TARLAC. – Chinese-Taipei’s Hsuan Chen flourished with a stunning backside charge, carding a four-under 68 in scorching conditions to take a one-stroke lead over Thai Queen Meesom-us in the first round of the $100,000 ICTSI Luisita Ladies International 2024 here Tuesday.

Hsuan spiked her impressive performance with a string of birdies on Nos. 11, 12, 14 and 17 of the Luisita Golf and Country Club course, positioning her 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 in her game. Meesom-us expressed adaptability to the hot conditions, drawing from her experience playing in a similar setting back home.
“Although my driver and irons were fairly consistent, I struggled with my putting due to the challenging nature of the greens. Some were fast while others were slower, making it difficult to find a consistent rhythm,” said Chen, reflecting on her ongoing quest for a breakthrough victory after five years on the tour.
Her round was marred by a three-putt miscue on No. 4 between two birdies and a mishit approach shot on the 18th that resulted in another bogey.
“Understanding the nuances of the speed (of the greens) is crucial here,” she said, alluding to the critical factor that could determine one’s success or failure in the 54-hole championship co-sanctioned by the TLPGA and the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour.
The competition saw a tight race among players from the TLPGA, the Thai LPGA and the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour with Punpaka Phuntumabamrung and Budsabakorn Sukapan, along with Chih-Yun Wu, matching 70s for joint third.
Florence Bisera initially surged into contention with a three-under card through 10 holes, putting pressure on the foreign aces. But her momentum waned towards the end as she stumbled with bogeys on Nos. 15 and 18, slipping from joint second to a share of sixth with a 71.
Expressing frustration over her finish, Bisera attributed her last bogey to a distraction caused by a passing golf cart. “I had set up for my approach shot after hitting a good drive, but then a golf cart passed by, disrupting my focus and causing me to mishit,” she rued.
Other one-under-par scorers were Sarah Ababa and Pamela Mariano, alongside Thais Wad Phaewchimplee and reigning Asian Games gold medalist PK Kongkraphan, who hit just one birdie against a run of pars for a 35-36 round.
Harmie Constantino also holed out with a bogey on No. 18 and settled for a 72 and a share of 11th with TLPGA players Chih-Min Chen, Han-Hsuna Yu and Thais Nattagate Nimitpongkul, Onkanok Soisuwat and Kultida Pramphun.
Chanelle Avaricio wavered with a 73 in a tie with Daniella Uy, Ya-Chi Chang, Chonlada Chayanun, Pear Pooratanaopa and Dussavi Soopimjit while Princess Superal turned in a 74 for joint 23rd with TLPGA’s No. 2 Yu-Ju Chen, Pakin Kawinpakorn, Unyong Polnamin, Nanthikarn Raksachat, Seoyun Kim and Gretchen Villacencio.