Taiwanese, Thai aces lead charge as ICTSI Luisita Ladies gets going
THE International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) Luisita Ladies International 2024 blasts off at the Luisita Golf and Country Club off Tuesday in an electrifying showdown among stalwarts from the Taiwan and ailand tours and local aces. Leading the charge are the aces from the Ladies Professional Golf Association of Taiwan (TLPGA), Thailand LPGA and homegrown talents.
Decision-making will play a pivotal role in navigating the challenges of the $100,000 championship set on the demanding 6,362-yard Robert Trent
Jones Sr.-designed course renowned for its risk-and-reward and wellkept layout.
For PK Kongkraphan, the tournament marks a chance to fulfill an unfinished business after falling short in last year’s Anvaya Cove Ladies International, also a TLPGALADIES Philippine Golf Tour cosanctioned event in Morong, Bataan.
Princess Superal, on the other hand, is determined to bounce back from a final round skid at Caliraya Springs as she aims to elevate her performance in time for the resumption of her campaign on the Japan Step Up Tour.
Ahead of the event, sponsored by ICTSI and organized by the Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc., Superal’s preparations have been nothing short of rigorous.
e former US Girls’ Junior titlist hopes to capitalize on her local knowledge of the layout as she faces a tough first round draw, pitting skills with Yu-ju Chen of Taiwan and ai Chonlada Chayanun at 8 a.m. on No. 1.
“We’re more familiar with Luisita, so we’ll see how it goes,” said Superal, whose last triumph dates back to 2022 in the Asia Pacific Cup in Indonesia where she triumphed over several major champions on the LPGA Tour. “Nonetheless, we’ll give it our best shot.”
Armed with a stellar record, including victories in the Hangzhou Asian Games last year and 23 professional titles to her name, the 32-year-old Kongkraphan enters the competition with confidence.
Despite the unfamiliarity of the course, Kongkraphan is optimistic, drawing parallels to her recent experience in ailand.
Opting to skip yesterday’s proam tournament to fine-tune her skills, she remains undeterred by the scorching weather, expressing readiness to tackle the course’s challenges.
“This is a new course for me, but the conditions are similar back home. So I think, I can have a good score here,” said Kongkraphan, who drew compatriot Alisara Wedchakama and Korean Minyeong Kim at 8:55 a.m. on No. 10. “Luisita is a little bit shorter, so there’s a big chance to playing well this week.”
While she leads the charge, a stellar lineup of TLPGA and Thai players, including Chen, Jo Hua Hung and former LPGT leg winners Wannasiri Sirisampant and Chayanun, are poised to make their mark.
Focus will also be on new faces Sarina Schmidt of Germany, India’s Hitaashee Bakshi and Sneha Singh, while Koreans Seoyun Kim, Nam Eunhua and Kim are likewise out to make an early impact for the needed confidence and momentum.