South Korean Im Jin Hee tamed the wind at the Orient Golf & Country Club on Thursday to set the pace on 5-under par 67 after the first-round. This gives her an early three-shot lead at the inaugural Foxconn TLPGA Players Championship.

The four-round tournament provides the biggest ever prize money (for TLPGA own sanctioned tournaments) in tour history, featuring a US$1 million total purse. Taiwan-based super brand Foxconn (Hon Hai Technology Group), one of the world’s largest electronics manufacturers, is the title sponsor of the event.

Im, who swept away four victories to close the previous season at No.2 on her home tour, displayed tremendous firepower right from the start with an eagle on the first hole.

“I think the conditions at the Orient are a lot alike those in Korea. I’m feeling in the zone right off the bat,” said the No.42 player on the Women’s World Golf Rankings, who used her 4-iron from 180 yards to find the 1st green in just two shots before calmly sinking the eagle putt. “The wind picked up later in the day, which made things a bit more difficult. I’m glad I handled it quite well.”

Chen Yu-Ju (陳宇茹) is a familiar guest at the Orient, where she won the Hitachi Ladies Classic in 2020. Four years later, she teamed with the same country club caddie who helped her on the winning run. “We worked well together. I was able to read the greens better, especially with the tough pin positions today,” said Chen, who carded a 2-under 70 to sit in a three-way tie for second with compatriot, birthday girl Juliana Hung (洪玉霖), and 5-time Japan LPGA Tour titlist Serena Aoki.

Hung would have been in solo second if not for a final-hole bogey. “I was not getting the ball close enough to the holes, but I was making some really challenging lengthy putts, which kept me competitive,” Hung said. “But yeah, my putter was a bit off on the 18th. That was a bit of disappointment.”

Kokona Sakurai of Japan, who finished the 2023 JLPGA Tour 5th on the money list and won the Hitachi Ladies Classic on the Orient course, and Taiwanese Wu Chia-Yen (吳佳晏), who came in second in the same event, both stood at 1-under 71.

“It was not the best scoring day. The pins were tucked and the conditions were tricky. So, I’m still happy with the way I played. It’s just Day 1. I’ll have to tidy up the short game and hopefully I can move up the leaderboard tomorrow.”

Sakurai did make some brilliant plays but the effort was cancelled by a few wild let-downs, including a water penalty for 18th-hole tee miscue.

Talented local amateur Wu Chun-Wei (吳純葳) posted a first-round 73 to sit in a tie for 17th.