Taiwanese player Yao Hsuan-Yu (姚宣榆) captured her second TLPGA Tour title at the Yeang Der TLPGA Ladies Open by defeating good friend Kuo Ai-Chen (郭艾榛) in a one-hole, sudden-death playoff.

Kuo started today with a 4-shot deficit but was given a chance into a play-off when Yao missed a 3-foot putt on the last one, when they finished the day with 69 and 73 respectively and wrapped their regular rounds both with a 7-under 209.

The pair came back to the 18th tee and both left a 6-footer on the green, while Kuo narrowly missed her first try and could only watched her good friend sink in her putt to seal the victory.

“My putts didn’t work as well as I wanted it to be, I was lucky to be able to stay there and not let the win slip,” said the 20-year-old winner.

“Though I bogeyed my regular 18th, it’s great that I recovered quickly enough and made that birdie on the same hole in the play-off,” said Yao. “It was a first for both of us to be playing a sudden-death in a tour event, but I think I had been through quite a few when I was an amateur, so I guess that gave me an advantage.” Yao wins a NT$600,000 champion prize while Kuo takes NT$300,000.

Kuo’s second-place finish is her career best, beating her original-best fourth finish at Fubon Ladies Open last winter where she also played her final round with Yao in the final group.

Korean Chang-Hee Lee and Bo-Mi Suh tied for third with a 6-under 210. 18-year-old Chinese Taipei amateur Wang Chi shot 67 final round and finished in fifth with 211 with compatriot Yu Pei-Lin (余珮琳).