31-year-old Thai Titiya Plucksataporn earned her first win after 2011 at the TLPGA&Royal Open, the season-opening event co-sanctioned with LAGT, with a 6-under 210 over runner-up Teresa Lu (盧曉晴) by one shot.

Plucksataporn was hopping and shouting in excitement around the 18th green of the Royal Kuan-Hsi Golf Club as this was also her first victory outside homeland in her seven-year professional career.

Drizzles and fogs added to the suspense of today’s round as Plucksataporn came up clearly the more nervous of the two than her closest rival Lu after a eerie fog delay, delivering a 3-over 39 on the back-nine, including a double-bogey on the last one which could have cost her the game. However, Lu couldn’t convert her own birdie chance and closed out with a disappointing par which could only leave her watching the Thai celebrate.

“I was really just focused to play my game and hit as many fairways as I could,” said Plucksataporn. “That chip on the sixteenth was huge. It got me the idea that I really could be winning the whole thing.” Lu made a chip-in birdie 15 yards away from the  16th pin before Plucksataporn did right after her in dramatically similar style, provoking big cheers from the clubhouse and taking her again to a 3-shot lead.

Lu was awarded NT$600,000 for her second-place finish, half as much as the winner. “I’ve given all I can. It was great game and she (Plucksataporn) totally deserved it,” said Lu, who carded five birdies and three bogeys and finished with a 5-under 211.

Korean Suh Bo-Mi finished in solo third with 212. Thailand’s Chuticahi Porani won the fourth place with 214.

First-round leader Lu Hsiao-Chuan (呂曉娟) failed to impress in the last two rounds and finished with a 6-over 222 with a tie for 31st.