The competition will be on this Thursday at the 2016 CTBC Ladies Open, but a warming and friendly gathering was held today as local favorite Teresa Lu (盧曉晴), world number 28th-ranked women's golfer, and more TLPGA Tour professionals are grouped with amateurs and guests of honor in a charity pro-am to benefit the CTBC Charity Foundation, in an effort to provide quality food supplies and education to village school children. The event presented checks totaling NT$10 millions.



CTBC Bank spokesplayers Lu, Lin Tzu-Chi (林子麒), Yeh Hsin-Ning (葉欣寧), Kuo Ai-Chen (郭艾榛), and Shi Yuting (石昱婷) from China all attended the pro-am. Each participant in today’s event wore a red glove and an olive glove on each hand and posed in a group photo sticking their hands out to shape a “50” in the air, which commemorates 50 years of founding of the CTBC Bank.

Tung Chao-Chin, chairman of CTBC Bank Co. Ltd., made a speech on the celebration, drawing up a social responsibility plan centered around arts and literature promotion, anti-drug, education, and charity. Vice president of the CTBC Charity Foundation Chen Kuo-Shih said, the CTBC Ladies Open provides not just a stage for international golfers but a platform to inspire and raise awareness of social issues. “With great power comes great duties,” Chen quoted CTBC Charity Foundation president Jeffrey Koo. “Thanks to the 36 players that are with us here today and all of you that came to support the good causes and to lend your helping hands to school children in lesser developed areas.”

For very par (NT$5,000), birdie (NT$20,000), eagle (NT$50,000), ace (NT$500,000) or double eagle (NT$1,000,000) scored today, the CTBC Bank and the CTBC Charity Foundation would make a donation, which was summed at NT$5,045,000 at the end of the day. An additional amount was collected during the gathering to bring the total to NT$10 million fund, which will benefit eighteen local tribal communities and help more than 322 school kids.

Teresa Lu could not found this tournament fit in her busy schedule last year but insisted to make it to the pro-am event. “It is really special,” said Lu. “We are able to be doing what we love and contribute to CTBC Bank’s vision and this society.”

The Orient Golf & Country Club will play host to 108 elite pro golfers from around Asia this week at the CTBC Ladies Open, co-sanctioned by the TLPGA Tour and the China LPGA Tour with world ranking points on offer. The tournament will give away a total NT$5 million purse and a champion check worth NT$1 million.