A year ago, Lu Yuexia hadn't won a tournament in 12 years. Going into the start of this week's Beijing Challenge as defending champion, the Chinese veteran is looking to build on fond memories and revive her game in hope of repeating as champion.

"Few people are able to defend their title on the Tour, so it's a gigantic task. Let's wait and see," the 36-year-old Guangdong native said Wednesday on the eve of the start of the 500,000-yuan tournament, the fourth leg of the China LPGA Tour season.

Last year Lu won in spectacular fashion at the Orient (Beijing) Pearl Golf Country Club, beating Japan's Miho Mori in a first-hole playoff.

Two weeks ago after missing the cut at the Srixon XXIO in Wuxi, Lu served as caddie for Shang Linyan in the final round, helping her good friend to an equal runner-up finish behind super amateur Liu Yu who won her second China LPGA Tour tournament.

"It was a good experience to see players at the top of their games because right now my game isn't strong," she admitted. "But I will try my best and hopefully I can come together on time and win again."

If Lu can't put up a challenge in the tournament, several past CLPGA Tour tournament winners are in this week's field looking to claim the 75,000-yuan first prize. Among them are Chinese veterans Yang Taoli and Yang Hongmei, Thailand's Ajira Nualraksa, winner of the Shanghai Classic, and Ningbo Challenge winner Lin Tzu-chi of Chinese Taipei.

"This is my first trip to Orient Pearl and I had a familiar feeling in seeing this golf course for the first time. This is a North American-style course with tree-lined fairways," said the 22-year-old Lin who beat Yang Taoli in a second-hole playoff in Ningbo.

"The back nine will be key for me this week. I always hit a draw off the tee, but here on the back nine you really need to cut your drives to get in a good position and angle to the green. I have to find a way to overcome it, especially with the 18th hole. But I have a great chance this week as my confidence is good."

While amateur Liu is skipping this week's event in attempting to qualify for the US Women's Open, another amateur is looking to make her mark.

Tiffany Chan, a 19-year-old from Hong Kong, is back in the region for the summer after spending a year at Oklahoma's Redlands Community College on a golf scholarship. She plans to transfer to Florida's Daytona State College for the next school year and then take a crack at the US LPGA Tour qualifying school next year.

She goes into the tournament having recently returned from the United States where she failed to advance at a 36-hole qualifier for the upcoming US Women's Open.

"This is my third pro event and second start on China LPGA Tour, so I am familiar with many of these players," said the teenager. "We competed with each other in amateur events over the years. I know some of them are great, so I set a much more reasonable goal for myself. I won't say that I am targeting a win, but top-five is realistic. This golf course is not easy with the big greens that demand accurate approach shots."

The fifth year of the China LPGA Tour features 10 events, culminating in the Hyundai China Ladies Open this December in Xiamen, Fujian province.