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20-year-old Fuka Suga captured her second JLPGA Tour title—also her first TLPGA victory—today in Taiwan. The 54-hole leader fired a brilliant 69 on Sunday at the TLPGA and JLPGA Tour co-sanctioned 2026 Taiwan Foxconn Ladies Golf Tournament, winning by six strokes over fellow Japanese and World No.39 Shuri Sakuma to claim the US$360,000 winner’s check.
Local favorite and former World No.1 Yani Tseng (曾雅妮) showed flashes of her best form, carding a 1-under 71 to climb into a tie for sixth alongside TLPGA Tour super star, Thailand’s P.K. Kongkraphan, Thai player Nook Sukapan, Japan’s Shiho Kuwaki, and Taiwan’s Chen Min-Jou (陳敏柔).
Despite starting the day with a three-shot lead, Suga stayed aggressive, mixing six birdies with three bogeys to finish at 5-under 283. She was the only player in the field to finish under par for the week, securing her second professional win in commanding fashion.
"I tried not to think about the trophy and just focused on staying calm and taking it one shot at a time," Suga said. "I had some early birdies, but bogeys on the 7th and 8th put some pressure on me. Fortunately, my driving and short game were very reliable, and I managed to keep my composure until the very end. I’m so grateful to Foxconn and the TLPGA for their support, and to Orient Golf Club and the volunteers for everything they did. This was my first time playing in Taiwan, and to come away with a win is an amazing surprise."
Chen Min-Jou, who held a share of the lead yesterday, expressed mixed emotions after her T6 finish. "The luck just wasn’t on my side today," Chen said. "My driving was solid, but my iron play was nowhere near where it was yesterday, and I struggled with my spots. Between the Taiwan Mobile Open at the end of last year and this season opener, I’ve put myself into the final leader groups on both occasions, but the nerves still get to me in the big moments. My goal this year is to make a mental breakthrough and get back into the winners circle."
Yani Tseng drew significant encouragement from securing another top-10 finish, especially in a high-stakes, co-sanctioned event of this caliber, following her victory at last year’s Wistron Ladies Open.
"I played well today, though the putting was a bit frustrating. I missed two or three short ones," Tseng said. "Even with less wind today, the breaks and speeds remained incredibly challenging. Overall, I’m satisfied. It was a great way to test my game under this kind of pressure before heading to the States for two upcoming LPGA Tour events. I would like to say thank you again to all the fans. It’s been a wonderful week!" |