Yani Tseng’s long-awaited win while putting left-handed gives hopes to anyone with the yips

After more than 4,300 days without a win, former World No.1 Yani Tseng finally found her way back to the top – by putting left-handed. Her remarkable comeback offers hope and inspiration to every golfer battling the yips.

It had been 4,306 days since Yani Tseng last won a golf tournament, but in Taiwan, on a course she’s played since she was 14, the former World No.1 finally found her way back to the winner’s circle – and the right-hander did it putting left-handed.

The 36-year-old claimed the Wistron Ladies Open on the Ladies European Tour at Sunrise Golf and Country Club, shooting rounds of 63 and 67 for a 14-under-par total. It’s Tseng’s seventh LET title and her first win anywhere since 2014.

“It’s been a very long time since I’ve felt this,” Tseng said. “To win this tournament in my home country and in front of my family and friends is amazing. I’ve been really emotional from this win, and it just shows you should never give up on your dreams.”

From prodigy to the wilderness

Tseng’s comeback is one of golf’s most inspiring stories. As a teenager, she announced herself by beating Michelle Wie to win the US Women’s Amateur Public Links. She was LPGA Rookie of the Year in 2008, Player of the Year in 2010 and 2011, and World No.1 for 109 consecutive weeks – the second-longest streak in women’s golf history. In just four years, she captured five majors and 15 LPGA titles, a dominance that drew comparisons to Tiger Woods.

Then, suddenly, it all disappeared.

By 2017, Tseng had fallen out of the top 100. There were hip surgeries, back problems, putting yips, even time away from the game to regroup mentally. “It was a lot of crying,” she once said. “It’s a really long story.”

Golf’s mental side can be merciless, and Tseng’s biggest battle was on the greens. “Long story short, I’ve just been really having trouble with short putts,” she said earlier this year. “To be honest, I had the yips. I just couldn’t make the short putts.”

She’d tried everything – broomstick putters, grip changes, new stances – but nothing stuck. That’s when her new coach, Brady Riggs, made a suggestion that sounded crazy: try putting left-handed.

The left-handed breakthrough

At first, Tseng hesitated. But desperate for a spark, she gave it a go at a small event in Taiwan – and was instantly shocked by how natural it felt.

“I was so nervous,” she said. “So I stood over it, and I’m like, ‘Oh wow, I feel good.’ The feeling was gone, right away. On that day I didn’t miss any putt inside five feet. That’s how stupid our brain is. It’s so easy to trick.”

Even though she missed eight of nine cuts on the LPGA earlier this year, something was shifting. Last week, back in her homeland, everything finally clicked. She opened with a 63 that included nine birdies, then overcame early nerves on Sunday with six birdies in a seven-hole stretch to win by four shots.

Proof that the struggle is worth it

Tseng could easily have walked away. With five majors and 15 LPGA titles, her legacy was secure. But she kept going – not for trophies or rankings, but to prove something to herself.

“I don’t know where [my] passion comes from,” she said. “But every time I fell down, I feel like I need to get back up. I don’t know who I’m proving it to, but maybe I want to prove it to myself. I want to see what I can do.”

Her win in Taiwan is that proof – not just that perseverance pays off, but that experimentation can, too.

Left-handed putting might not be for everyone, but Tseng’s bold switch is a reminder that golf rewards curiosity. Whether it’s a new grip, a change of stance, or even turning around and facing the other way, there’s no shame in trying something different to rediscover your touch.

Tseng’s story gives hope to anyone battling the yips – proof that sometimes the solution isn’t found by grinding harder, but by daring to try something completely new.

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