Former Ladies Philippine Golf Tour Order of Merit winner Pauline del Rosario hopes to make the most of her maiden stint on the Party Golfers Ladies Open in Taiwan, bringing with her a game honed up by months of training in the US and a recent stint in the LPGA Qualifying plus desire to snap a long spell in the P5 million event which gets going tomorrow (Wednesday, Oct. 2) at the National Golf and Country Club in Miaoli County.
The former Philippine Ladies Open champion racked up four victories in her rookie pro year on her way to winning the OOM title in 2017, capping her big season with a victory in the TLPGA and Royal Open to become the first Pinay to win on the LPGA of Taiwan Tour. But she didn’t see much action in the local circuit in the next two years as she toughened up abroad as part of her buildup for the LPGA Q-School where she, however, fell short in Stage I last August.
But she vowed to come back strong next year even as she seeks to measure up with a crack international field right in the first round of the P5 million event sanctioned by the LPGT featuring the leading and rising players on the TLPGA, including the Taiwanese and the Thais, and other circuits in the region.
“As of right now, I’m not setting any expectations heading into this tournament,” said Del Rosario. “My form has improved much more coming from LPGA Q School and I have had time at home to do some drills. I’m looking forward to seeing what the National Golf and Country Club has to offer and give it my best shot.”
The likes of Daniella Uy, Chanelle Avaricio, Marvi Monsalve and former three-time LPGT OOM titlist Cyna Rodriguez are also ready to mix it up with the field, headed by local ace Tzu Chi Lin, who swept the last two legs of TLPGA, including last week’s Kenda Open, and the Thai winners in this year’s LPGT-TLPGA co-sanctioned events, including Arpichaya Yubol (Manila Ladies Masters) and Thanutra Boonraksasat (Manila Southwoods).
The event is actually the fifth LPGT-TLPGA event this year with amateur Chia Yen Wu also back in the hunt for a record back-to-back feat in the event after the then 14-year-old beat a stellar field, including Princess Superal and Rodriguez, to reign last year.
