A new LPGA Tour champion was crowned on Sunday when TLPGA member Hsu Wei-Ling (徐薇凌) finished on 13-under-par to beat the field at the Pure Silk Championship presented by Visit Williamsburg.

Tears were falling uncontrollably from Hsu’s eyes as she walked off the final green. “Sorry, I didn’t want to cry but it’s a little overwhelming. I’ve been waiting for this moment for seven years and I didn’t want to wait any longer,” said Hsu during the green-side interview. The 26-year-old started her rookie season on the LPGA Tour in 2015.

There had been times when the victory seemed so close but yet so far. Hsu also made a couple of top-seven finishes on the LPGA Tour just this year but now the no.1 Taiwanese golfer did what she has never done before after four solid rounds at the Pure Silk Championship.



The world no.108, leader on Day 1 and co-leader after 54 holes, came to the 15th tee on Sunday two shots back from leader Moriya Jutanugarn. But a critical bounce from the edge of the green towards the flag gave Hsu a golden eagle opportunity, and she embraced it, which proved to be the turning point as Jutanugarn gave away two shots on the same hole, handing Hsu a three-shot advantage over the contenders into the closing stretch. And Hsu would not let it slip from her again.

“I opened my season spending two weeks in Asia, and then I needed to play in a US Open qualifying event because my ranking was too low. I was jet-lagged, with no more than 20 hours of sleep in five days before the first-round started,” Hsu said. “I felt super tired but surprisingly efficient. I had great feel, rose to the lead on the first day, then I was knocked down a bit with a second-round 1-over but came back really strong on Saturday. I truly felt it was my time this time.”

“I don’t know how big this would mean to the people (in Taiwan), but I hope this would bring them some joyful thoughts and positive energy to face whatever difficult in front of them, and for now surely a common problem is the pandemic. I hope my story can give them something to cheer for, and show them you can always believe in something and one day it will actually happen. We will get through it.”

“Not just for Wei-Ling, this is a wonderful and exciting moment we’ve been waiting for, though a little longer than we expected, but the TLPGA, the Tour, and our supporters and sponsors have been paving the foundations for developing top, world-class female golfers, and this result reassures us that we’re doing the right things,” said TLPGA Chairwoman Liu Yi-Chen.

Liu extended her thanks to Wintek, Fubon Group, and Taiwan Mobile for their sponsorship aid along Hsu’s journey. “I really hope many more sponsors would look again at these amazing athletes and how powerful sport can be in these situations. Their contributions are invaluable,“ Liu said. “It’s been a dark time due to the draining COVID situation, but Hsu’s story is a spark of hope for us all. Like she said, we can and we will make it through, and the TLPGA will remain the solid base for all our member players to restore their strength and jump even higher.”

“During these special times, the TLPGA will do everything it can, under the guidance of the government, to provide a lively and safe environment to keep the sport growing in Taiwan.”