South Africa's Casandra Alexander, the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit leader, opened the Wistron Ladies Open on October 29 with a bogey-free 64, eight under par. She finished the day as the outright leader at Sunrise Golf & Country Club in Taoyuan, Taiwan, sealing her round with an eagle at the 18th. The LET confirmed the result in its end-of-day report. The championship still has three rounds to play.
The chasing group
Taiwan's Cheng-Hsuan Shih is second after a bogey-free 66 (−6), two shots adrift of Alexander. Shih made six birdies. One further shot back, four players finished on 67 (−5): Ginnie Ding of Hong Kong, England's Alice Hewson and Hannah Screen, and Taiwan's Pei-Ying Tsai.
The group on 68 (−4) includes Yu-Ju Chen, Leonie Harm, Mimi Rhodes, Min Lee and Kelsey Bennett. An earlier snapshot showing four joint leaders at 67 became obsolete once Alexander and Shih completed their rounds. The 64 is an opening-round score, not the final tournament result.
The significance of Alexander's round
Alexander arrived in Taiwan leading the LET Order of Merit following a season featuring multiple victories, including the Buccellati Ladies Italian Open. The wind at Sunrise can affect club selection and shot shape considerably. By avoiding dropped shots and finishing with an eagle, she turned a challenging first day into a meaningful advantage. Yet one round does not settle either this championship or the season-long points race.
There are home interests close behind: Shih and Tsai give Taiwanese spectators two players near the top, while Ding continues a strong recent run for Hong Kong. The LET reported on October 14 that Ding's tie for third at the Aramco Korea Championship had already secured full playing status for 2027. That status was not awarded anew by Thursday's result.
Four rounds, a cut and a record purse
The event runs October 29–November 1 at Sunrise Golf & Country Club, co-sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour (LET) and Taiwan LPGA Tour (TLPGA). The starting field features 108 players from 26 countries in a 72-hole stroke-play competition. The top 60 professionals and ties advance after the 36-hole cut. Organisers list a tournament-record $1.2 million total purse, including $240,000 for the winner.
Yani Tseng won here in 2025 and Chiara Tamburlini in 2024. Neither past success nor Thursday's score determines the outcome this year. Friday, October 30 brings round two and the cut; the winner will be established only on Sunday, November 1.
Sources: LET official round-one report; TLPGA tournament results; LET pre-event comments from Alexander.
