ThreeBond TPGA Challenge Tour
ThreeBond Yeangder Challenge Tour
Ta Kang Shan Station
Round 1
2024/6/5
The third stop of the ThreeBond TPGA Challenge Tour - Yeangder Challenge Tour, took place today (5th) at the Ta Kang Shan Golf Course in Kaohsiung, with the first round of the tournament. Lee Chin Chou and local player Su Ching Hung both shot a 65, seven strokes under par, to temporarily tie for the lead, both seeking their first professional career victory. Hsieh Min Hsuan shot a 66, one stroke behind, to temporarily rank third, aiming to defend his title and seek his third professional win in tomorrow's final round.
Three other players, Lee Cho Chuan, Chan Ting Li, and Lin Wei Jie, all shot a 67, two strokes behind, tying for fourth place temporarily. They will compete in the final round tomorrow for the championship prize of NT$150,000 and the champion trophy. With such close scores, tomorrow's final round is expected to be highly competitive.
Amateur player Jiang Wei Tsun shot a 71, the best among the 11 amateur players, temporarily tying for 13th place in the professional rankings. Lin Shang Yu and Zeng Si En both shot a 72, temporarily ranking second among amateurs and tying for 17th in the professional standings.
Located in Tianliao District, Kaohsiung, the Ta Kang Shan Golf Course enjoyed partly cloudy weather today, with excellent fairway and green conditions. The course measures 7,191 yards for this tournament.
In tomorrow's final round, players will again tee off simultaneously from the first and tenth holes, with the first group starting at 6:30 AM and the last group at 9:05 AM, and the awards ceremony will follow immediately after the expected finish at 2:00 PM.
Lee Chin Chou made seven birdies without a bogey today, with precise putting, totaling 21 putts over 18 holes. He made a bunker save on the par-5 second hole, sinking a 21-foot putt for birdie. On the seventh hole, his second shot went beyond the green, but he chipped in from 15 yards for birdie, making a 31 on the front nine. On the back nine, he made a 60-foot birdie putt on the 12th hole and birdied both par-5s on the 14th and 17th holes. He also made a 21-foot birdie putt on the 16th hole and a 6-foot birdie putt on the 15th hole, totaling five birdies on the back nine without a bogey. He noted that all his shots were "on point," especially his putting.
In 2022, he broke his left clavicle in a car accident and underwent surgery. His shoulder felt stiff during the recovery, affecting his swing accuracy. He also gained weight due to limited activity during rehab. However, his swing has felt good this year, with his driving distance increasing to 330 yards and precise iron shots creating numerous birdie opportunities. This is his second 65 of the year, boosting his confidence.
Rookie professional Su Ching Hung made eight birdies and one bogey today, with excellent iron shots and putting, totaling 27 putts and hitting greens in regulation on 16 holes. His drives were mostly accurate, birdieing all four par-5s, with eagle opportunities on the 14th and 17th holes, though he made birdies instead. On the 18th hole, he chipped in from 10 yards, with other birdie putts within 15 feet.
Su Ching Hung has been practicing at Ta Kang Shan Golf Course since he was five, giving him a home-field advantage. However, he mentioned that the pin positions were challenging today, making the game not as easy. He turned professional this year and finished in the top 10 in the first three Taiwan Tour events, with an impressive third-place finish at the Sanhua TPGA Championship last week.
Hsieh Min Hsuan made seven birdies and one bogey today, with excellent putting performance, totaling 25 putts over 18 holes. He made 24-foot birdie putts on the 7th and 10th holes, chipped in from 20 yards in front of the 11th green for another birdie, with other birdie putts within 9 feet.
He noted some putting errors, missing birdie opportunities on three par-5 holes, particularly a 6-foot birdie putt on the 14th hole and three-putting on the 17th. However, he pointed out that the fairways and greens were better than last year, with smooth greens that held the ball well. The challenging pin positions required adjustments in his strategy.
Hsieh Min Hsuan won this tournament last year and the opening event of the ThreeBond Challenge Tour this year, seeking to defend his title tomorrow.
Lee Cho Chuan made five birdies and one bogey today, with most birdie putts within 5 feet, except for a 15-foot putt on the 16th hole and a 12-foot putt on the 9th hole. He mentioned that his driving, iron shots, and putting were all at a good level, totaling 27 putts. He spends most of his time teaching golf at the new Zhongke Golf Practice Range in Shalu.
Lin Wei Jie made one eagle, three birdies, and one bogey. He eagled the par-5 17th hole by hitting his second shot to the edge of the green and sinking a putt from 7 yards. He also made birdie putts within 4 feet on two other holes. He noted that his shots were generally good, with accurate drives and 12 greens in regulation, totaling 24 putts.
This Challenge Tour event is the first Challenge Tour event of the year sponsored by Yeangder Group. Ta Kang Shan Golf Course has previously hosted the Challenge Tour in 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023, with a break in 2020 due to the pandemic. This year marks the seventh time co-hosting.
The tournament features a 36-hole format over two rounds, with a total prize fund of NT$1 million. The champion will receive NT$150,000, the runner-up NT$75,000, and the third-place NT$50,000. A total of 96 players, including 87 professional players (one from South Africa) and 11 amateurs (one from Singapore), are competing. There is no cut after the first round, and the top 40 players after the second round will receive prize money.
This year, Lin Rui Zhang, chairman of Fuhsing Industrial Co., Ltd., Taiwan, is adding a bonus, providing NT$500,000, NT$300,000, and NT$200,000 for the top three players in the ThreeBond Challenge Tour annual prize rankings.
Special awards during the tournament:
Hole-in-One Prize:
Holes 3, 8, 13, 16 - Ta Kang Shan Golf Course offers a prize of NT$30,000 and sponsored items set by the course.
Hole 16 - TUNG HUI WATCH CO. offers an ORIS watch worth NT$118,000 to the first player to achieve a hole-in-one on this hole during the two rounds on June 5-6 (limited to professional players).
Breaking the course record (Lin Wen Tang's 64) - Ta Kang Shan Golf Course offers a prize of NT$20,000.
Amateur Champion Bonus: Sponsored by DUNLOP with 5 dozen SRIXON TRI-STAR balls; an OMNIX golf bag provided by Shang Chong International Co., Ltd.
Spectators are not allowed on the course during the tournament, with designated viewing areas at the 1st and 10th tees, and near the 9th and 18th greens. The course prohibits entry to children under six and pets.
ThreeBond is a Japanese international company specializing in the manufacture of professional adhesives and has been sponsoring former TPGA chairman Chen Chih Chung for 40 years. This year marks the 10th year as the title sponsor of the TPGA Challenge Tour. This event is organized by ThreeBond and TPGA, title sponsored by Yeangder Group, and co-hosted by Ta Kang Shan Golf Course.
