LPGT stars chase Kenda Open breakthrough in Taiwan

TAICHUNG, Taiwan — The Ladies Philippine Golf Tour’s leading players face an early test of skill, patience, and stamina Wednesday, Sept. 23, when the Kenda Tires TLPGA Open tees off against a strong field of Taiwan LPGA Tour players.

The 54-hole championship, carrying a total purse of TWD 4 million, marks another step in the LPGT’s international campaign as 20 tour players challenge the hosts and other foreign contenders at Taichung International Golf Club.

The co-sanctioned tournament is being held in Taichung for the first time after previous TLPGA-LPGT events were staged in other Taiwan cities.

The Philippine contingent will look to make an early impact and add another overseas victory to the tour’s record.

Two-time LPGT winner Yvon Bisera leads the Philippine charge and opens against Taiwan’s Ling Jie Chen and Chieh Ning Hung at 8:10 a.m. on No. 10.

Bisera, who won the Thailand Ladies Masters last year for her first international title, expects the course’s narrow fairways, uneven lies, and undulating greens to reward precision more than power.

“Sobrang init, para din lang sa Pilipinas,” 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 ang lies, but the trickiest part is really the greens – some are uphill, some are downhill.”

The East and Center nines of the 27-hole layout will be used for the championship, with the sloping terrain and several narrow fairways placing a premium on accurate drives and well-positioned approach shots.

Bisera found the greens particularly demanding but drew encouragement from the relatively open layout.

“Medyo mahirap ‘yung greens, but the course layout is a bit open, so mas okay,” she said.

Bisera also stressed the importance of finding the fairway, particularly on dogleg holes where a strong drive can shorten the approach.

“When you hit your tee shot perfectly, medyo malapit na ang second shot, especially on the dogleg holes,” said Bisera.

Good ball-striking, however, may not be enough as high temperatures could make endurance and proper hydration important throughout the three-day event.

“I would do my best and give my all for this tournament,” said Bisera, who will try to add another international title to her résumé.

Fellow ICTSI-backed player Mafy Singson also expects a demanding test when she opens against Chun Wei Wu and I-Wen Chen at 8:30 a.m. on the front nine.

Singson described the layout as relatively flat but said the small, heavily undulating greens could pose the biggest challenge.

“The course is relatively flat, but the greens are a little hilly, very undulating and small,” said Singson.

The conditions are expected to put added emphasis on approach shots and recovery play, with players needing to carefully choose where to attack the greens 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.”

She added: “We’d have to do well around the greens and know where to miss.”

Singson also warned that the thick rough could punish wayward drives and make recovery shots 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 said she is focusing 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 adds experience to the LPGT challenge, with the 2022 Asia-Pacific Cup champion opening against Thai player Nook Sukapan and Taiwan’s Jo Hua Hung at 8 a.m. on No. 1.

Bisera, Singson, and Superal headline a Philippine contingent with international experience on a layout where patience and consistency could prove critical.

The group also includes Korean LPGT regulars Jiwon Lee, Kim Seoyun, and Eunhua Nam, while amateurs Isabella Tabanas and twins Mona and Lisa Sarines add youth to the lineup.

Completing the 20-player LPGT contingent 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.

For the LPGT players, the challenge extends beyond managing the heat and navigating Taichung’s tricky greens, with a strong opening round crucial to staying in contention against the TLPGA regulars.

With Taichung hosting the TLPGA-LPGT partnership for the first time, the Philippine contingent gets another international stage to test its depth against a strong regional field.