Hsuan bucks tough greens, shows way with 68

TARLAC, Philippines —  Chinese-Taipei’s Hsuan Chen finished strong and carded a four-under 68 in scorching conditions to grab a one-stroke lead over Thai Queen Meesom-us in the first round of the $100,000 ICTSI Luisita Ladies International 2024 yesterday.

Hsuan had a string of birdies on Nos. 11, 12, 14 and 17 of the Luisita Golf and Country Club course, positioning herself at the top of the leaderboard. Despite a slight stumble with a missed par-putt from 12 feet on the 18th, she maintained her lead as Meesom-us failed to sustain a birdie-birdie feat from No. 6 in a frontside finish and shot a 69.

The Taiwanese acknowledged the challenges posed by the unpredictable greens but remained confident with her game. Meesom-us, on the other hand, expressed adaptability to the hot weather conditions, drawing from her experience playing in similar climates back home.

Hsuan said handling the greens could determine one’s success or failure in the 54-hole championship co-sanctioned by the TLPGA and the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour.