Local players dominate on opening day at the 2016 Chungyuet Group Ladies Open, where five Taiwanese now capping the leaderboard with Chen Yu-Ju (陳宇茹) in solo leading position at 4-under.

Recording a bogey-free round with four birdies, Chen set her low single-round score at the Chang Gung Golf and Country Club. “It was a pretty easy day. I made many good chips, but yeah, I still see plenty of shots that I could play better,” said Chen. “It’s been a long time seen I last competed here, like the first time I’m here this year. So it’s been good. Hoping I will stay this loose and relaxed into next round.”

There is a trio looming one shot behind Chen that includes Huang Ching (黃靖), Chen Ssu-Han (陳思涵), and Yu Pei-Lin (余珮琳). Huang asked a few tips from her brother Jason, who is also a pro tour player, that she believes helped her performance on the course as well as mentally. “I made quite a few great saves. I felt comfortable on my short game,” said Huang, who made four birdies and one bogey in her round of 69.

Yu’s birdie count reached six, capitalizing on all par-5 holes except on the fifth where she drove out wide and left with one of her three bogeys made on day 1. “My game is in a good shape, especially with my irons,” said Yu. “I am a little aware that tomorrow can be a physically draining day with the temperature rising. I need to keep it clean there.”

“The greens are challenging with the dips and curves. I made some bad errors off my putter,” said Chen Ssu-Han, who three-putted on no.17 to make a bogey. She made it up with sharp iron plays and finished with five birdies against two bogeys.

Taiwan’s Liang Yi-Ling (梁宜羚) spent her college years training at this Chang Gung golf course, which makes her feel “at home” today at the Chungyuet Group Ladies Open.

“Happy to be back here, in the company of many familiar faces and caddies, playing some good golf,” said Liang. “My driving wood was very solid. I could put the ball on the spots I wanted. 29 putts was not the most pleasing stat but all in all I love the way I’m playing and the most important thing is that it feels amazing to be here again at Chang Gung.”

Liang carded a 2-under 70 with three birdies and one bogey and now sit tied with Wei Yun-Jye (魏筠潔) and Chen Meng-Chu (陳孟竺).

Wei is a veteran member on the Japan LPGA Tour. She also carded three birdies and one bogey. “It’s not so easy on the greens, to read the grain and slopes. I needed more putts that I should,” said Wei on her opening round 70.

2016 Hong Kong Ladies Open champion Tiffany Chan of Hong Kong shot one birdie, one bogey and one triple-bogey to sit at T34 at 75. “I haven’t got the chance to practice much because I was just here yesterday after finishing my last tournament in Japan,” said Chan, whose first-round 75 and fatigue from playing eight weeks in a row didn’t seem to break her morale. “I stayed tough today from some awkward positions and other than that sixth hole where I made a triple, the rest is not so bad. I hope I’ll improve in the next round.”

Second-round play will start at 7:00 a.m. on Thursday morning from 1st and 10th. The winner this week will earn NT$450,000 out of a lucrative NT$2.5 million prize purse. There will be a cut after 36 holes to the top-50 and ties.