Liang Yi-Ling (梁宜羚) carded a first-round 3-under 69 to take the halfway lead at the 2023 YTS & SUNCITY Heritage Tour. She runs ahead of a group of three, including defending champion Wang Li-Ning (王莉甯), Chang Ya-Chi (張亞琦), and Suncity Club home-course player Ku Meng-Chen (古孟宸), by two shots.

The Heritage Tour event, co-sponsored by the YTS Technology and the Suncity Golf Club, provides a total purse NT$800,000. The YTS Group is one of the top suppliers in the airtight window market in Taiwan.

In the “Heritage Tour” event format, the amateur and junior players are paired with the professionals, so the young ones can closely interact with local elites and pick up valuable learning experience in the two-round competition.

Only four players broke par in extreme heat today. Liang hit 11 greens, and needed just 26 putts to set the early pace at 3-under with five birdies and two bogeys.

“The greens were a little slower than usual, so I tried to be brave out there with my putter,” said Liang. “I think I did well to find some great positions on the greens, which helped me to have some easy paths to the birdies.” Liang is looking for her second TLPGA Tour win.

Wang Li-Ning, who finished in solo third place in last week’s Green Cup Charity Open, started her title defense campaign with a 1-under 71. “I’m happy where I am because I could have easily fallen behind if not for those great short wedges that helped to save about six pars,” said Wang. She needed 27 putts on the greens. “I didn’t really feel much pressure. I had a pretty good week last week and I just tried to go with my instincts.”

The Suncity Club home player Ku Meng-Chen was solid from the tees today, missing just three fairways, and her irons were hitting close, which set up plenty of opportunities. She converted four birdies and returned with a 71 as well. “I know that putting is very important on the Suncity course. I’m hoping that tomorrow, I will read the lines better than I do today.” Ku took 28 attempts on the greens.

Also tied for second at 1-under was Chang Ya-Chi, who made two birdies and one bogey. Highlights of her round include a chip-in birdie on the 11th from 15 yards. She needed 27 putts.

There were three amateur players from Japan invited into this week’s 93-player field, who stepped on the Suncity Golf Course for actually the second time after joining a special training session here last year alongside thirteen fellow Japanese golfers.

The final-round play of the 36-hole Heritage Tour event starts tomorrow at 6:30 on Wednesday morning.

The TLPGA Tour Test held concurrently saw Hung Chieh-Ning (洪婕寧) occupies the top spot with a 76 today. Player who would register a 12-over 228 or lower after three rounds of play will earn herself a TLPGA Tour card.