While golf tours around the world put to a halt under the pandemic risks, the Taiwan LPGA Tour is set to officially resume for the 2020 season, thanks to the success of the country to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. The WPG Ladies Open has attracted a number of big names including LPGA Tour elite Hsu Wei-Lin (徐薇淩), former World No.1 Yani Tseng (曾雅妮), Japan LPGA champion Phoebe Yao (姚宣榆), and Tour stars Cheng Ssu-Chia (程思嘉), Lin Tzu-Chi (林子麒), and Babe Liu (劉嬿). The event will tee off on Tuesday morning with three rounds to complete. The total purse this week is NT$4.5 million.

The Sunrise Golf Club, backdrop of the LPGA Taiwan Championship in the year of 2011 - 2013, will host 87 players as they vie for a long-anticipated prize check and world ranking points. “Although the world rankings are frozen at the moment, points earned at the WPG Ladies Open will still be counted in the system to help give a boost to those who perform well,” said TLPGA chairwoman Liu Yi-Chen.

“We had more than 30 tournaments on schedule on the 2020 calendar, but unfortunately, we were forced to suspend the tour to make sure everyone is safe in these dangerous times,” Liu added. “Now finally, things look more optimistic. We’re lucky to be in Taiwan where we do our parts so well, to practice the right measures to keep the virus at bay, so that we are here to celebrate the return of the tour. I also want to thank WPG Holdings to lend their support in this difficult time, as well as all the Sunrise staff for keeping the course in such great conditions.”

“Keeping everything at LPGA standards has always been the main belief in our staff members. We are ready at any time to welcome the best players and events in the world,” said Sunrise Golf Club manager Huang Mei-Lan.

“It’s one of the longest periods of time I get to stay at home in Taiwan,” said LPGA Tour campaigner Hsu Wei-Ling. “I was able to take time to reflect on my career and spend some precious time with friends and families, but now I truly miss the competition, the adrenaline rush. I’m so eager to get back on the course, and I have to say, big thanks to WPG and the TLPGA Tour to make this all possible again.”

The pro women tested the layout one last time today before the real actions begin tomorrow, as they joined a traditional 18-hole pro-am with honorable guests and amateur golfers right after the tournament kick-off press conference.