Suzhou Taihu Ladies Open: Tseng Makes Debut In China

World number one golfer Yani Tseng will be the woman to beat at this week's Suzhou Taihu Ladies Open, where she will make her tournament debut from Friday.

The 22-year-old from Chinese Taipei is in Suzhou, China, for the October 28-30 tournament, which is tri-sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour (LET), Ladies Asian Golf Tour (LAGT) and China LPGA (CLPGA).

It will be Tseng's first and only appearance in China this season and she will be the star attraction, fresh from winning the inaugural LPGA Taiwan Championship on Sunday.

Her five shot victory secured her 10th title of the year following seven wins on the LPGA, one win on the LAGT and two additional victories on the LET, at the ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open and ANZ RACV Ladies Masters in Australia.

Now in its fourth year, the €300,000 tournament at Suzhou Taihu International Golf Club will give spectators the opportunity to see the skills that have helped Tseng accumulate two major titles this year, at the LPGA Championship and Ricoh Women's British Open, enabling her to become the youngest ever player to win five majors.

"I will try my best. Every week, every hole, every shot is a different challenge. I want to do my best, play one shot at a time and hopefully win, too," Tseng said.

"Last week was a great memory. It was unbelievable and crowd was huge. I still feel very excited about last week now and hopefully this week we're going to have lots of people to come out to watch too.

"It's still very exciting to be here because it's my first time in Suzhou and just a beautiful place, a nice hotel, nice golf course, very exciting and looking forward to playing this week."

Tseng still has four more tournaments to play this season, including Suzhou, two LPGA events and a less formal invitational event at home.

A total of 114 female golfers, including 55 from the Ladies European Tour and 29 from China, will tee up in the 54-hole Suzhou Taihu Ladies Open hoping to earn the €45,000 first prize.

Tseng will be joined by the defending champion Lee-Anne Pace of South Africa and four European Solheim Cup team members in the field.

The Solheim Cup players are Laura Davies from England, chasing her first title of the season, fellow Englishwoman Melissa Reid, who won two tournaments this year (Deloitte Dutch Ladies Open and Open de Espana Femenino), Christel Boeljon from the Netherlands, the Turkish Airlines Ladies Open champion who lost a four-way play-off at Suzhou last year and Sweden's Caroline Hedwall, who has won three titles in this, her rookie season as a professional.

Many other top players who have already won on the LET this year will compete including Australian Frances Bondad, who took the Sanya Ladies Open on Sunday; England's Felicity Johnson, winner of last month's Lacoste Ladies Open de France, Portugal Ladies Open champion Ashleigh Simon of South Africa and Australian Kristie Smith, who won earlier this year in New Zealand.

I read an interesting follow up to this reagarding how she has overtaken Michelle Wie as the face of golf in Asia.

Really - how fascinating!

Hobo, at this rate you will be the face of women's golf.

Maybe time for you to lay of the golf boards for a while?

Adam D (Hobo) wrote:I read an interesting follow up to this reagarding how she has overtaken Michelle Wie as the face of golf in Asia.

I doubt she ever was a face for Asian golf in Asia, especially considering there are far more bona fide Asians who are far better players, more accomplished and who have achieved much more.

Why are we having so many threads on women's golf started by the same person?

I think someone needs to grow up.

super_realist wrote:

Adam D (Hobo) wrote:I read an interesting follow up to this reagarding how she has overtaken Michelle Wie as the face of golf in Asia.

I doubt she ever was a face for Asian golf in Asia, especially considering there are far more bona fide Asians who are far better players, more accomplished and who have achieved much more.

But how many have the powerhouse marketing of Nike behind them like Wie did?

Asia is a completely different market. In Asia it isn't OEM's like Taylor Made, Ping and Titleist that are big. It's manufacturers like Muira, Maruman, Epon and Tour Preferred that control the market.
Given that Wie has won virtually nothing and Nike's lack of presence in the Asian golf market, I would think your average Asian golf fan would barely have heard of her.

Surely Wie's overhyped sponsorship deal is irrelevant. She is not even the best American on tour and until she steps up and wins something will over ever be an also ran.

Maverick wrote:Surely Wie's overhyped sponsorship deal is irrelevant. She is not even the best American on tour and until she steps up and wins something will over ever be an also ran.

Why is it irrelevant? (for the second time today)

If your face is plastered over bill boards, irrespective of whether you have won anything, you are going to be well known.

Adam, There are far too many famous Asian golfers for Wie to get a look in. Nike simply isn't a big player in the Asian golf market.

People like Si Re Pak, Tseng and Grace Park are far far more famous (and justifiably) than a no mark like Michelle Wie, and no amount of turd polishing by Nike will make her famous there

super_realist wrote:Adam, There are far too many famous Asian golfers for Wie to get a look in. Nike simply isn't a big player in the Asian golf market.

People like Si Re Pak, Tseng and Grace Park are far far more famous (and justifiably) than a no mark like Michelle Wie, and no amount of turd polishing by Nike will make her famous there

Fair point and well answered.

I was just making the point that having a major sports supplier promoting you is relevant to the conversation.

Not really sure how having a sponsorship endorsement is relevant, as even the lowest players have such sponsorships, these only become prevalent if that person wins anything.

Depends, It would be a bit like Dunlop sponsoring an failure of an Asian player over here. No one would be interested in either the player or the products she is endorsing.

Maverick wrote:Not really sure how having a sponsorship endorsement is relevant, as even the lowest players have such sponsorships, these only become prevalent if that person wins anything.

Did I mention anything about sponsorship?

I mentioned that she had the Nike marketing machine behind her.

Two very different things. Your point, to quote somebody, is irrelevant to what I actually said.

If she's being marketed by Nike, she is effectively being sponsored by them too as she's being used in advertising to endorse the products SHE actually uses.

Adam D (Hobo) wrote:

Maverick wrote:Not really sure how having a sponsorship endorsement is relevant, as even the lowest players have such sponsorships, these only become prevalent if that person wins anything.

Did I mention anything about sponsorship?

I mentioned that she had the Nike marketing machine behind her.

Two very different things. Your point, to quote somebody, is irrelevant to what I actually said.

Marketing machine comes through the endorsements the player has, hardly like to be marketed if thay don't have the product backing. As for saying my point to quote is irrelevant. More likely the thread is too. No point creating a thread and the comments on it if your going to take offence as someone responding to something that you have said which is relevant. Or are you saying the marketing machine of Nike are doing better out of Wie than Adams are out of Tseng highly unlikely

Think about it.
How good do Nike look by sponsoring and marketing a loser like Wie. Hardly likely to endear many people towards their products is it?

If Michelle Wie is a loser with two LPGA tour wins and top 3 placings in all the majors then christ alone kknows what that mankes 90% of the other players on tour.

super_realist wrote:Think about it.
How good do Nike look by sponsoring and marketing a loser like Wie. Hardly likely to endear many people towards their products is it?

We can both agree on that, and it looks like you agree with me in stating that "sponsoring AND marketing" are different things.

As I said a few posts agao - you answered it well. I was disagreeing that my point was irrelevant. Wie got pushed down all of our collective throats, and like it or not, was heralded as the "new face" of golf. And then she won nothing!

In the case of Wie and NIke then the terms Marketing and Sponsorship are interchangeable.

If she was being sponsored by Barclays for instance then that would be different.

Diggers, considering the hype, marketing and hyperbole about Wie then her extremely modest achievements are just that. Ordinary.
She's a journeyman pro, the female equivalent of someone like Andrew Oldcorn, harldy worht the effort of publicity.

I'm coming to the conclusion that these threads are a ply to refute the claim that we don't need moderators in the golf section.

I could have been as busy as a one legged man in an ass-kicking contest today if I still had the blue badge

Davie wrote:I'm coming to the conclusion that these threads are a ply to refute the claim that we don't need moderators in the golf section.

I could have been as busy as a one legged man in an ass-kicking contest today if I still had the blue badge

would you care to explain Davie?

Earlier today, there was a thread about belly putters. the first to comments were along the lines of "not this again".

All of the articles I have posted in the golf section are on topics not previously discussed. Just because you and Mav have decided to follow me around and call all of my points "irrelevant" does not alter the fact that I am trying to create good debate for the golf board on new topics.

I have always had the good intentions of v2 at heart and I am trying to provide articles of interest.

If you have nothing constructive to say, then please do not comment at all. I have not previously responded to you or Mavs potshots at me. I will not be doing so going forward.

It was commented yesterday that the numbers had dwindled. Boxing, rugby, tennis and cricket have all overtaken golf for numbers of posters. I will not let the slide continue.

I will continue to post new debate for people to comment on - please do not let your sourness towards me as a man continue. Pretend it was posted by someone you like. Either of them.

With all due respect, if you continue to create numerous threads on women's golf, the numbers will continue to dwindle.

The occasional one is fine, but 6 on the same day? Too much.

I created 3 yesterday and 1 today.

I also created a thread about golfing terminology.

Not sure where you get 6 from.

Adam, simply creating banal articles won't necessarily increase responses, that's prescisely why the football boards are so wretched.

We've always had the tone of articles and subject matter to be pretty good on here. No point posting an article where an immediate response can easily be found by just looking on google. The purpose is to create debate, light hearted banter etc. So you need a bit of controversy, personal opinion, or seek legitimate advice or opinion.
Asking about where the term "caddy" comes from is at best a waste of your time, if no one elses.

The last post was removed due to it being off topic.

super_realist wrote:In the case of Wie and NIke then the terms Marketing and Sponsorship are interchangeable.

If she was being sponsored by Barclays for instance then that would be different.

Diggers, considering the hype, marketing and hyperbole about Wie then her extremely modest achievements are just that. Ordinary.
She's a journeyman pro, the female equivalent of someone like Andrew Oldcorn, harldy worht the effort of publicity.

+

Wow, when did Andrew Oldcorn finish 2nd in a couple of majors, I must have missed that. Do journeymen win on tour, twice by the age of 22?
She is having a decent career, not stellar but good. I always think there is a really nasty, snide sexism that comes out when Michelle Wie is mentioned.

Hobo.

As you seem to deem it appropriate to delete any I write in repsonse to you, even though I have done nothing other than respond to your comments. Would you please do the decent thing and explain to the golf boards why you have done as such, as it seems you are happy to call me out on here but not allow any response to stand.

I assume this will be now deleted and therefore that will be used as my response from you. I have reported your post as it's deemed appropriate for you to accuse me of taking pots shots at you but not allowed for me to defend myself. A case of double standards

Thought not....

Where on this place has anyone been racist.....

Diggers wrote:

super_realist wrote:In the case of Wie and NIke then the terms Marketing and Sponsorship are interchangeable.

If she was being sponsored by Barclays for instance then that would be different.

Diggers, considering the hype, marketing and hyperbole about Wie then her extremely modest achievements are just that. Ordinary.
She's a journeyman pro, the female equivalent of someone like Andrew Oldcorn, harldy worht the effort of publicity.

+

Wow, when did Andrew Oldcorn finish 2nd in a couple of majors, I must have missed that. Do journeymen win on tour, twice by the age of 22?
She is having a decent career, not stellar but good. I always think there is a really nasty, snide sexism that comes out when Michelle Wie is mentioned.

Womens golf is different as well you know. There are far more instances of younger players achieiving more at an early age than their male counterparts. She's a million miles behind her contemparies though. That is obvious.
2nd in two majors really isn't that big a deal in Womens golf, given the talent isn't as deep as the mens. It doens't make her a big time player. She is still a journeyman pro, plenty of journeymen pro's have done similar, however you look at it, especially if you consider the hype. 2 tour wins for someone of her supposed talent is far from impressive.

Honestly, Im too tired today to argue with you today. If you really want to believe she is of a similar standing in the game to Andrew Oldcorn then thats entirely up to you and Ill stand by everything I said in my previous comment and leave it there.

I get that uncomfortable feeling that "big brother is watching"

Sorry, but Adam you sound like an old school teacher I had, I did not like him, fortunately I moved school, might now consider moving forum

Diggers wrote:Honestly, Im too tired today to argue with you today. If you really want to believe she is of a similar standing in the game to Andrew Oldcorn then thats entirely up to you and Ill stand by everything I said in my previous comment and leave it there.

Actually, Oldcorn has achieved far more in the game than Wie, and whose wins have been more high profile.

Adam D (Hobo) wrote:I am off for the evening - have a good weekend gents. Be back on Monday with some new debate for you all

If we all pull together - we can make this forum what it should be: A thriving golf community where intolerance is frowned upon and casual racism/ sexism is expunged.

Pathetic. Not only are you single-handedly ruining this golf forum with your heavy handed moderation and lack of ability to take criticism, you're now making sweeping statements about us making racists comments. Care to back these claims up with some sort of evidence, or are you going to hide behind your moderators button some more?

This forum could be good. It should be good, but with the likes of you running it it has no hope. You're lucky to have such an intelligent, knowledgeable bunch of people on the golf threads, and they deserve a lot more respect that they're being shown.

Would you all prefer it if this and the other ladies golf articles were merged for the time being?

S_R. I hace alot of respect for Oldcorn who suffered with ME in the early 90's before winning a couple of events. He notably won the PGA in 2001 and beat Sir Nick into 3rd place.

Michelle Wie is obviously talented, but yet to live up to the hype surrounding her.

Hero wrote:Would you all prefer it if this and the other ladies golf articles were merged for the time being?

I personally would prefer it if it was explained to me by hobo why it was ok for him to call me out then delete my response which in no way did I say anything offensive, merely defended myself.

It' would be good if we could have less this weekend help the dust settle, as per the PM's you and I exchanged. This is a good place we want to grow, it just feels like today that things have been allowed to spiral when they should now be settled.

But appreciate taking the time to come here and acknowledge

Cheers Mav

We would like to be left alone, we do not need people like you or Adam, popping up, like 2 old school teachers who are frightened to leave the kids on their own in case they get into mischief.

Do this board a favour and back off we do not any post from you, we were doing ok on our own

You never got this with good old Auntie..............

Hi Old Parwin,

I'm sorry if you feel that way about my presence on this section, I've only come on to make the enquiry if you'd prefer the multiple topics merged.

No

I saw the post by Mav before it was deleted and it was just as he said. Seems like there is a "power going to head" syndrome going on here.

Faldono1fan wrote:I saw the post by Mav before it was deleted and it was just as he said. Seems like there is a "power going to head" syndrome going on here.

I actually appreciate this being said as it shows I did nothing other than respond to being called out and accused of actions that have not occrued.

What's wrong with going back to the way things were?

Sorry but have now had enough remove my post because you did not agree with the topic PITIFULL

I wonder if Mercurio and Marcus are on thin ice too. A new thread seems to have disappeared just as I was posting to it.

My two pennies:
I initially thought Adam D (Hobo) was reaching out with an olive branch by creating articles as if to say no hard feelings but it seems that to have fallen by the wayside and perhaps could be seen as back door moderation.

I think that the times Hero and Y I Man have interjected into threads has been sensible and concilliatory. I thought, like many others, it was a great thing that Y I Man did.

Is there a rule for the moderators that they don't moderate their own thread? Perhaps there should be; that way a fresh perspective could be brought to the thread. Sometimes it is very difficult to judge someone's tone from their written words and it could be very easy for things to get blown out of proportion.

As for ladies golf; I only see brief highlights on golf central every so often so I can't really offer an opinion. Although I should probably watch more as my game is a hell of a lot closer to the LPGA and LET than that on the ET or PGA Tour.

Hero,
It is perhaps unfortunate that you and Hobo have similar (at first glance) names and perhaps risk being tarred by the other's brush.

But it has seemed for the past few days that "ADMIN" has found a smouldering fire and poured petrol all over it.

I would be very surprised if the Golf Board hadn't been one of the better and most respectful boards on v2, perhaps in "ADMIN"'s mind until the last three days.

Fact is, two of our valued posters, not to mention fierce advocates of 606v2 and respectful viewpoints seem to be targetted following their resignations as Mods. It's as if the hole that keizo dug is being attacked by "ADMIN", not just with a shovel but with a JCB instead of filling it in.

Anything you might wish to do to calm this down at the "ADMIN" end will, I am quite sure, be reciprocated by a return to business almost as usual here.

Moderation is your call, but empty-sounding posts grabbed from other media sources and imposed on Golf as a favour to us is going to be seen as patronising and reignite ill-will all round.

It serves none of us well, least of all you guys, if there cannot be a return to some peaceful coexistence, preferably harmony.


PS; Have just read Grumpy's post and agree with what he says