Seira Oki became a first-time TLPGA Tour champion as she finished with a 9-under 207 today at the Japan Taiwan Friendship Udon-Ken Ladies Golf Tournament, a co-sanctioned event by the Japan LPGA’s Step-Up Tour and the TLPGA Tour, after carding a third-round 71. The win is worth JPY3,600,000.

This is the third professional victory for the 31-year-old Japanese, which took four years of wait after winning her second “JSU” Tour title at the 2020 Chugoku Shimbun Chupea Ladies Cup.

“It was not the most beautiful finish, but I’m so happy I got it done,” said Oki, referring to the 18th-hole bogey. “It hasn’t been a great season for me, but better late than never, right? With this confidence I got from the victory, I’m hoping I could finish the season very strongly.”

36-hole leader Minori Hashizoe finished with a share of the second place on 8-under 208 with Hiroko Azuma after shooting a 1-over Sunday 73.

Miyu Morimura took home the low amateur honor with a 54-hole total of 1-over 2017.

Taiwan’s Babe Liu (劉嬿) wrapped it up with a final-round 72 to finish in a three-way tie for 11th.

Liu continued with her aggressive approach on Sunday at the Mannou Hills Country Club, making five birdies along the way but also committing two bogeys and one triple-bogey. “It’s been quite some time since I last played in Japan. There were sure plenty of rooms for improvement, but I’m happy with the way I handled the bad moments today,” said Liu, who reacted with a fine birdie on the par-5 15th hole after the morale-hurting triple-bogey on the 14th. “I’m still in the final qualifying stage for the 2024 JLPGA Tour season. I hope I can make it and come back playing on the Japanese soil very soon.”

Chen Ling-Jie (陳伶潔) carded a 73 to narrowly finish in the top-30, which was her pre-tournament goal, on even-par 216. “This was my first tournament playing in Japan. The layout was tight with some really tough pin positions. The greens were fast and very challenging. I actually felt good for myself with how I adjusted to the conditions, and how I did on the greens, but I was just amazed by how good the Japanese players were with their putters. It was a great learning,” said the pro sophomore.

Wang Li-Ning (王莉甯), who began the day in a tie for twelfth, wrapped it up with a disappointing 5-over 77. She struggled on the closing stage as she dropped five shots in four holes with double-bogeys on no.14 and 16 and a bogey on the 17th.

“Yeah, I feel a little gutted. This is already a better result than I last visited Japan, but I couldn’t keep up my concentration and go higher,” said Wang, whose qualification attempt for the JLPGA Tour’s 2024 membership ended in the second stage earlier this Fall.

Step-Up Tour 2023 Money Leader, Taiwanese Wu Chia-Yen (吳佳晏), who was in equal 27th at the start of the day, had to pull out of the event mid-way through Sunday with a recurring left shoulder injury. The 19-year-old is playing her first full season on the JSU Tour this year, and she has earned already three tour titles between June and August. This amazing string of performances puts her currently atop the official Step-Up Tour money leaderboard.

The JPY20,000,000 event was co-sanctioned by the Step-Up Tour and the TLPGA Tour for the first time in 2017, and went through a two-year hiatus in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic. The OHK Okayama Broadcasting is the co-organizer.