Taiwanese Kiwi Juliana Hung (洪玉霖) turn around a two-shot disadvantage to claim the SAMPO Ladies Open today at the wind-filled Taipei Golf Club. She fired a bogey-free 4-under 68 to finish at 1-over 217, defeating 36-hole leader Wu Chia-Yen (吳佳晏) by three shots.

Liang Yi-Ling (梁宜羚) finished another four shots higher on 224 after a final-round 76 to wrap up in solo third place.

This final duel was between two champions this season, and two teenagers. 19-year-old Hung grabbed her first professional win at the KENDA Tires TLPGA Open in September. Wu, who is only 17, just lifted her fifth TLPGA Tour victory last week at the CTBC Invitational.

Hung started the day two-stroke off Wu’s lead. but after Wu dropped a shot on the 3rd and Hung grabbed her opportunity on the 4th, the contest was levelled. The two matched efforts until Wu missed another par putt on the 11th.

Hung rode the momentum to enlarge the lead to three shots, birdying No.14 and 15 in a row, only to see Wu traded a pair of birdies on No.15 and 16. To the disappointment of Wu, she miscued around the 17th green to take a bogey to go back to two shots down, which pretty much just sealed the result.

Hung, on the brink of victory, crushed the last hopes in Wu by sinking a miraculous birdie putt from 45 feet. She threw both arms into the air in celebration as it confirmed her second TLPGA Tour win in two months. The win is worth NT$750,000.

“I honestly didn’t expect to win last month at the KENDA Tires event, so I was rather relaxed but after the win I’ve been kind of feeling the pressure to keep at a high standard, which was why I didn’t really feel comfortable and went home in the first round at the CTBC Match-Play,” said Hung. “I knew my game was there, just that I really need to step it up and execute it without those distractions in the head. I really wanted to play well this week. The belief carried me through this week, and helped me to raise my level when I needed to.”

Hung turned to pro status two years ago. The Hsin Yi Golf Club player has now held two titles on the TLPGA Tour. Her goal is to take three victories in 2021 and hopefully moved onto the JLPGA Tour and the LPGA Tour. A Taiwanese-Kiwi as she is, Hung aims to become an athlete on the New Zealand National Team at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Wu registered two birdies and three bogey to post an uninspired 73. “I missed a 9-footer and a 1-footer on the first two holes, which could have given me an early three-shot lead if I could make just one of them, but I didn’t. That got me a little angry and then the bogey came on the 3rd hole,” said Wu. “I felt there were five or six birdie opportunities but I missed all. After the turn, I tried to adjust my game, hit a bit bigger, go for more, but Juliana played great, it was too late for me.”

16-year-old Liao Hsin-Chun (廖信淳) finished on 227 and equal sixth, taking the low amateur honor. The high school sophomore is a sponsored player in the Swinging Skirts program. Yani Tseng (曾雅妮) and Hsu Wei-Ling (徐薇凌) are her idol golfers.

The NT$4 million event is title-sponsored by one of the top-selling appliance manufacturers in Taiwan, SAMPO Corporation. This is the tournament’s third appearance on the TLPGA Tour after 2018 and 2019. SAMPO announced before this tournament a sponsorship partnership with Yani Tseng in support of the former World No.1 on her comeback trail and aspiring to form a positive influence and inspiration for the young crops of talents.

The Xiu Ju Cup, an 18-hole, single-round senior professional tournament, featuring a prize purse of NT$1 million, was held on Friday concurrently. The invitational event gathers 18 senior golfers in two groups --- with Huang Bie-Shyun (黃璧洵) (74) winning in the Legends’ Group (O60) and Lu Ya-Huei (呂雅惠) (70) emerged victorious from the Senior’s Group (O45), each taking home a NT$150,000 prize check.