LPGA star Tseng hopes to cap season with win in Orlando

Two-time LPGA player of the year Yani Tseng hopes to put the finishing touches on the finest season of her career with a win at the season-ending CME Group Titleholders event. The 22-year-old Tseng heads into the tour's season-ending tournament having already secured the player-of-the year title for the second straight season. "I've really enjoyed this year," Tseng said. "I've had a great year. I am proud of myself the way I have improved." World number one Tseng, who will be making the 101st start of her career, will face stiff challenges for the $500,000 first-place prize from the likes of world number two Suzann Pettersen of Norway, Britain's Catriona Matthew, South Korean Se Ri Pak, Sweden's Maria Hjorth and American Cristie Kerr. Other notables include Michelle Wie and 2011 rookie-of-the year Seo Hee-Kyung of South Korea. The event begins Thursday and features a field of 66 elite players who qualified as the top three finishers in each of the 22 LPGA Tour events this year. Tseng has 12 career tour wins, including a tour-leading seven victories this year. Other multiple winners this year in the field comprise, Australia's Karrie Webb, Norway's Pettersen and American Brittany Lincicome with two each. Among her achievements this year, Taiwan's Tseng became the first male or female golfer to capture five major championships by the age of 22 when she won the 2011 Women's British Open. She has earned almost $2.9 million and qualified for this event in February by taking the season-opening Honda tournament in Thailand. She has won 11 times worldwide in 2011. "I am really happy to get this award two years in a row," she said of the player of the year trophy. "Really it's my big honour." Tseng is also in the running for this year's Vare Trophy which goes to the player with the lowest scoring average on the season. Matthew is fresh off her dominating win at last week's Lorena Ochoa tournament in Mexico which made her, at age 42, the oldest winner on the tour this year. She is the first player to win a title in her 40s since Sweden's Helen Alfredsson did it three years ago at 43. Pettersen, who lives close by the course, comes into the tournament with three consecutive top-20 finishes. "I have been working hard on my game," she said. "This is one course I play and practise at quite a bit. Hopefully I can get off to a good start." Kerr and Wie will be seeking their first wins of 2011 when they tee off on the Grand Cypress Resort course on Thursday. A win this week would give Kerr wins in each of her last eight years on the LPGA Tour, dating back to 2004.