TLPGA Tour member Hou Yu-Chiang (侯羽薔) has become the first player from Taiwan to reach the top of the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) for women.



“I’m delighted to have achieved this milestone in my career. I’m really grateful and proud to be a part of the TLPGA family. We have established a well-run professional tour in such a short span of time, which has given me valuable learning experiences throughout the years and additional boosters in the WAGR race,” said Hou, who has twice emerged victorious on the TLPGA Tour. The millennial girl is also already a China LPGA Tour champion.



Amateur players who compete in professional tournaments that are recognized by the Women’s World Golf Rankings take a portion of WAGR points. “Vivian” Hou, freshman at the University of Arizona, recently confirmed two top-10 finishes in the CTBC Ladies Open and the Yichen Future Open, which provided the final push she needed to end French player Pauline Roussin-Bouchard’s 34-week reign as the number one player in the WAGR.



“I would like to thank our TLPGA chairwoman Ms. Liu (Yi-Chen), who has supported and guided me on this golf path since I was just a small girl. And now under her leadership, we can have our own tour to develop our skills and tools on, and ready ourselves to achieve higher goals,” Hou said. “It’s even more special in this COVID era that we could resume the Tour in as early as June, which really gave me some advantage to finally grab that top position.”



The TLPGA Tour officially became a part of the Women’s World Golf Rankings system in July, 2014. “It’s been a difficult ride when we decided to build an international tour. The idea was growing in my first term as the TLPGA chairwoman in 2010, and by 2014, with tremendous support and help from the members of the council, many sponsors, and my incredible team members, we felt everything had finally come together. In 2014 summer, the TLPGA Tour was successfully accepted by the WWGR. It’s been a tiring adventure but now we have players flying our flag everywhere around the globe, and here she is, a new world no.1 in the world. It’s all more than worth it!” Liu Yi-Chen added. “Yu-Chiang has the talent, and more importantly, she has great attitude, and is willing to put in the hard work. I wish her and her sister Yu-Sang (侯羽桑) the very best in their future.”