Lipa city: Locals Pauline del Rosario and Dottie Ardina will test their mettle against Asia's elite and rising stars in the ICTSI Philippine Ladies Masters, which kicks off Wednesday at Summit Point Golf and Country Club in Lipa City, Batangas. The two Epson Tour campaigners enter the USD200,000 tournament determined to win on home soil as they gear up for the LPGA Tour's developmental circuit resuming next month. According to Philippines News Agency, Del Rosario, the first Filipina to win on the Taiwan LPGA Tour in 2017, is hoping to improve her fourth-place finish at The Country Club last year. Ardina, on the other hand, is eager to reassert herself as one of the region's premier competitors. She won her maiden Epson Tour title in 2022 and has seen action at the Paris Olympics. Bolstering the local charge are Florence Bisera, Chanelle Avaricio, Daniella Uy, and Mafy Singson, all riding high after earning cards in the China LPGA Tour Qualifying School. Spearheading the foreign contingent are Taiwan's top g uns, including TLPGA's No. 2 Min Lee, a two-time Olympian and LPGA campaigner, alongside Chin-Min Chen and Ching Huang, and Thailand's formidable roster led by 2025 runner-up Nook Sukapan. Also reinforcing the Philippine title bid are Epson Tour regulars Sam Bruce and Tomi Arejola, with Bruce seeking to replicate her strong 2025 start when she stunned the field to win the LPGT kickoff leg at Pradera Verde. Former Asia-Pacific Cup champion Princess Superal, reigning LPGT Order of Merit winner Sarah Ababa, and multi-titled tour veteran Harmie Constantino likewise loom as serious threats, alongside Tiffany Lee, Martina Miñoza, and Marvi Monsalve. The 126-player ICTSI Philippine Ladies Masters, the opening leg of the Taiwan LPGA Tour for the second straight year, is organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.