Fighting showers of rain and sudden gusts under typhoon threat, Huang Yu-Ning (黃郁寧) displayed some fine putting at the Suncity Golf Club to become the only player to break par in the final-round of the NT$600,000 YTS & SUNCITY Heritage Tour. She came from four shots down to snatch the victory and the NT$71,000 top prize after carding 68 to finish on 3-under 143.

“It was an emotional victory. I have been depressed with my golf since last year’s Taiwan Ladies Open. I was so often in the 80s that my confidence was evaporating so fast and I couldn’t figure it out until I took an advice to change my set of clubs just about two months ago, adding some heavier wedges and firmer woods, it was when I finally saw some lights,” said Huang. “It’s my first Heritage Tour title. It means so much. I want to thank my parents, my mentor Huang Bie Shyun, and the Taipei Golf Club for the supports in my career.”

The fourth-year TLPGA Tour member was still three shots off the pace at the turn after three birdies, one bogeys, and one double-bogey. During the stretch, Huang had to play some of her best golf to earn those birdies; she holed out the putts from 15 feet and 33 feet, respectively, on the 4th and 8th hole, and her third birdie on the front nine was a high-quality chip-and-putt combination on the par-5 9th. However, careless misses on the 5th and the 6th tees cost her three shots. Things went back to even.

Huang stayed focused and continued to put pressure on the leading pack with a chip-in birdie from 14 feet on the 12th.

On the 16th hole, she drained a long 18-footer for her fifth birdie of the day, which lifted her into a tie for the lead with defending champion Lee Hsin (李欣), overnight leader Lai Yi-Ting (賴怡廷), Chang Ching-Ling (張靖翎), and Kuo Ai-Chen (郭艾榛).

“It was a big leap in confidence. Putting is my strength, and I’m glad that it held up to the real test.” Huang assured her leading position with birdies on the remaining two holes. The other players in the late groups simply couldn’t found enough in the tank at the end.

Huang used only 22 putts. She missed just three fairways. “My biggest goal this year is to earn the membership for the next year on the JLPGA Tour, and hopefully I’ll be earning my way into this year’s Swinging Skirts LPGA Taiwan Championship.”

Chang registered a 72 to finish solo second at even-par 144. She was also the co-runner-up at the Kaohsiung Ladies Open for Charity last week after going down in a 5-player play-off. “I feel like I should’ve had a lot more birdies in me. Wasted some opportunities from around 4 to 10 feet,” Chang said, who finally got something to go on the scorecard with one birdie and one bogey going in. It was nine straight pars for her on the outward nine.

Lai dropped to the third place at 145 in the end after carding 74 on Friday.

For the third year consecutively, the 36-hole TLPGA Tour event is title-sponsored by the YTS Technology and the Suncity Golf Club. The YTS Group has been a top-3 manufacturer in the airtight window market in Taiwan for over 40 years.