Filipina aces gun for TLPGA crown

TAIWAN — The Filipina golfers are maintaining a balance of realism and optimism as they aim for a potential breakthrough at the Party Golfers Ladies Open, which begins today at the Lily Golf and Country Club in Guanxi Township, Hsinchu here.

Since 2015, the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour (LPGT) and the LPGA of Taiwan (TLPGA) have collaborated, with the Party Golfers Open being co-sanctioned in 2018. The highest finish by a Filipina in the event has been Daniella Uy’s fourth place in 2019.

But this year, a determined group of LPGT standouts — both seasoned players and rising stars — are aiming for a strong showing against a competitive field that includes the best from Taiwan and Thailand.

Pauline del Rosario, who tied for sixth in last year’s tournament, enters the NT$5 million championship with renewed confidence and some recent swing adjustments after a season on the Epson Tour.

While she emphasizes accuracy as a key strategy on Taiwan’s tight fairways, she’s also focused on mastering the challenging putting greens.

“Taiwan courses are narrow, so accuracy off the tee is crucial,” Del Rosario said.

“But putting will be just as important.”

Although local players hold an advantage with their familiarity with the greens, Del Rosario and her fellow Filipinas bring extensive international experience that could serve them well in their pursuit of the elusive crown.

Princess Superal, who placed 16th when the LPGT first competed here in 2018, is also eager to end her title drought. With years of training and top-level competition experience, Superal remains one of the Philippines’ most promising contenders.

A victory here would boost her confidence tremendously, marking only her second professional win after a standout performance in the 2022 Asia Pacific Cup in Jakarta, where she faced players like Olympic gold medalist Lydia Ko and former major winner Hyo Joo Kim and So Yeon Ryu.

Del Rosario, the first Filipina to win on the TLPGA in 2017, will tee off at 7:40 a.m. on Hole 1, alongside Japan’s Yuna Arakawa and Thailand’s Chonlada Chayanun, while Uy will face a competitive grouping with Pakin Kawinpakorn and Pei-Wen Huang at 7:50 a.m. on the same hole.

Superal is also in for a challenging match at 8 a.m. against seasoned player PK Kongkraphan, a former LPGA Tour campaigner, and defending champion Ling-Jie Chen.

Mafy Singson, starting from the 10th hole at 7:20 a.m., will be grouped with Winnie Ng and Kanyayat Poomklay, following the trio of Mikha Fortuna, Meng-Chu Chen and Yun-Pin Lu.

Chanelle Avaricio will also launch her bid from the backside at 7:50 a.m. with Miki Yamashita and Supamas Sangvchan, while Florence Bisera will off at 7:30 a.m. on No. 1 Yu-Hsin Huang and TLPGA No. 4-ranked Li-Ning Wang.

Uy, a multi-titled LPGT player, could also make a solid start in the 54-hole event, bolstered by her experience in various TLPGA and Thai tournaments. LPGT players Marvi Monsalve and Avaricio will join her, alongside talented Singson, Fortuna and Bisera, who is seeking redemption after her promising start in last year’s tournament.

Other notable entries include young prospects Laurea Duque and Lois Kaye Go, whose potential has already shown through on the international stage, along with amateurs Lia Duque and sisters Mona and Lisa Sarines.

Much focus will also be on Jiwon Lee, who impressed by winning her professional debut at Splendido Taal. Though she’s faced some challenges since, the 16-year-old Korean remains optimistic and focused.

“I’m not trying to expect too much from this event,” Lee said.

“I just want to treat it like any other tournament I’ve played in, both as a junior and as a professional golfer. Hopefully, I can perform my best.”