The Hitachi Air Conditioning Ladies Classic lifts the curtain on the 2024 Taiwan LPGA Tour season this week at the Hsin Yi Golf Club, which is the first time the 16-year-old event moves to Southern Taiwan.

Despite the absence of 2023 champion Kokona Sakurai, a star-studded list of international players promises an exciting weekend, with 2023 TLPGA Tour Money Winner P.K. Kongkraphan from Thailand, and the recent Taiwan Mobile Ladies Open champion Juliana Hung (洪玉霖) headlining the field, as well as LPGA Tour’s Hsu Wei-Ling (徐薇淩), Lee Min (李旻), and Chien Pei-Yun (錢珮芸).

Japan-based Tsai Pei-Ying (蔡佩穎), Babe Liu (劉嬿), and Wu Chia-Yen (吳佳晏) are some other contenders to look out for.

Tsai, the 2022 winner of the tournament, made an appearance on the tournament kick-off ceremony. She encouraged fans to come out and support the players under delightful Southern sunlight.

“The Hsin Yi Club always provides a challenging layout. It’s going to be a tough week for me, especially with so many great players from Asia competing together, but I like challenges, and I’m sure going to bring out my best again, hoping to get another taste of winning,” Tsai said.

The Hitachi Air Conditioning Ladies Classic is presented by Hitachi (Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning Taiwan).

The competition layout is set at 6,297 yards long at Kaohsiung’s Hsin Yi Glof Club. The first of the three rounds will begin on Friday. A cut is going to be made after the second-round on Saturday, leaving only the top-50 and ties into the final Sunday.

This week’s field features 108 players from Taiwan, Thailand, Japan, and Malaysia. Annual proceeds from the tournament will used to endow local charities. Over the past fifteen years, the donation amount has reached as high as NT$93 million.

Winner of the event will take away a NT$2.5 million prize check, from a NT$10 million total prizemoney.

The Hitachi Air Conditioning Ladies Classic is one of the earliest pro golf events taking place in the new year. Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning Taiwan President M. Kikuchi said he was very honored to again bring this TLPGA Tour spectacle to the fans, “I hope the players will also enjoy this brand-new playing experience in the warmth in Kaohsiung.”