The Ladies Philippine Golf Tour’s top guns look to take center stage at Taichung International Golf Club as the Kenda Tires TLPGA Open gets underway on Wednesday, facing a strong cast of Taiwan LPGA Tour stars.
The 54-hole championship offering a prize pot of NT$4 million (around P7.9 million) marks another significant step in the LPGT’s growing presence on the international circuit, this being a co-sanctioned tournament with TLPGA, with 20 LPGT players set to challenge the hosts and other foreign contenders at the Taichung International Golf Club.
With the tournament moving to Taichung for the first time after previous TLPGA-LPGT co-sanctioned stops in other Taiwan cities, the LPGT delegation sees an opportunity to make an early impact and perhaps produce another overseas victory.
Leading the Philippine charge is two-leg LPGT winner Yvon Bisera, who starts with Taiwan standouts Ling Jie Chen and Chieh Ning Hung on No. 10.
Bisera, who captured the Thailand Ladies Masters last year for her first international title, believes the course’s combination of narrow fairways, uneven lies and undulating greens will reward precision more than power.
‘It’s so hot, just like in the Philippines,’ said Bisera, who played the course for the second time during Tuesday’s pro-am. ‘The course has a combination of hilly and flat features. Uneven lies, but the trickiest part is really the greens.’
The East and Center nines of the 27-hole layout will be used for the championship, with the sloping terrain and several narrow fairways putting premium on accurate driving and well-placed approaches.
Bisera found the greens particularly demanding but saw some encouragement in the relatively open layout. She also stressed the importance of finding the fairway, especially on the dogleg holes where a good drive can dramatically shorten the approach.
‘When you hit your tee shot perfectly, you’ll have a good chance to attack, especially on the dogleg holes,’ said Bisera.
She knows, however, that good ball-striking alone will not be enough. With temperatures expected to remain high throughout the week, endurance and proper hydration could become just as important as putting together three solid rounds.
‘I would do my best and give my all for this tournament,’ said Bisera, who will be hoping to add another international title to her growing résumé.
Fellow ICTSI-backed ace Mafy Singson likewise expects a demanding battle, starting with Chun Wei Wu and I-Wen Chen on the front nine.
Singson described the layout as relatively flat but said the small, heavily undulating greens could provide the biggest challenge.
‘The course is relatively flat, but the greens are a little hilly, very undulating and small,’ said Singson.
That makes approach shots and recovery play especially important, with players forced to think carefully about where to attack and where to miss.
‘I wouldn’t say it’s that difficult, but I wouldn’t say it’s that easy either,’ Singson said. ‘The greens are pretty tricky, and I think the approach shots will also be important.’
‘We’d have to do well around the greens and know where to miss.’
Singson also cautioned against wayward drives, with the thick rough likely to make recovery difficult.
‘The long game is important, of course-putting our drives in the fairway and not missing them because the rough is pretty thick,’ she said. ‘So it’s the long game, approach shots and mostly the short game.’
Like Bisera, Singson is keeping her focus on execution rather than expectations.
‘I hope to do well. Everyone wants to do well this week,’ she said. ‘I just plan to do my best and hopefully finish well.’
Princess Superal provides another major threat from the LPGT side, with the 2022 Asia-Pacific Cup champion opening against Thai ace Nook Sukapan and local standout Jo Hua Hung at on No. 1.
The contingent also includes Korean LPGT mainstays Jiwon Lee, Kim Seoyun and Eunhua Nam, each capable of making a strong run, while amateurs Isabella Tabanas and twins Mona and Lisa Sarines add youth and unpredictability to the Philippine side.
Also gunning for the title are Marvi Monsalve, Sarah Ababa, Harmie Constantino, Kayla Nocum, Lois Kaye Go, Chihiro Ikeda, Velinda Castil, Kristine Fleetwood, Rev Alcantara, Monica Mandario and Gretchen Villacencio.