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Tseng Ya-ni, 36, hailing from Taiwan, was seen shedding tears following her last putt. At the press conference, her emotions took over, causing her speech to frequently falter. It appeared that the recollections of her 20s, when she was known as “unbeatable,” followed by an enigmatic decline in her golf performance and a decade of persistent attempts to return to the top, all came rushing back simultaneously. “Each day, I questioned, ‘Will I ever stand on the podium again?’ The past 10 years felt as dark and chaotic as a stormy day. But finally, the sun has emerged.”

Tseng Ya-ni overcame her severe yips—a condition that prevents someone from performing routine actions properly without a clear cause—and secured her first win in 12 years. She claimed victory at the LET (Ladies European Tour) ‘Wistron Women’s Open’ held at Sunrise CC in Taoyuan, Taiwan, on the 26th with a score of 14-under par. Her previous win was at the TLPGA (Taiwan Professional Golf Association) Tour’s ‘Taiping Classic’ in January 2014, more than 11 years and 9 months prior. The event, initially planned for four rounds, was cut down to two because of continuous bad weather. Tseng Ya-ni recorded nine birdies without any bogeys during the first round over two days starting on the 25th and improved her score by five more strokes in the second round. She beat Amelia Gabi (New Zealand), who came in second, by four strokes and earned a prize of US$200,000 (around 287 million Korean won). “It had been so long since I was in the final group that I felt nervous,” she mentioned. “Once I regained the lead, I intentionally made larger gestures and played with more confidence.”

Her celebration of victory following more than ten years felt uncomfortable. With a somewhat rigid expression, she greeted her fellow players and caddie, then left the 18th green, raised her arms in victory, and broke down in tears while embracing her family and coach. “Even after finishing the 18th hole, I couldn’t believe the score. This emotion has been waiting for too long.”

Tseng Ya-ni was nicknamed the “female Tiger Woods” due to her 109-week streak at the top of the women’s golf rankings, from February 2011 to March 2013. Yet, following her final victory in 2014, she faced an unexpected and dramatic drop that is uncommon in golf history. She dealt with hip and lower back injuries, and technically, the yips in her putting became her most significant obstacle. “I cried a lot because I was scared to putt,” she admitted. She was seen as a classic case of someone affected by the yips, frequently referred to as suffering from a “mental condition.”

She refused to surrender and began again from the ground up. To tackle her putting issues, she experimented with different techniques and, starting this year, tried putting as a left-handed player. Although she is right-handed, she kept her regular stance for driver and iron shots but changed her putting grip to resemble that of a left-hander. It proved effective: her hands trembled so much when putting right-handed that she struggled to hold the putter, but with her left hand, the ball rolled smoothly. In August, she made the cut at the ‘AIG Women’s Open,’ a prestigious tournament, marking her first cut in an LPGA Tour event in six years and 10 months. She then finished sixth at the TLPGA’s ‘Jingmao Women’s Open’ and went on to achieve this long-awaited victory.

The revival of Tseng Ya-ni at 36 has left the golf community thrilled, describing it as a “miracle unlike any before.” Although her swift decline from the world No. 1 ranking was surprising, her re-emergence to the top after more than ten years is unmatched in any tour.

Yoo So-yeon, 35, a former top-ranked player who faced Tseng during her peak, remarked, “It’s similar to an EPL (English Premier League) player moving down to a local amateur league and then coming back to the top level.” She further stated, “A few months ago, Tseng told me, ‘I’ve tried everything, and finally adjusted my putting style, which made me feel much more comfortable.’ Her win brought me to tears.” Golf analyst Na Sang-hyun commented, “After enduring more than ten years of repeated setbacks, including missing cuts and fading hopes, only to eventually reset and achieve success—it’s truly impressive.”

Tseng Ya-ni stated, “Regardless of the circumstances, if you don’t quit, you can attain outcomes similar to mine.” “Even the most intense storms eventually come to an end.”