LPGA Tour titlist Hsu Wei-Ling (徐薇淩) shot a 1-under 71 in challenging condition on Day 2 at the gusty Sunrise Golf Club to ascend to the top of leaderboard on 5-under par. First-round leader Hou Yu-Chiang (侯羽薔) dropped to 4-under after a second-round 73.

Phoebe Yao (姚宣榆) posted a second straight 70 to sit in equal second with Hou. Huang Ching (黃靖) was in a tie for fourth on 3-under par with LPGA Tour players, Philippines’ Bianca Pagdanganan and Thai Wichanee Meechai.

A lot is at stake as the 72-hole Wistron Ladies Open moved into the second half, with huge world ranking points and a record-high champion prize up for grabs. The best women standing on Sunday is going to take away a $160,000 check. Wistron added that the amount will be doubled if a home player wins this year’s tournament, attracting probably one of the strongest local line-ups in recent years.

Hsu Wei-Ling had a rough time on the greens today, facing a couple of three-putts and needing a total of 34 attempts. “My iron was not as accurate as yesterday. In fact, I feel I’ve been hitting longer with my wedges, which is a good thing, but is not yet quite consistent. Some works still need to be done so I can use it to my advantage,” said Hsu.

However, she seized the limited opportunities and drained four birdie putts. The highlight play was a curly 18-footer on the par-3 16th. “Honestly, It’s actually a surprise to see myself in the lead right now. I feel like a lot of things could’ve been done better. I’m going to think about them and try to make them better in the next two rounds.”

Former world no.1 amateur golfer and overnight leader Hou Yu-Chiang scored a birdie on the first hole to expand her lead to two shots, but the round was soon derailed as she leaked shots on Hole 2, 3, and 5, knocking her off the lead. She needed 34 putts as well. “The wind made it more difficult to get close to the pin. I had a hard time judging the distance,” Hou said.

Japan LPGA Tour player Phoebe Yao posted another steady round of golf with three birdies and one bogey. Highlights of her performance included a wedge effort sent into tap-in range for birdie on the 6th hole, right after her dropping a shot on the previous hole.

“I felt better as the day went on, especially with my tee shots. They started a bit shaky,” said Yao, who reckons that fairway accuracy is key to scoring low at the Sunrise, to set up for good green placements, “or it will punish you on its rolling greens.”

Bianca Pagdanganan struggled to convert her birdie chances, needing 34 shots on the greens. “I felt I was playing really well, but just fell short a bit with those finishing putts,” said the Filipino golfer, who sits third in average driving distance on the 2023 LPGA Tour. This is her second time playing at the Sunrise Golf Club in just as many visits to Taiwan.

Wichanee Meechai suffered a double-bogey on the third hole, but buried three birdie putts along the way to break par in wet and windy conditions today. “Compared to the LPGA Tour layouts, Sunrise plays a little shorter but the greens are kind of punishing, so accuracy and distance are critical,” said the LPGA Tour member. “I heard that there is going to be more rains and winds on Saturday. I’m actually excited to see what more challenges the course will bring us. I’ll try to stay concentrated and bring on my best game.”

Set at 6,413 yards long for the week, the Sunrise layout has tested some of the best players in the world. It became the venue of many high-profile international events such as the LPGA Taiwan Championship and the 2017 Taipei Summer Universiade.

Third-round action will begin tomorrow at 7 a.m. from first and tenth tees. Hsu, Yao, and Hou Yu-Chiang will start in the final flight at 8:30.