The NT$4 million KENDA Tire TLPGA Open is taking place this week at the Taifong Golf Club. An international roaster of 105 players will battle through three days, 54 holes to compete for the NT$720,000 top prize. Defending champion of the event is Taiwanese teenager Lu Hsin-Yu (盧昕妤).

The TLPGA-organized event is title-sponsored by KENDA Rubber for the seventh consecutive year. It has been moved to the current venue since 2017 following a reconstruction of the previous venue, the Taipei Golf Club.

Sixteen of the current top-20 on the 2019 TLPGA Tour money list, including 2015 champion Liang Yi-Ling (梁宜羚), recent Nan Yi Professional Golf Ladies Open winner, no.4 Lin Tzu-Chi (林子麒), as well as runner-up Chen Szu-Han (陳思涵), who is at no.9 in the latest rankings, will tee it up tomorrow.

15-year-old Wu Chia-Yen (吳佳晏), who was equal second at Nan Yi, is also in the field. At age 13, Wu made an unprecedented achievement by reaching the semifinals at the history-rich U.S. Amateur Championship in 2017. She backed it up with her maiden TLPGA Tour victory at the Party Golfers’ Ladies Open the following year.

Defending champion Lu Hsin-Yu finished in a tie for 6th earlier this month at the Nan Yi Professional Golf Ladies Open. Chen Ling-Jie (陳伶潔), finishing in T4 and the low amateur at the TLPGA & Royal Open, returns to competition this week.

International players to make an appearance in Changhua include Thai Parinda Phokan, who already won on two occasions this year at the Hitachi Ladies Classic and the SAMPO Ladies Open. Also from Thailand, Arpichaya Yubol, winner of the 2019 ICTSI Manila Ladies Classic, a jointly 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 two of the strongest contenders to watch.

Malaysia’s Michelle Koh looks to repeat her success here in 2016.

“We were a little worried but I feel relieved now knowing the forecast looks good. I look forward to seeing some high-quality golf from these skilled women,” said KENDA Rubber president Yang. “From The Open Championship winner Ben Curtis, to LPGA champion Candie Kung (龔怡萍), to Japan LPGA Tour major titlist Teresa Lu (盧曉晴), KENDA is proud to join their adventures and help them have an honorable share of the professional golf history.”

“As a Taiwanese, I’ll give the Taiwanese ladies my best wishes that they’ll do well and get a ranking boost from this week for the upcoming 2020 LPGA International Crown and the Olympic campaign,” Yang said.

This is the seventh playing of the KENDA Tire LPGA Open since 2013.

An 18-hole traditional Pro-Am was held today under the Texas Scramble format. The quartet led by Taiwanese pro Wu Hsiao-Ling (吳曉玲) conquered the field with an 14-under-par 58. The first-round action will begin on Wednesday at 8:00 in the morning from both first and tenth tees. The competition layout this year is set at 6,211 yards.

A cut will be made to the low 50 and ties after the second round.

A hole-in-one prize of a BESV smart road bike will be up for grabs on the 15th, which is worth NT$48,000.