The TLPGA returns to the Linkou lnternational Golf & Country Club on May 21 for the 54-hole Yeangder TLPGA Open with 85 players from nine countries, featuring 12 of the top 20 on the TLPGA Money List and a NT$3,000,000 purse.

The winners of the past events are Hsieh Yu-Ling (謝瑀玲) in 2012 (then an invitational event), and Phoebe Yao (姚宣榆) in 2013, who just made her top 100 debut in the LPGA rankings a few weeks ago.

15 amateurs and junior players are also among the field, facing an elite group of TLPGA champions including 2012 winner Hsieh Yu-Ling, current no.8 on the Money List, Chien Pei-Yun (錢珮芸), who has tallied already three top-10 finishes this year, as well as Cheng Meng-Chu (陳孟竺), coming in as the winner of the last tour event at the Chung Cheng Heritage Tour (Spring), and Shih Huei-Ju (石惠如), finishing as the second best TLPGA wildcard performer (T58) at the recent LPGA co-sanctioned Swinging Skirts Classic.

Last year’s runner-up and TLPGA no.9 Kuo Ai-Chen (郭艾榛), Chung Cheng Heritage Tour (Spring) runner-up Yu Pei-Lin (余珮琳), and TLPGA no.7 on the Money List Chen Szu-Han (陳思涵) are also in the hunt for the championship and the NT$600,000 winner check this week.

Looking to take away the title from the local squad include Korean Yun-Joo Jeong, who finished in a tie for sixth at the TLPGA & Royal Open at the start of the season, and Pilipino Cyna Rodriguez. A younger pack from Thailand will also be pushing the best of their golf to impress.

22 TLPGA players joined the Pro-Am on Tuesday but were halted after nine holes by rain. Weather forecast does not look great for the coming days with thunder showers expected to play havoc with the schedule.

Yeang Der Group, long-term supporter of the Taiwan PGA, invested on the TLPGA Tour starting in 2012 and extended its contract after two years of success. The venue of the week, Linkou lnternational Golf & Country Club, is 6,369 yards long and set to test the women on and around the greens.