With a big jump in prize money this year from NT$6 million to 8 million, the 17th annual TLPGA & Royal Open officially kicks off this Friday. 108 players from 10 countries will compete in a 54-hole, stroke-play format at the Royal Kuan-Hsi Golf Club. The winner on Sunday will take away a NT$1.5 million top prize.

First staged in 2002, the TLPGA & Royal Open is one of the most historic events on the TLPGA Tour. Except the co-sanctioned tournaments, the TLPGA & Royal Open provides the second richest purse of a tournament on the yearly Tour schedule.

Defending champion Chen Yu-Ju (陳宇茹) and 2016 winner Lin Tzu-Chi (林子麒) are looking to return to winning ways. Thai Parinda Phokan, who already scored two TLPGA Tour victories this season, is also among the legitimate title hopefuls.

“It feels good to be back. The course is in awesome shape. I feel I’ve been practicing well. I hope I can bring the good level into this year’s Royal Open,” said Chen Yu-Ju, the 2018 champion. “And hope it will be enough to win again.”

“It’s been some time since I last played in Taiwan,” Chen said, who recently became the first Taiwanese player to win on the Korea LPGA’s developmental tour (at April’s Hanse-Phoenix CC Dream Tour 3rd Tournament). “I’m going to need a lot of help from the caddies at Royal. Here the greens would be a great challenge, with how grainy they are. I’ll try to recall the winning memories and make it happen again!”

“It’s not an easy thing to read the grain of the grass here at the Royal Course,” said current no.3 Babe Liu (劉嬿) 2019 TLPGA Tour money list. “I’ve spent a lot of time on the greens in my practice this week and I’m feeling more and more confident. I’m ready for a big week!” Liu is riding a fine form after conquering the Kaohsiung Ladies Open for Charity field earlier this month.

Liu and her teammates emerged victorious in today’s Pro-Am event with a 10-under par 62. The event was joined by 27 pro TLPGA Tour platers and 80 amateur golfers.

The 2019 TLPGA & Royal Open has 98 players in the field gathered from China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and host Taiwan, as well as 10 local amateurs.

Parinda Phokan, who already won on two occasions this year at the Hitachi Ladies Open and the SAMPO Ladies Open, will lead a 27-player Thai contingent. Arpichaya Yubol, winner of the 2019 ICTSI Manila Ladies Classic, a co-sanctioned event by the TLPGA Tour and the Ladies Philippines Golf Tour, and Chonlada Chayanun, enjoying recent victories on the Thailand LPGA Tour and the China LPGA Tour, are expected to be top contenders as well.

Fifteen of the top-20 on the 2019 TLPGA Tour money list, including defending champion Chen Yu-Ju, no.3 Babe Liu, no.4 Chen Hsuan (陳萱), no.5 Lee Hsin (李欣), no.6 Lin Tzu-Chi, no.7 Chang Ching-Ling (張靖翎), and no.8 Huang Ching (黃靖), will make their return to the historic venue.

Promising teen Wu Chia-Yen (吳佳晏), pro players Chen Meng-Chu (陳孟竺) and Chen Szu-Han (陳思涵) will hope to best their performance in the previous edition where they finished in equal third.

The TLPGA & Royal Open is the longest running tournament and the first internationally open event on the TLPGA Tour since 2002, when Taiwanese Huang Yu-Chen (黃玉珍) was crowned the first champion. LPGA major titlist Yani Tseng (曾雅妮) was the 2008 winner.

A cut will be made on Saturday after 36 holes to the low 50 and ties. The rolling greens on the Kuan-Hsi Golf Course could provide plenty of challenge to the ladies this weekend. Putting skills should be key.

The competition layout of the 2019 TLPGA & Open is set at 6,332 yards long.

A bonus cash prize of NT$30,000 is on offer for player who would rewrite the low-round record of the tournament on 9-under 63. The record was set by Taiwanese Hou Yu-Sang (侯羽桑) in the 2017 event.

First-round play begins at 8:00 on Friday morning from the first and tenth tees.