Tseng Ya-ni, Taiwan's Queen of Golf

Tseng Ya-ni, Taiwan's Queen of Golf
United Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
February 14, 2011

Who knew? She still has a baby face. Just last month, she celebrated her 22nd birthday. But yesterday she won the Australian Women's Masters Championship. Overnight, she became the queen of golf. Tseng Ya-ni became the number one ranked woman golfer in the world. It was too spectacular for words.

Yesterday, even before the final hole, the media swarmed around her. TV anchor persons talked about "Yani's outstanding performance." They expressed amazement at how much she had matured over the past two years. The audience spontaneously lined up on the green to applaud Tseng, and to pay tribute to this newest queen of golf. Tseng nodded to the crowd. She flashed her signature smile. She betrayed no special joy or pride. For Tseng, this day was long coming, and she took it calmly.

In recent years, athletes from Taiwan have shone in a number of sports. Wang Chien-ming and Kuo Hong-chi in baseball. Lu Yan-hsun and Chan Yung-chan have performed brilliantly in tennis, bringing glory to Taiwan. Tseng turned professional only four years ago, She has shone In international competitions since then. She has become a star who has caught the public eye. At age 22, she has been crowned the queen of tennis. That may strike some as incredible. But for Tseng Ya-ni, the title was hard won. Her biggest challenge now, is to hold on to the title.

She began training when she was only five. She was barely taller than the club. Yet she took on adults. Tseng is more experienced than other young golfers. When she was still in elementary school, she watched the U.S. Open for the first time. She boldly declared, "I want to compete in this game." As a result, her parents turned this 12 year old over to the airlines. They "air shipped" her to golfing venues the world over. Flight attendants even stuck "special attention" stickers on her. Tseng Ya-ni, with her unique style, has made a place for herself in the golfing world.

Tseng's success is no secret. It is her self awareness and indomitable will. During junior high, she became junior women's amateur champion. She had no competition. As a result, she found herself in a predicament -- lack of motivation. Her mother demanded that she make a choice between academics and sports. Many athletes on Taiwan have faced this same dilemma before. In the end, most chose to quit sports. But Tseng Ya-ni told her mother, "I have no intention of giving up on either." She decided then to discipline herself. Seven years later, this queen of golf, brimming with self confidence, emerged into the spotlight.

Tseng Ya-ni once revealed how she would secretly watch golf champions and learn from them. The champions she learned from included Australian champion Mark Webber and Swedish legend Annika Suolunsitan. She learned how to maintain her golf rhythm, how to overcome psychological pressure, and how to correct the weaknesses in her putting. She had ambition. But more importantly, she was willing to confront her own weaknesses, and to practice tirelessly. She even used her spare time to practice English. She wanted to be able to express herself more accurately and fluently. She the inevitable day was coming closer and closer. She knew she had to make advance preparations, Interestingly enough, when Tseng rose to the number 2 position last year, she suddenly experienced a sense of unreality. Her ranking showed that she had already surpassed her childhood idols.

At the tender age of 12, Tseng Ya-ni resolved to become "number one in the world." Yesterday she fulfilled her dream. This dream was achieved through a strength of will difficult for outsiders to imagine. But her dreams of glory came true. They are something everyone on Taiwan can share in. Last year, a company on Mainland China offered her a one billion dollar signing bonus, if only she would compete for the Mainland. But Tseng Ya-ni, who was born in Kueishan in Taoyuan County, was unmoved. Her halo shines increasingly bright. But she has chosen to use her fame for the common good. She became a spokesman for children with cancer. She chose to share her light and warmth with underprivileged children. This outspoken young girl is a ray of sunshine.

At age 22, Tseng Ya-ni has scaled the heights of the golfing world. She has achieved her "Impossible Mission." She has become a Taiwan golfing legend. But competition in sports never ends. She must now attempt to retain her title. Other young people look up to her. They are inspired by her. They follow in her footsteps. How should they go about doing so? The answer is in Tseng Ya-ni's confident smile.

全台說讚：陽光雅妮登上世界球后
【聯合報╱社論】 2011.02.14



誰能想像，這個仍一臉稚氣的女孩，上個月剛度過她的廿二歲生日，昨天不僅以傑出而穩健的球技摘下澳洲女子高球名人賽的冠軍寶座，更一夕登上了世界球后的頂峰。曾雅妮奪得這個世界第一，太精采，太令人驚喜了！

昨天尚未打完最後一洞，轉播鏡頭便一再環繞著曾雅妮，主播談到「Yani」的出色表現，直說她這兩年的「成熟、再成熟」令人驚艷。現場觀眾主動列隊為正走向果嶺的曾雅妮鼓掌，向這位準新球后致意；曾雅妮則帶著她慣有的招牌微笑向大家點頭，沒有露出特別的喜悅或驕傲。曾雅妮心中其實早就為這一天做好了準備，她顯得一派從容。

近幾年台灣選手在國際各類球賽中新人輩出，美國職棒的王建民、郭弘志，網球的盧彥勳、詹詠然都大放異采，為台灣爭光。曾雅妮由業餘選手轉為職業不過短短四年，在國際大賽中一路過關斬將，成為深受注目的新星。以廿二歲之齡戴上「世界球后」的桂冠，或許有人覺得不可思議；但對曾雅妮來說，這項殊榮不算早到，未來更大的挑戰是：能保住這個榮銜多久。

五歲開始學球，從個子不比球桿高出多少的時代，就膽敢越齡和大人交手，曾雅妮的高爾夫球之路，並不像其年齡顯示的那麼淺短。小學未畢業，首度在美國觀賞了巡迴公開賽之後，就發下「我也要參加這比賽」的豪語。於是，十二歲起，父母將她交由航空公司「託運」到世界各地參賽，空服人員還在她身上貼著「需要特別照顧」的標籤；就在這一場場東征西討的賽事中，曾雅妮培養出獨立的性格，也走出無限寬闊的高球天地。

曾雅妮的成功沒有秘訣，關鍵在於她敏銳的自覺與不屈的意志。國中時代就成為台灣業餘女子高球界的高手，缺乏足以匹敵的對手，一度使她陷入缺乏動力的困境，母親要求她必須在「學業」和「打球」中作出抉擇。這是許多台灣球員都有過的瓶頸，多數人最後選擇退出；但曾雅妮給母親的答覆斬釘截鐵，她說「兩樣我都不放棄」。就這樣下定決心自我鞭策，七年後，台灣誕生了一個充滿自信與陽光的世界球后。

曾雅妮曾透露，自己在球場上如何向高球前輩「偷偷學習」，包括澳洲名將韋柏、瑞典傳奇球星索倫絲坦等，學習如何保持擊球節奏，如何克服心理壓力，如何強化自己的推桿弱勢。她不僅具有企圖心，更願意面對自己的弱點，不辭辛勞地練習改進。她還利用練球的餘暇勤練英文，目的是希望面對國際媒體時能更準確、流暢地表達自己的想法。她知道，自己愈來愈接近那個不容忽視的位置，必須預先作好完美的準備。有趣的是，去年曾雅妮排名晉升到世界第二時，她突然有一種不真實感，因為排名顯示她的球技已超越了自己少年時代的諸位偶像。

十二歲便立志要成為「世界第一」的曾雅妮，昨天實現了她的夢想。這個夢想，是她用外人難以想像的意志打造的；但她夢想成真的榮耀，卻是所有台灣人都能和她共同分享的。去年大陸一家企業曾提供十億元的簽約金，要求曾雅妮轉而為大陸效力，但這位出身桃園龜山的女孩絲毫不為所動。在身上光環日漸耀眼之際，曾雅妮選擇的是為公益發聲、為癌童代言，把自己的光彩與溫暖和弱勢分享。這個明朗的女孩像個小太陽。

廿二歲登上世界球后的頂峰，曾雅妮完成了不可能的任務，也為台灣寫下一頁燦爛的傳奇。但球場的挑戰永無休止，接下來，要如何保住這頂桂冠，如何讓仰望她的青少年新手踏著其步伐前進，在曾雅妮自信的笑容裡應該備有答案吧！