LPGT stars brace for stern Taichung test as Kenda Open fires off

MANILA, Philippines — The Ladies Philippine Golf Tour’s top guns plunge into an early test of skill, patience and stamina Wednesday (Sept. 23) as the Kenda Tires TLPGA Open gets under way, with the Filipina campaigners facing a strong cast of Taiwan LPGA Tour stars in Taichung. The 54-hole championship, carrying a total purse of NT$4 million, marks another significant step in the LPGT’s growing presence on the international circuit, this being a co-sanctioned tournament with TLPGA, with 20 LPGT players set to challenge the hosts and other foreign contenders at the Taichung International Golf Club. And with the tournament moving to Taichung for the first time after previous TLPGA-LPGT co-sanctioned stops in other Taiwan cities, the LPGT delegation sees an opportunity to make an early impact – and perhaps produce another overseas victory. Leading the Philippine charge is two-leg LPGT winner Yvon Bisera, who opens against Taiwan standouts Ling Jie Chen and Chieh Ning Hung at 8:10 a.m. on No. 10. Bisera, who captured the Thailand Ladies Masters last year for her first international title, believes the course’s combination of narrow fairways, uneven lies and undulating greens will reward precision more than power. “Sobrang init, para din lang sa Pilipinas,” said Bisera, who played...