At 58, Huang Bie-Shyun (黃璧洵) might not have won a TLPGA Tour title in nine years, but she still makes herself a capable contender this week for a trophy at the first annual Lunch Club TPC Classic. She compiled three birdies and took only 23 putts in a sunny day on the old Tamsui Taiwan Golf Course to surge to the top of the leaderboard tied with first-round leader Chen Yi-Wen (陳依妏) at 142. Huang and Chen will hold a one-stroke lead heading into Friday’s final round.

Gathering only the elite top 30 players on the 2015 money lists for the TLPGA Tour as well as the TPGA Tour, the Lunch Club TPC Classic is a 54-hole joint tournament organized by the Lunch Club and co-organized by the TLPGA, the TPGA, and the Taiwan Golf Club.

It was also the first in eight TLPGA Tour seasons Huang seize the lead ahead of the final round. In 2007, Huang took her most recent victory but it was on the senior tour of the Japan LPGA. So her official winning record on the TLPGA Tour will date back to 2006 when she won on the third tour leg in Wufeng.

Huang, who created her prime time on the Japan LPGA Tour and collected thirteen victories, put up a flawless short game and putting display as she needed just 23 putts. She was oozing confidence with the chippers especially, holing out on the 6th and setting up easy birdies on the 14th and 15th in a row near the greens, and posted with a 2-under 70 to take her 36-hole score down to a 2-under.

“I would not be thinking about that,” said Huang on her chance to win, who used to train in the Taiwan Golf Course in early career. “I will be just happy as always if my body holds up.”

“Fitness is the hardest part definitely, that every time I got out there to play, it was so tiring that I felt I like I was always counting down the holes going in, just wanted to finish quicker,” Huang said. “But year after year, I still pretty much enjoy the challenge. Lead or not, it just won’t change the way I play. I’m just happy to be there still competing.” If she wins tomorrow, she will make history as the oldest TLPGA Tour winner.
At about just half Huang’s age, overnight leader, 28-year-old Chen carded three birdies and five bogeys to drop to a two-round total of 2-under but still is in good position for a victory with a one shot advantage over a three-way tie for third which includes Lu Ya-Huei (呂雅惠), Chen Meng-Chu (陳孟竺), and Chang Hsuan-Ping (張瑄屏) at a143.

The total prize for the inaugural Lunch Club TPC Classic is NT$6 million, with a NT$600,000 first-place award for both the men’s and women’s champions on Friday.

The Lunch Club is a private social club in Taiwan. Both sharing the passion in golf, two of its spirited members, CTBC Charity Foundation Chairman Jeffrey J.L. Koo, Jr. (辜仲諒) and Emmet Hsu (許育瑞), Chairman of the Yeangder Group, who have been dedicated to providing support to the development of golf in Taiwan and to nurturing home grown talents, were hailing an idea of another tournament co-hosted by the two organizations to create more playing opportunities for aspiring professionals to further excel in the game.

During the past years of endeavor to gain the recognition as an official member tour in the World Women’s Golf Rankings system, the TLPGA has especially enjoyed significant assistance from the CTBC Charity Foundation. The Yeang Der Group, which has been playing a key role on the men’s tour, and the Yeangder TLPGA Open have also just celebrated their fourth year of staging on the TLPGA Tour.

The idea instantly appealed to the president of the Lunch Club, Yan Chong-Ruei (嚴崇瑞) and some club members as they joined the push to launch the new golf event, furthering their charity goal through golf and this inaugural Lunch Club TPC Classic. The Lunch Club has long been a believer in the power of sport to inspire and a devoted baseball supporter for tribal school children.

Players will be playing for one tenth of their earnings this week in charitable donations in support of the vision and mission of the Lunch Club.