2024/7/10
The first round of the ThreeBond Yeangder Challenge Tour - Hsin Feng Station took place today at the Hsin Feng Golf Country Club in Hsinchu. Hsiao He Yu led the pack with a score of 69, three strokes under par, undeterred by the scorching heat. Chang Chien Ko Yen followed closely with a score of 71, and Hsu Chih Kai and Yeh Chia Yin both scored 72, tying for third place. The final round will be held tomorrow, with players competing for the championship and a prize of NT$150,000.
Among the 12 amateur players, Shang Kai Cheng performed the best with a score of 78, tying for 28th place in the professional rankings.
The event, sponsored by Yeangder Group, is the fourth stop of this year's TPGA ThreeBond Challenge Tour, featuring a total prize pool of NT$1 million. The winner will receive NT$150,000, and the runner-up NT$75,000. A total of 96 participants, including 4 Taiwan Tour seeds, 80 professional players, and 12 amateur players, are competing in this tournament.
The Yeangder Group is sponsoring two stops of the ThreeBond Challenge Tour this year, including the Ta Kang Shan Station in early June.
Today's first round saw high temperatures at the Hsin Feng Golf Country Club, with narrow fairways and challenging pin positions causing delays and extended playtimes.
Hsiao He Yu had a solid performance, making six birdies and three bogeys. He showed consistency in his drives and iron shots, with only four holes where he missed the green. He made birdies on two par-five holes, the 9th and 18th, and sunk three birdie putts ranging from 4 to 12 feet, with an 18-foot birdie putt on the 6th hole being his longest. He finished with 30 putts in total.
Hsiao mentioned that despite the high temperatures, the breeze made it bearable, though the winds were stronger on the back nine, making ball control more challenging. "The greens are fast downhill, and putting was quite difficult," he said.
Chang Chien Ko Yen scored four birdies and three bogeys, noting that his short game and chipping within 100 yards were his strengths today. However, he missed several birdie putts within 9 feet due to misjudging the lines. He made a notable birdie on the 10th hole with a chip-in from 10 yards. He hit five fairways and ten greens in regulation, with his putting being satisfactory overall.
Chang Chien Ko Yen said that the wind picked up later in the round, and after starting from the 10th hole, he struggled with his drives on the 13th and 15th holes, resulting in two bogeys. The narrow fairways also contributed to the difficulties faced by many players.
Hsu Chih Kai, who scored even par, made one birdie and one bogey. His driving and iron play were strong, hitting 13 greens in regulation, but his putting was inconsistent, resulting in 31 putts. He missed three-foot putts on the 8th and 14th holes and a nine-foot birdie putt on the 13th hole but made two six-foot putts to save par.
Hsu commented that the wind directions at Hsin Feng Golf Country Club were unpredictable, making ball control difficult. Despite the greens not being particularly fast, the strong winds and narrow fairways increased the challenge.
Yeh Chia Yin balanced his four birdies with four bogeys. He made birdies on the par-five 14th and 18th holes and sank birdie putts of 8 and 12 feet on the 3rd and 13th holes, respectively. However, he also made four bogeys due to less accurate drives and iron shots.
Yeh noted that his putting was decent with 30 putts, and his driving has improved compared to the last few months, though his iron play still needs work. "I'm still adjusting and hope to get better," he said.
The first round ended with no cuts. Tomorrow's final round will award prizes to the top 40 players based on their scores.
The first group will tee off at 6:30 AM, with the leading group starting from the first hole at 9:00 AM. The tournament is expected to conclude around 2:00 PM, followed by the award ceremony.
Spectators are welcome, with an entry fee of NT$20 to be paid at the counter. After receiving a receipt, they must fill out information at the start station and obtain a spectator pass. Spectators must walk along the cart paths and are prohibited from using golf carts or shuttles. For safety reasons, children under 6 and pets are not allowed on the course.
Special awards for the tournament include:
- Hole-in-One Prize:
- For the 2nd, 8th (East Course holes 2 and 8), 12th, and 15th (West Course holes 3 and 6) holes, prizes and NT$20,000 will be awarded.
- On the 15th hole (West Course hole 6, 193 yards), Tung Hui Watch Co. will provide an ORIS watch valued at NT$118,000 to the first professional player to make a hole-in-one during the official two-round tournament.
- Course Record Prize (63 strokes held by Lu Liang Huan):
- Hsin Feng Golf Country Club will award NT$20,000.
- Amateur Champion Prizes:
- Sponsored by DUNLOP: 5 boxes of SRIXON Z-STAR XV balls.
- Sponsored by Shang Chung International Co., Ltd.: one OMNiX golf bag.
The Chairman of Taiwan Fu Hsing Industrial Co., Ltd., Lin Rui Zhang, has added bonuses for the top three players in the ThreeBond Challenge Tour annual prize ranking: NT$500,000, NT$300,000, and NT$200,000, respectively.
ThreeBond, a Japanese multinational company specializing in adhesives, has been the title sponsor of the TPGA Challenge Tour for ten years, maintaining nine events in this year's ThreeBond TPGA Challenge Tour.
TPGA Press Contacts:
Wu Bin Yang: 0936-104-481
Sunny Liu: 0936-198-346
Photos: Provided by TPGA / Photography by Zhong Feng Rong
