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Updated Friday, April 1, 2011 11:48 pm TWN, AP



	World number one Yani Tseng, of Taiwan, watches her tee shot at the 3rd hole during the Dinah Shore Charity Pro-Am on the eve of the LPGA Kraft Nabisco Championship at the Mission Hills Country Club, in Palm Springs, California, on Wednesday, March 30. (AFP) Enlarge Photo

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Yani Tseng to defend title at Kraft Nabisco Championship

RANCHO MIRAGE, California -- Yani Tseng will try to extend her recent winning streak as she defends her Kraft Nabisco Championship title this week against a field that includes seven past champions, including Australian Karrie Webb and American Brittany Lincicome.

The Taiwanese player rose to the world No. 1 ranking after winning last year's title — the LPGA Tour's first major of the year. She's already won four titles this year, including the tour's season opener in Thailand in February.

“I feel really excited to come back, especially walking on the 18th hole,” the 22-year-old said. “I see my name was on the walk of champions. It was so exciting, brings me a lot of good memories.”

Michelle Wie also is back in search of her first major title at a tournament where she made four top-15 finishes before she turned 17. Wie said she's impressed by Tseng, who's less than nine months older than her.

“I think she's really improved over the last couple of years, and she's a good player,” Wie said. “It's pretty amazing that she won the first couple of tournaments in a row, which is pretty good.”

With her remarkable start to the season, Tseng has displayed a bit of the dominance that's long been expected from Wie. But the Hawaii native could finally make her breakthrough at a major this week at the Mission Hills Country Club, where she has long played well. She has two top-10 finishes on the tour so far this year.

“It's as exciting this year as it was when I was 13,” Wie said. “It's just an awesome golf course. It has so many famous winners, so many traditions, and it's just one of those tournaments where you want to win.”

The field also includes Germany's Sandra Gal, who won the Kia Classic last weekend, and Cristie Kerr, who has three top-10 finishes this year, including a third-place tie last week.

Webb has also shown the beginnings of a comeback this year, taking the titles in Singapore and Phoenix after winning just once in the previous four years. The Australian said her two prior victories at Mission Hills were “probably the highlight of my career,” and she's hoping to play well this week after her fast start to the year.

“I know how good I can be,” Webb said. “It's just a matter of — like in the two times I've won this year — getting out of my own way and letting it happen. ... I'd just like to win another tournament here, and this year I've got as good a chance as any. This is probably the best I've felt about things coming into this tournament for quite a few years.”

Lincicome, the 2009 Kraft Nabisco champ, had her best result of the year earlier this month at the Founders Cup, where she finished in a tie for second.

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