Defending champion, Taiwan’s Chen Ling-Jie (陳伶潔) snatched two birdies on the last two holes today in the second round to take a share of lead with Thailand’s Nook Sukapan at the Party Golfers Ladies Open.

Chen carded a low-round 67, and Sukapan shot a 68, as both players stood on 9-under par 135. The winner on Friday’s finale will pocket NT$900,000 in the NTS5 million event.

Overnight leader, and last week’s SAMPO Ladies Open champion P.K. Kongkraphan wasn’t as steady from the tee as yesterday. She made three bogeys on the front nine and ultimately settled for just a 1-under 71 to sit in solo third on 8-under 136.

The Party Golfers Ladies Open is a TLPGA Tour and Ladies Philippine Golf Tour (LPGT) co-sanctioned tournament, and this is the sixteen such event since the two tours first collaborated in 2015. Prize money of the 54-hole event has been increased to NT$5 million from NT$4 million last year with China Airlines joining forces as main sponsors. LPGA’s Epson Tour campaigner Pauline del Rosario sit in equal nineth on 4-under 140 as the highest standing Filipina.

“I used my pitching wedge from the fairway from 117 yards on the 5th, and had a lovely shot that bounced directly into the hole for eagle. That gave me really good confidence going forward,” said Chen Ling-Jie, whose both career TLPGA Tour victories came right here at the Lily Golf & Country Club.

Other than her first professional title at last year’s Party Golfers Ladies Open, Chen just won the YICHEN Heritage Tour in April here as well with a winning 36-hole total of 12-under 132.

“It’s amazing how I seem to bring my best game every time I return to the Lily course. I was hitting a lot of fairways. Even though I missed a couple of greens, I was able to get up-and-down and make putts, so I’m pretty happy,” said Chen. Talking about tomorrow’s final round, she said, “I don’t feel a lot of stress going on, which says I’m probably in a good mental state to be ready for the battle tomorrow. I expect a tough one, but I feel I’m ready.” Chen made one eagle, four birdies, and one bogey in the second round.

Sukapan of Thailand earned herself a great shot at her first TLPGA Tour title. She scored four birdies and left no blemish on the score card today. “The pin positions on the back nine were a little more difficult. I couldn’t really get close. But I’m glad my putter held up well. I saved a number of pars. It just feels good to finish a round without any bogey,” Sukapan said.

Former LPGA Tour member Kongkraphan is looking for her fourth TLPGA Tour victory in 2024. After a blistering first-round 65, Kongkraphan’s level dropped a little in hot conditions on Thursday. “I had bad control from the tee early on. My iron game could not be as sharp, missed a lot of greens and I had three bogeys through just seven holes. Mentally it was pretty exhausting, and physically too, because it was hot and humid,” the Thai player said. “I just kept telling myself to cool down, take a deep breath, and relax before I went for each shot. And that was how I kind of settled myself into the round and made no more bogey on the back nine.

Kongkraphan finished with four birdies and three bogeys and is now in solo third on 136.

Tseng Tsai-Ching (曾彩晴), who started the day two shots off the lead, finished with a second-round 70 to remain two off the pace on 7-under 137. “It was hard going out there today, hot and damp, the pins were tucked in. I tried to keep up the aggression like yesterday, but I made a few more mistakes with my putter. I did not read the green well enough,” said Tseng. She sit in a tie for fourth with Thailand’s Wannasiri Sirisampant.

54 players on 2-over 146 or lower advanced into Friday after the cut today.

The Party Golfers, an amateur golf team comprised of local entrepreneurs who share a never-fading passion for the golf sport, has been lending their sponsorship supports to the TLPGA since 2014, when the first Party Golfers Open was staged, giving the TLPGA Tour that final push into the WWGR (World Women’s Golf Rankings) system.

For the fourth year in a row, the backdrop for the event will be the Lily Golf & Country Club. The competition layout is set at 6,217 yards long and plays to a par score of 72.