Local bets seek to edge Hou sisters

A slew of local amateurs is tipped to give Taiwanese sisters Hou Yu-Chiang and Hou Yu-Sang a run for their money when the ICTSI Champion Tour fires off tomorrow at Tagaytay Midlands.

Asian Games-bound Lois Kaye Go primes up for the quadrennial meet in Indonesia as she spearheads the young locals’ charge in this blue-ribbon event featuring the leading pros from the Taiwan LPGA Tour and the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour.

Go, who will banner the country’s campaign in next month’s Asian Games with Yuka Saso and Bianca Pagdanganan, placed second to Thai veteran Yupaporn Kawinpakorn in the LPGT Women’s Championship at Summit Point last month and is looking forward to contending in this week’s event serving as the last of the two-leg ICTSI Champion Tour sanctioned by the Taiwan LPGA.

The top players of Team The Country Club are also in the fold, including Sofia Chabon, Mikha Fortuna, Mafy Singson, Samantha Dizon and Laia Barro while former TCC mainstay and now California Baptist University sophomore Sam Martirez is also joining the hunt along with Annika Cedo and Koreans Kim Hui Won and Jang Yunji.

But focus will still be on the Hou sisters with Chiang and Sang setting out to duplicate, if not better their strong showing in the rain-shortened Champion Tour event at Southwoods topped by Thai Ploychompoo Wirairungreung.

Chiang tied for second with Princess Superal and another Thai Supamas Sangchan with a six-under total after 36 holes while Sang placed solo fifth with a five-under aggregate.

No amateur has won an ICTSI Champion Tour leg since it was included in the LPGT in 2016 with Korean ace Lee Jeong Hwa sweeping the inaugurals’ first two tournaments and Thai Kanphanitnan Muangkhumsakul and Korean Hwang Ye-Nah splitting the honors last year.

Meanwhile, the leading pros test the Midlands layout one last time today as they team up with officials and guests of the event’s chief backers in the traditional pro-am tournament.

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