The LPGA returns to Taiwan for the fourth edition of the Fubon LPGA Taiwan Championship, which tees off tomorrow. The event will bring an elite field of golfers to Taipei as eight of the top-10 golfers, and 31 of the top-40, on the LPGA money list are in attendance, as well as, the top-7 golfers in the latest edition of the Rolex Rankings.

While it is the fourth year of the event, it will be the first time that it will be held at the Miramar Golf Country Club in Taipei. The course will be familiar to several of the field, however, as it hosted the Swinging Skirts Invitational on the TLPGA for three years before it moved to San Francisco and became an LPGA event. Lydia Ko captured the 2013 edition of that event.
 
“There are obviously a lot of good memories from last year and I can’t believe it’s been ten months since that time when I won,” Ko said. “I’m very excited to be back and now just prepare for Thursday to come and hopefully have a good result.”
 
A record-high 20 Taiwanese players, including Taiwan’s Yani Tseng will also vie for the championship trophy of this co-sanctioned event between LPGA and Taiwan’s TLPGA.
 
For the first time since June, there is a new No. 1 golfer in the world as Inbee Park earned the top spot after a runner-up finish on the KLPGA last week.“It feels good. It was definitely my goal this season to take over number one again so to actually reach that goal it’s a special feeling,” Park said.
 
The feeling may not last for long as Stacy Lewis is hot on Parks heels and can

retake the No. 1 spot with a victory.“If there is anyone I’d lose it to I’d prefer it be her,” Lewis said in reference to Park. “But I definitely want to get it back and
I have an opportunity to do that over the next month.”
 
On the other hand, the Fubon LPGA Taiwan Championship may be the perfect place for two-time defending champion Pettersen to capture her first win of 2014.“It would be nice to get my first win of the year and coming to Taiwan it’s always brought great success to my game,” Pettersen said. 
 
Meanwhile, Michelle Wie has picked up right where she left off following an extended leave of absence for an injury finishing T5 and T3 in her two Asia events, her 7th and 8th top-5 finishes of the year. “I’m really happy with that. I’m grateful for that and I just want to finish out the year strong.”

Yani Tseng, the inaugural LPGA Taiwan Championship winner in 2011, said she is very familiar with the golf course as she used to practice at Miramar since her junior golf days. “The wind at some of the holes is pretty tricky, and the greens are fast and sometimes tough to read. It will be a great challenge for everyone.”