The Taiwan LPGA Tour will tee up on Thursday at the Orient Golf & Country Club. One of the most iconic events on the international tour, the CTBC Ladies Open announced in the Monday presser that 108 elite pro women from around Asia will be playing this week, headlined by CTBC Bank spokesplayers Teresa Lu (盧曉晴), who is now the highest ranked female golfer from Taiwan at world number 28, Lin Tzu-Chi (林子麒), Yeh Hsin-Ning (葉欣寧), Kuo Ai-Chen (郭艾榛), and Chinese teen star Shi Yuting (石昱婷). The tournament will give away a total NT$5 million purse and a champion prize of NT$1 million.
Teresa Lu, who has earned ten wins on the Japan LPGA Tour in the short span of three years, will make her debut at the three-day event. “It’s nice to finally be able to come back and play,” said Lu. “I’m lucky to receive the amazing support from the CTBC Bank so that I can really give my 100% concentration on the game. I would give my special thanks to Jeffrey Koo, who always stands not just a caring sponsor but a great friend who is very easy to be around with and constantly cheers me up in my pursuit of the dream.”
Lin Tzu-Chi, who captured this year’s TLPGA & Royal Open, and Yeh Hsin-Ning, the 2016 Mercuries Life Insurance Heritage Tour winner, are both aiming to take a second title this season to their names. 18-year-old teen star Shi Yuting has also already one victory earlier this year on the China LPGA Tour at the Zhuhai Hengqin Phoenix Tree Building Challenge. Other title hopefuls include 2015 TLPGA Tour Money Winner Kuo Ai-Chen and 2014 champion, Thailand’s Pimpadsorn Sangkagaro.
The CTBC Bank created a badge of honor and celebration of the 50th anniversary of its founding that saw a golfer make a swing on the shield-shaped medal for players to wear on the caps, symbolizing the company’s pride in their continued support and highly-valued friendship with the Tour and players.
Guests of honor and the CTBC star players kick-started the 2016 CTBC Ladies Open in front of the center pond in the official tee-off ceremony when they sent the balls across the “CTBC 50” typography standee on the water, embracing the threshold of a new brand history.
CTBC Bank vice president Chen Kuo-Shih said, as long as you hold onto your faith, the dreams will come true. “Our sponsored player Shanshan (Feng) texted us after she took bronze at Rio expressing her thanks. We’re truly happy for her but at the same time, the CTBC Bank is even more proud to have been together with Shanshan and all the potentials on the lonely golf trails before they’ve made it to the big stage.”
“Tour Alone in the Battlefield” is a short documentary film dedicated by the CTBC Bank to Teresa Lu; meantime, hoping to inspire more young girls to keep their faith and look up to Lu’s example.
“Playing golf is like an epitome of life,. You never know where the ball will land after all the bounces and factors, so you never give up early,” said Lu. “You can do more than what you think you can.” Lu is seen in many charitable golfing events and has long been devoting her spare time to helping and supporting the causes by the CTBC Charity Foundation.
For very birdie, eagle, double eagle or ace snatched in the pro-am play on Tuesday, the CTBC Bank will make a cash donation to the CTBC Charity Foundation’s efforts for village development and endowment in eighteen local suburban communities. |