Tsai Pei-ying rallies past Yani Tseng to win TLPGA WPG Ladies Open

Taipei, May 25 (CNA) Taiwanese golfer Tsai Pei-ying (蔡佩穎) overtook former world No. 1 Yani Tseng (曾雅妮) in the final round of the WPG Ladies Open in Taoyuan on Sunday to win the title.

Tsai finished with a four-round total of 17-under-par 271, carding a six-under 67 in the final round, with six birdies and one bogey.

Tseng, nicknamed Taiwan's "smiling queen," finished second after losing the lead she had held going into the final day.

Tsai entered Sunday's final round one shot behind Tseng after carding a tournament-low 66 in Saturday's third round to move into solo second place.

The 35-year-old, who mainly competes on the Japan LPGA Tour, played steadily in the final round. She shot a 34 on the front nine, then added three more birdies without a bogey on the back nine for a closing 33.

Tseng carded a 36 on the front nine but was unable to regain the lead on the back nine, despite her attempts to rally.

Speaking to reporters afterward, Tsai said her par save on the 17th hole proved crucial.

"My tee shot went left of the fairway, making the second shot very difficult," said Tsai, who also won the 2025 Hitachi Air Conditioning Ladies Classic in Taiwan.

"Fortunately, I managed to get the ball just in front of the green and saved par with a single putt," she said. "If I had made bogey there, Yani could have come back on the final hole with her distance advantage."

Meanwhile, Tseng said she had felt unwell during warmups before the round but gradually improved as play continued.

"I finally started feeling better on the back nine," Tseng said. "But my approach shots onto the greens were not ideal, and that cost me a lot of birdie opportunities."

The WPG Ladies Open is one of the most lucrative tournaments on the Taiwan Ladies Professional Golf Association (TLPGA) circuit. The tournament held May 21-24 at Sunrise Golf & Country Club in Taoyuan carried a total purse of NT$15 million (US$477,550).