The Ladies Philippine Golf Tour’s (LPGT) leading players face another stern international test as they join a formidable Taiwan LPGA Tour (TLPGA) field in the Kenda Tire Cup, which fires off Wednesday at the Taichung International Country Club in Taichung, Taiwan.

Seven of the top 10 players in the current TLPGA Order of Merit headline the NT$4-million championship, underscoring the depth of the field in the 54-hole event co-sanctioned by the LPGT and TLPGA.

The tournament marks another chapter in the two tours’ continuing partnership aimed at strengthening women’s golf in the region and providing players from both circuits with greater opportunities to compete at a higher level. It is also the first time the two organizations will co-sanction the Kenda Tire Cup after several seasons of collaboration through the Party Golfers Ladies Open.

Yvon Bisera spearheads the LPGT contingent, which includes a mix of seasoned campaigners and emerging talents determined to make an impact against some of the region’s established winners.

The Filipinas, however, will have to contend with an unfamiliar venue and one of the strongest fields they have encountered in the Taiwan series.

The Taichung International Country Club, located near the Dakang Walking Trails, features rolling and undulating fairways set amid secluded valleys, tree-lined corridors and views of the surrounding mountains. The East (out) and Central (in) nines will be used for the championship, placing a premium on course management and adaptation.

With none of the LPGT players having competed on the layout before, Monday’s official practice round and Tuesday’s pro-am will provide valuable opportunities to study the course, assess its playing conditions and prepare for the tournament proper.

The challenge is further heightened by the presence of seven players ranked inside the TLPGA’s current top 10. No. 3 Min Jou Chen leads the group, followed by Han Hsuan Yu, Ching Huang, Hsin Lee, Shih Cheng Hsuan, Jessica Peng and Ya Chun Chang.

Several of the circuit’s recent winners are also in the field, adding further depth to the championship.

Thailand’s Nook Sukapan comes in fresh from her victory in last week’s Straits Cup Ladies Classic, while Japan’s Harumi Yoshikuwa captured the YTS and Suncity Futures events in August. Han Hsuan Yu also carries winning form, having topped the Taiwan Prosperity Ladies Open in June.

Other notable winners in the lineup include Thailand’s Sherman Santiwiwatthanaphong, who dominated the CTBC Ladies Open in May; Cheng Hsuan Shih, champion of the KGI Bank TLPGA Futures; and Japan’s Yuria Sonoda, winner of the Nan-Tou Golf and Country Club Futures last April.

The visiting LPGT players, however, are set to embrace the challenge.

Princess Superal, Marvi Monsalve, Sarah Ababa, Harmie Constantino, Kayla Nocum, Lois Kaye Go, Mafy Singson, Chihiro Ikeda, Velinda Castil, Kristine Fleetwood and Rev Alcantara are all in the mix, bringing a blend of experience, competitive form and international exposure to the Philippine side.

Jiwon Lee, Seo Yun Kim, Monica Mandario, Gretchen Villacencio and Eunhua Nam complete the LPGT professional contingent, while ICTSI-backed amateurs Lisa Sarines, Mona Sarines and Isabella Taganas will also see action in the championship.

The Philippines has yet to claim a victory in the LPGT–TLPGA co-sanctioned events since 2018. However, Pauline del Rosario won the TLPGA and Royal Open in 2017, becoming the first Filipina to win on one of the region’s premier circuits.

Meanwhile, Daniella Uy’s fourth-place finish in 2019 stands as the best performance by a visiting Filipina during the joint tour.

That record provides added motivation for the LPGT players as they take on a field packed with proven winners and highly ranked TLPGA stars.