Rising Taiwanese golfer Wu wins first JLPGA title

Taipei, Nov. 23 (CNA) Rising Taiwanese golfer Wu Chia-yen (吳佳晏) on Sunday won her first championship on the Japan Ladies Professional Golfers' Association (JLPGA) tour after finishing first at the DAIO PAPER elleair LADIES OPEN in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture.

The 21-year-old lifted the trophy at Elleair Golf Club Matsuyama, finishing 15-under-par 269 for her first title since joining the JLPGA in 2024. The win also earned her 18 million Japanese yen, or about US$114,558.

"It felt somewhat surreal winning the championship title," Wu told CNA after the victory.

She said she still has a lot of room for improvement and was surprised to secure a title in only her second year on the tour.

Wu had a rough start, tying for 24th after the first round. She climbed steadily in the second and third rounds before closing Sunday's final round with five birdies and one bogey.

She became the third Taiwanese golfer to win the DAIO PAPER elleair LADIES OPEN, which marked its 44th edition this year.

Wu told CNA she finished the first two rounds four strokes behind. Before the third round, she and her caddie decided to reset her goals and calm her nerves -- a shift she said ultimately helped her secure the title.