always remind myself don’t forget how far I have come. I feel very happy and lucky as well. All my friends have retired; I want to keep all the great work and try to stay healthy as much as I can and still compete with the young girls.
“Every time, I see them it brings me back of this is how I used to play – fearless golf. They don’t care, they just play and I want to do that as well. I’m older now, so the strategy is always a little different, but at the same time I’m learning from all the younger players because I think we’re very different generations. I feel very lucky to still be able to play the game that I love.”
Tseng, who took up LET membership following her victory in 2025, teed it up at the Aramco Korea Championship two weeks ago recording a T3 finish.
The 37-year-old was pleased to put herself back in contention once again and that result gave her some confidence ahead of this week.
“I did my best. I didn’t think I was going to win or do anything. I just wanted to enjoy on the course and be able to play the game that I want to play,” she explained. “On the last day, my putting was a little bit off. I got a little bit, I don’t know if I was scared or I got a bit less aggressive. I feel I should play more aggressive. I’m always learning from the mistakes.
“Finishing third is not bad, I just need to put myself in that condition more and then I have more chance to work on it and that’s my goal. I didn’t play well on Sunday, but I did I play okay. At the start, it was pretty good, but at the end, the par-5 was the wrong yardage for me. To make bogey on that inside 100 yards, it’s a mistake for [trying to win] the tournament. I learn as I go and that tournament gave me more confidence to come in this week as well.”
Playing on home soil can bring added pressure, but Tseng is taking that all in her stride and wants to perform well.
The seven-time LET winner battled with the windy conditions during the Pro-Am but is hoping to take advantage of the wind during competition.
She added: “Coming back to play in Sunrise feels like a home for me. This is where I grew up and I stay at home this week. My family and friends are here. At the same time, you feel more pressure, but you also want to play for them as well.
“It’s a great motivation for me to play in my home country. Of course, I want to do well for them and all I can do is my best and hopefully, I’ll enjoy this week. I come here every time I can when I’m back at home. I am quite familiar with it, but it’s not as often as before especially with the wind like this.
“I haven’t played with this wind. Yesterday was quite hard [in the Pro-Am] and for the first few holes my ball was blowing everywhere. The wind was much harder than I thought. The wind is my advantage to play on this course; I don’t mind this wind. For me, it’s not that big, but other plays might need to play more.”
Tseng will tee it up in the first round on Thursday at Sunrise Golf and Country Club at 11.30 am (local time) alongside Thailand’s P.K. Kongraphan and South Africa’s Casandra Alexander.
Keep up to date with all the action throughout the tournament via @LETgolf on Instagram and X and Ladies European Tour on Facebook and YouTube – #2026WistronLadiesOpen.
