Wu Chia-Yen (吳佳晏) fired a bogey-free 7-under 65 to take the first-round lead at the NT$5-million Taiwan Mobile Ladies Open. This is just one shot shy of her career best round of an 8-under 64.

Hou Yu-Sang (侯羽桑), who earned the 2023 LPGA Tour card two weeks ago through the Q-Series event, carded a 68 and shared the second place with Juliana Hung (洪玉霖). Kaohsiung-native Juliana Hung, who has recorded two TLPGA Tour wins this season, is playing her first tournament under Taiwanese flag, officially switching nationality from New Zealand.

18-year-old Wu Chia-Yen has already seven TLPGA Tour titles under her belt, and is slowly transitioning herself from the TLPGA Tour to the Japan LPGA Tour events this year. “It’s pretty windy today. It’s usually calmer when we play in Japan, but the layout plays a little shorter,” Wu said. “As much as I practice at the Tong Hwa, I haven’t really been able to produce my best game here. Fortunately, I was having good judgements out there today with the distance and the clubs.”

Hung also finished today bogey-free. She scored three birdies on the front nine and almost holed it out from the bunker for an eagle on the par-5 17th. The eagle attempt bounced away but she easily tapped in to gain a late birdie, moving into a tie for second with Hou Yu-Sang at 4-under 68. Hung is looking for her third victory of the year after winning the KENDA Tire TLPGA Open and the GRIN Cup Charity Open.

Hou, who will be one of the four Taiwanese players to join the 2023 LPGA Tour season, managed to make it to 4-under thanks to a final-hole birdie. She notched five birdies and committed one bogey throughout the day.

Last month’s SAMPO Ladies Open champion Tseng Tsai-Ching (曾彩晴) and Cheng Ssu-Chia (程思嘉), however, will need to find another chance to earn their LPGA Tour presence, after failed LPGA Tour Q-Series attempts.

The pair left the sour feelings behind and put up matching 69s in the first-round of the Taiwan Mobile Ladies Open today. Tseng, a University of Tulsa graduate, was once atop the leaderboard after four straight birdies in the middle of the round, but couldn’t sustain the high level on the back nine, dropping to equal fourth place alongside Cheng Ssu-Chia, Shih Cheng-Hsuan (石澄璇), Lee You-Jing (李宥靚), An Ho-Yu (安禾佑), and Lai Yi-Ting (賴怡廷) with four shots off the lead.

Many U.S.-based players reflected their struggle with the slower green speed. Cheng Ssu-Chia, Lee Min (李旻), and LPGA Tour no.78 Hsu Wei-Ling (徐薇凌) needed more putts on the greens than they hoped, finding it difficult to really build momentum. “I’m going straight to the practice greens later. Putting is going to be key,” Cheng said.

2021 champion Hsu shot a 71 with three birdies and two bogeys, sitting in a tie for thirteenth, and so did 2020 champion Chien Pei-Yun (錢珮芸). 2018 champion Lee Min only settled for a first-round 73.

Last week’s Wistron Ladies Open champion, which was shortened from 72 holes to 36 holes due to bad weather, Chang Ya-Chun (張雅淳) opened the new campaign with a 2-under 70, tying 2017 champion Ploychompoo Wilairungrueng from Thailand and compatriot Chen Ling-Jie (陳伶潔) foe tenth.

This week, the 102-player field sees all five former champions return, including Hsu Wei-Ling, Lee Min, Chien Pei-Yun, Ploychompoo Wilairungrueng, and Lin Shan-Wei (林善葳).

No player has won the Taiwan Mobile Ladies Open more than once in the previous five editions, which combined offering more than NT$20 million purse.

A cut will be made after Thursday’s second round, sending only the top-50 and ties into the Friday finale. For more information on the 2022 Taiwan Mobile Ladies Open, please explore https://www.taiwanmobile.com/twmTLPGA2022/