The 2020 CTBC Ladies Open started yesterday in Taoyuan with 90 golfers, at a time when most international tournaments have been disrupted or canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The three-day competition is being held at the Orient Golf and Country Club in Guishan District (龜山), where golfers are vying for a top prize of NT$600,000, the Taiwan Ladies Professional Golf Association told a news conference on Wednesday.
Due to the pandemic, the competition is not open to foreign golfers, it added.
Photo: Nian Miao-yun, Taipei Times
Defending champion Hou Yu-sang, who is ranked No. 470 worldwide, yesterday faced higher ranking Taiwanese competitors Hsu Wei-ling, Lee Min, Phoebe Yao and Chen Yu-ju.
Hou said she would focus on her strategies and do her best against the tougher competition.
World No. 291 Cheng Ssu-chia said she was pleased to enter the tournament after preparing for the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tour, which has been canceled.
Cheng went to the US at the beginning of the year to prepare for the tour, but returned in mid-February after its cancelation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The CTBC Ladies Open is free and open to the public, but spectators must follow COVID-19 prevention guidelines and provide their contact information upon entry to the venue, the organizers said.
Spectators are encouraged to write thank you messages to Taiwan’s frontline healthcare workers and health authorities, and tie them to a tree at the golf club, they said.
A map of Taiwan made of masks is on display at the venue, to highlight the nation’s success in containing COVID-19, they added.
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