Co-sanctioned cross-Strait tournament tees off in Tianjin

On Wednesday, women golfers from both sides of the Taiwan Strait gathered at Tianjin Fortune Lake Golf Club, as the 2026 Straits Cup Ladies Classic teed off, marking the first tournament co-sanctioned by the CLPG Tour and the Taiwan Ladies Professional Golfers' Association in seven years.

The second edition of the Straits Cup, after last year's event in Xiamen — which was organized solely by the CLPG Tour — welcomes a field of 120 players, including 29 from Chinese Taipei.

More importantly, the tournament continues a tradition of exchange that had been interrupted for seven years and brings together players from different tours and at different stages of their careers to compete and learn from one another.

For instance, for Phoebe Yao, this week's tournament marks a return to the CLPG Tour after many years away and for Chen Chih-min, it's her first appearance on the Chinese mainland as a professional.

Defending champion Zhou Shiyuan, meanwhile, returned to the tee after recovering from a wrist injury.

The Straits Cup is hoping to establish itself as a long-term platform for cross-Strait women's golf, and for Yao, particularly, it offers a sense of homecoming.

She competed on the CLPG Tour early in her career before moving to Japan, where she won three times, including two titles on the JLPGA Tour. Now 33, she has returned to the CLPG Tour after a long absence.

"It's been a very long time since I came over to compete, so right now it's a mix of familiarity and strangeness," Yao said.

One of the biggest changes she noticed was the course. The Tianjin Fortune Lake layout, designed by Australian great Peter Thomson and his design partner Ross Perrett, measures 6,604 yards and is par-72. The course is relatively open, with few trees, but its undulating greens, deep bunkers and cool-season grass present a distinct set of challenges.

Yao was particularly aware of the grass conditions.

"I often encounter this type of cool-season grass on the JLPGA, and it requires very clean ball striking," she said. "If your ball striking is inconsistent, the difference in distance can be quite significant. I believe that will be one of the challenges this week."

Over the past decade, she has moved between different tours, experiencing both the highs and pressures of a professional career. Returning to a tour that was once familiar has also brought a different perspective on competition.

"My biggest goal now is to really enjoy playing golf and enjoy the whole process," she said.

For Chen, 29, the trip to Tianjin represents a genuine first. Chen competed in amateur events on the Chinese mainland as a child, but after turning professional in 2019, she has not had the opportunity to play on the CLPG Tour.

During Monday's practice round, she walked the Fortune Lake course alongside Yao. Her first impression was that it was beautiful, but she quickly realized during the practice round that the course would not be easy.

"The ball doesn't bounce much, so the distances for the second shots are quite long," Chen said.

"Also, the landing areas for the second shots on the par-5s are quite narrow, so they're not easy to attack. It's quite challenging."

She said she would need to make adjustments, particularly in her short game and on the greens, which she found to be fast and full of breaks.

For the players, these are technical challenges. In the context of the Straits Cup, however, the different approaches to those challenges are also part of the exchange.

Wei Qingfeng, secretary-general of China Golf Association, sees this as one of the key reasons for reviving the tournament.

"The development of competitive sport requires everyone to compete together, learn from one another, see other people's strengths and identify our own shortcomings, while also recognizing our own strengths and areas where we can outperform others," Wei said.

He noted that cross-Strait golf has a long history of interaction. Chinese Taipei players have competed regularly on the CLPG Tour and achieved success, while mainland players have increasingly made their way onto Asian and international tours.

Huang Bie-shyun, chairwoman of the TLPGA, said the most important aspect of returning to the Chinese mainland after seven years was to create opportunities for such interaction again.

"After seven years, many players have hoped to come and interact with those from the mainland," Huang said. "I hope the Straits Cup can continue to be held. We need to find ways to make the tournament a long-lasting event, so that players from both sides can continue to interact and exchange."

Huang said the TLPGA has continued to expand its international cooperation in recent years, working with the JLPGA and preparing to stage co-sanctioned events with the Ladies European Tour in September and October.

It also launched a development tour this year to provide more opportunities for young and amateur players.

Wei also hopes to stage the Straits Cup in more locations, giving players opportunities to experience different cities and courses and bringing more players into the tournament, allowing it to become a long-term platform for interaction.

He also hopes mainland players will eventually be able to compete in Taiwan, allowing exchange to take place on both sides of the Strait.