The fourth annual WPG Ladies Open is ready to kick off, boasting a NT$10 million grand total purse. And this year, the event will feature a new 72-hole format.

WPG Holdings, title-sponsor of the event, offered an increased purse from NT$6 million in 2021 to $10 million in 2022 and 2023, more than doubled when it was first held in 2020 (NT$4.5 million), making it one of the highest-paying TLPGA Tour events.

The Sunrise Golf & Country Club, for the fourth year in a row, plays host to 100 pros and 8 amateur players from Wednesday to Saturday.

WPG, an ESG-friendly, global-leading distributor of semiconductor components, is hoping the raise in prize money and the extended four-round schedule will help local players to get a feel of taking part in a global event of the highest prestige, and better prepare themselves for their future pursuit into higher calibre.

“This is such a thoughtful move, and at the same time, it takes budget to deliver on that,” said TLPGA chairwoman Liu Yi-Chen of the new format. “We’re truly appreciative of what the WPG Holdings has done for the TLPGA and in general, women’s golf in Taiwan.” This year, with the border open, the WPG Ladies Open has attracted more than 30 international elite athletes to join the field, which include Thailand’s P.K. Kongkraphan, who has more than nine years of experience on the LPGA circuits in the U.S., as well as her compatriot Chonlada Chayanun, the 2018 CTBC Ladies Open champion.

For the local fans, 19-year-old Wu Chia-Yen (吳佳晏) would be one of the hottest favorites for sure as she has a stellar record in this tournament, holding one win in 2020 and two runner-up finishes in 2021 and 2022.

The 2021 TLPGA Tour Money Winner is now also leading in the 2023 race, finishing as the runner-up at the Hitachi Ladies Classic in January and the CTBC Ladies Open this past week, despite spending most of her season so far on the Japan LPGA’s Step-Up Tour, her first year as a member. Her best showing in Japan has been a T4 in late March.

Defending champion Lee Hsin (李欣), who closed the 2022 TLPGA Tour at no.2, sits in just 16th on the official money leaderboard in the 2023 season. She is hoping to relive her fond memories at the Sunrise.

2022 TLPGA Tour Money Winner Chang Ya-Chun (張雅淳) and 4-time TLPGA Tour titlist Juliana Hung (洪玉霖) are also among title hopefuls.

The first-round will tee off tomorrow at 6:30. A cut is scheduled after the second-round, sending only the top-50 and ties into the second half of competition.

The players tested the Sunrise layout, set at 6,383 yards, one last time today in the Pro-Am event. Hole-in-one prize of NT$100,000 cash will be on offer on Hole 2, 4, 11, and 16 in regular rounds.