2023/9/6
2023 ThreeBond TPGA Challenge Tour
ThreeBond Advanced Challenge
Round 2
September 6, 2023
The ThreeBond Advanced Challenge, offering a total prize of 1 million New Taiwan Dollars, concluded its final round today at the HSIN YI GOLF CLUB in Kaohsiung. Amateur golfer Jin-Hong Su displayed an impressive performance, carding a round of 69 strokes, which was three strokes under par. With a two-round total of 140 strokes, four strokes under par, he mounted a comeback and clinched the dual-title of professional and amateur champion. This victory fulfilled his long-held aspiration and boosted his confidence as he prepares to represent Taiwan at the Hangzhou Asian Games.
Professional golfer Fu-Tung Tseng, along with three other players, finished with a two-round total of 144 strokes, tying for second place. They initially shared the designated prize money equally, each receiving 78,750 New Taiwan Dollars. However, after a six-hole playoff, Fu-Tung Tseng emerged as the winner, securing an additional 100,000 New Taiwan Dollars in prize money, bringing his total earnings to 178,750 New Taiwan Dollars.
Jin-Hong Su also claimed the amateur champion prize, which included a DUNLOP KUO-CHU RUBBER CO., LTD. sponsored SRIXON TRI-STAR 5 golf ball and a golf bag provided by SHANG CHONG INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD.
In a thrilling playoff among the four professional golfers, Fu-Tung Tseng, with a remarkable performance of 5 birdies and no bogeys for a score of 67, clinched the lowest round of the day and received an additional 20,000 New Taiwan Dollars in prize money. He tied with Young-Tien Weng, who carded a 71, Po-Hao Chen with a round of 72, and Cheng-Chi Wang with a score of 74. To compete for the bonus prize of 100,000 New Taiwan Dollars generously offered by PARJET CO., LTD. Chairman Chao-Hsien Lin, the four professional players had to determine a winner.
The closest-to-the-pin award for the first round's ninth hole was won by Guan-Wen Pan with a shot that landed 433 centimeters from the hole. In the second round, Tzu-Ming Wang claimed the closest-to-the-pin award for the same hole, with a shot just 165 centimeters away. Each of them received 20,000 New Taiwan Dollars.
Amateur talent Jin-Hong Su expressed his joy after the tournament by describing it as "unbelievable." At 21 years old, he mentioned that he has participated in over ten professional tournaments, including the ThreeBond Challenge and the Taiwan Tour. His longstanding goal was to win both a professional and amateur championship, and today he finally achieved that goal. This victory not only serves as a personal affirmation but also significantly boosts his confidence as he heads to the Hangzhou Asian Games at the end of September.
Su explained that he didn't set specific goals for winning or a target score before the final round. Instead, he focused on playing each hole at his own pace, executing each shot with concentration. He began the final round one stroke behind Cheng-Chi Wang in the last group and made an outstanding performance on the front nine, carding three birdies and one bogey for a total of 34 strokes, which was three strokes under par. This gave him a two-stroke lead. He continued to play steadily on the back nine, carding two more birdies and a bogey for a total of 35 strokes, securing a four-stroke victory.
Hailing from Li-Kang, Pingtung, he honed his skills at the Da Gang Shan Golf Course. He will represent the Chinese Taipei golf team as the only amateur player at the Hangzhou Asian Games at the end of this month. In addition to participating in the ThreeBond TPC Championship and the Asian Games, he plans to compete in the World Amateur Team Championship and the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship this year. His future aspirations include transitioning to professional golf next year, where he hopes to gain experience in the Challenge Tour and the Taiwan Tour before gradually advancing to the Asian Tour.
He expressed gratitude not only to the tournament sponsors but also to his parents, acknowledging that his father has been his biggest sponsor. He also thanked his coaches at National Taiwan Sport University, Ding-Heng Sung and Cheng-Liang Cheng, as well as coaches Ting-Hsuan Chang, and Te-Hung Tsai.
Fu-Tung Tseng's performance was equally remarkable, starting with a flawless round of 67 strokes that moved him from a shared 40th place to a tie for second. He then competed in an intense six-hole playoff against three other talented golfers. Ultimately, Tseng secured the victory and the bonus prize of 100,000 New Taiwan Dollars offered by Chairman Chao-Hsien Lin of PARJET CO., LTD.
This tournament was the seventh stop on this year's ThreeBond TPGA Challenge Tour. The Asian Tour Yeangder TPC Championship, starting on September 21st, offers one spot for TPGA players, which will be awarded to the top-ranked player in the annual earnings race (up to this point). Initially, Shotaro Ban, a Chinese-American player, held the top position, but due to an injury, he withdrew from contention, and the spot was given to Sun-Yi Lu as a replacement.
ThreeBond, an international company known for manufacturing adhesive products, has been a long-time sponsor of the TPGA and the ThreeBond Challenge Tour. Chen-Chung Chen, the Executive Director of the ThreeBond Challenge Tour, has supported the tour for over 30 years. This marks the ninth year that ThreeBond has served as the title sponsor for the TPGA Challenge Tour. This year's ThreeBond TPGA Challenge Tour consists of a total of nine tournaments.
Taiwan Fu Hsing Industrial Co., Ltd. Chairman Rui-Zhang Lin has further committed to provide annual bonuses of 500,000, 300,000, and 200,000 New Taiwan Dollars for the top three players in the annual earnings rankings for both the Taiwan Tour and the ThreeBond Challenge Tour, totaling 2 million New Taiwan Dollars.
Media Contacts:
Bin-Yang Wu: 0936-104481
Sunny Liu: 0936-198346
Photos provided by Lin Sheng-Kai Photography.
