19-year-old Tseng Chen (曾楨) captured her first TLPGA Tour win in just her second outing as a pro. The overnight leader stayed composed and never let her advantage slip, completing a three-shot victory after carding a 72 on Thursday’s final round to finish in 4-under 140.

“Yes. I felt nervous already after seeing my name in the top row on the leaderboard yesterday,” said Tseng when asked if she felt the weight of lead.

Tseng’s nervy start saw her dump her shot into the water on Hole no.2 to leave the hole with a bogey. After a number of missed birdie chances, Tseng’s three-shot lead at the beginning of the day shrank to just one at the turn. Chou Yi-Tseng (周怡岑) and Kuo Ai-Chen (郭艾榛) were both just one shot off by the second half.

“I want to thank my playing partner Chen Meng-Chu (陳孟竺). She saw the nerves and started to talk to me. We kind of just chatted along the way which really helped to calm me down,” said Tseng, who moved on to sink two crucial long putts on 10th and 12th to earn the three-shot cushion back. She dropped another shot on the 17th, but it would make no influence on the outcome.

“Also big thanks to my fellow player Lee Hsin (李欣). We played together at the WPG Open last month, which was my first professional tournament. I asked her how to face the pressure on closing out the final-rounds, and I actually asked her again after the first-round yesterday now that I was in an even more special position ahead of the final day. She just told me that I should not get too worried, and that I’m so young that I’ve got plenty of opportunities in the future, which did get me less stressed.”

Tseng was doused in water in celebration after the last putt. “I really didn’t expect to win so soon. I’m very happy. I hope to take this chance again to thank Hsin Chu Golf Club, my training base, my mom, and my mentors,” said Tseng. “My goal is to finish in the top-10 in every tournament in the rest of the year.”

Tseng, starting playing competitive golf at 9 years of age, just recently passed the TLPGA Pro-Test in her second attempt in late April. She is now a college freshman in NTSU (National Taiwan Sport University).

The Nan Pao TLPGA Heritage Tour first joined the Tour in 2018; this is the third edition after 2020, featuring a bigger total money from NT$600,000 to NT$700,000. In the “Heritage Tour” event format, the amateur and junior players are paired with the TLPGA Tour members, so the young ones can closely interact with seasoned pros and pick up valuable learning experience.