Teeing up for a Xiamen showdown

It was last held in 2019 when LPGA Tour regular Lin Xiyu became the first Chinese mainland player to win the tournament.

While Lin will not be in Xiamen to defend, notables in the field for the 500,000 yuan ($70,000) tournament include Guangzhou's Ren Yue, a 22-year-old who has secured a half LPGA Tour card for next year after finishing equal 45th at the qualifying school, and Zhang Weiwei, the 2019 CLPGA Tour Order of Merit winner.

Zhang also has a half playing card for the US next year after finishing equal 35th at the Q school. This year, the Hainan native made seven cuts in her 14 tournament appearances at US LPGA Tour events. In 2022, her maiden year stateside, she made two cuts in 10 events.

"I played better than last year in the US.My tee shots and approach shots were ideal, but my scoring was not as good as what I wanted. I hit some good putts only to make nothing," said Zhang, a five-time winner on the CLPGA Tour.

"I felt pressure from keeping the card late this season. My mental game became worse and worse. This is what I need to work on for next year. The ranking was not what I wanted, but I believe that I have game and belong in/the LPGA," she added.