Last year, the TLPGA Tour saw a powerful addition with Foxconn (Hon Hai Technology Group), one of the world’s largest electronics manufacturers, bringing in a US$1 million new event— Foxconn TLPGA Players Championship. This year, the stakes are even higher. Ten of the world’s top 100 and a total of 90 players from seven countries will be battling out at the Orient Golf & Country Club, from Thursday to Sunday, and vie for a $270,000 champion’s check in a 1.5-time richer, US$1.5 million mega showdown. Sunday’s victory will guarantee 18 precious women’s world golf ranking (WWGR) points for the lowest score.

Haruka Kawasaki will be the defending champion. The Japanese captured the one-shot victory on a 72-hole total of 2-under 286 at the inaugural Foxconn TLPGA Players Championship. “The Orient Golf Club is always a place to remember for me. I’m really happy to be back here in Taoyuan,” Kawasaki said.

Korea LPGA Tour’s Kim Su-Ji, who boasted an impressive eleven top-10 finishes last season and is currently ranked 41st in the world, is one of the biggest title favorites.

World no. 65, Swiss player Chiara Tamburlini, who was crowned winner of the Ladies European Tour (LET) Order of Merit for 2024, and Japan LPGA Tour’s year-end championship Ricoh Cup champion Shiho Kuwaki, the no.64-ranked player in the world, are also hoping they could extend their great 2024 form and make an early mark in the 2025 season.

Chien Pei-Yun (錢佩芸) is currently the top Taiwanese player at no.91 in the world.

Former world no.1s, Taiwan’s own Yani Tseng (曾雅妮) and South Korean Shin Jiyai make a long-awaited reunion this week that will spark some nostalgia among the fans. Tseng and Shin hold a combined seven major victories on the LPGA Tour between the 2008 to 2012 season.

“It’s been a while since I last came to Taiwan. It brings back a lot of memories. The fans are always so nice. And yeah, it’s great to see some friends, like Yani,” Shin said, who stood beside Tseng in today’s press conference.

“It’s my honor, at this stage of my career, to still be playing along the best players in the world, especially on home soil. This is like one of the best fields a TLPGA Tour event has got, if not the best, with about a dozen of the current top-100 in the world. I would like to thank Hon Hai for having me again,” said Tseng.

Hon Hai Technology Group player, 20-year-old Wu Chia-Yen (吳佳晏) appreciated the home stage and the motivating paychecks. “A $1.5 million TLPGA Tour event! I’m just happy to be playing in front of the families and home fans and compete against such an amazing and strong field. It should be a lot of fun and I’m sure going to bring out my very top game,” Wu said.

“Again, I would like to extend my warmest thanks to Foxconn and Hon Hai Technology Group, the Orient Club, and of course all the talented ladies here gathering from all over the globe. The TLPGA has been working hard around the clock to make the tour bigger and better with each year, envisioning a friendly haven for not just fans and players in Taiwan but golfers and golf lovers from every place in the world,” said TLPGA Chairwoman Liu Yi-Chen. “After the success in 2024, this pinnacle event of the TLPGA Tour is here to stay, thanks to the generous support from Foxconn and Hon Hai. We hope all the players will enjoy their stay in Taiwan this week, and showcase to fans all the beautiful skills you got.”