2024/7/11

ThreeBond Yeangder Challenge Tour ─ Hsinfeng Station held its final round today at the Hsinfeng Golf Country Club in Hsinchu. Su Ching Hung shot a 70, two strokes under par, for a two-round total of 145, one stroke over par, coming from behind to overturn a six-stroke deficit to claim the championship trophy and a prize of 150,000 TWD, winning the Challenge Tour consecutively. Chang Chien Ko Yen shot 75, finishing with a total of 146, securing second place and a prize of 75,000 TWD.

Last month on the sixth, Su won his first career title at the ThreeBond Yeangder Challenge Tour ─ Ta Kang Shan Station as a local player. Today, he won his second consecutive title, marking his third victory in the ThreeBond Challenge Tour. Last September, he won both the professional and amateur titles at the ThreeBond Advanced Challenge Tour at Hsin Yi Golf Club as an amateur.

In December last year, Su announced his transition from amateur status at the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open to compete professionally. He passed the TPGA Member Test and the Taiwan Tour Qualifying Test in February this year, officially becoming a member of the TPGA. This year, he has consistently placed in the top 10 in five Taiwan Tour events, including 8th place at the CHAU-SHI Series-Chang Wah Open, tied for 7th at the 2024 The 17th Chang Hua Open, 3rd at the 2024 Sunflower TPGA Championship, 4th at the CHAU-SHI Series - Mizuno Open, and 9th at the CHAU-SHI Series - Nan Pao 40th Anniversary Open, showcasing impressive performances.

Su expressed gratitude not only to the sponsors but also to his parents, the Ta Kang Shan Golf Course, Hsin Yi Golf Club, his coaching team including coaches Zhang Tingxuan, Cai Dinghong, and Zhang Xulun, FENIX company's General Manager Huang, and teachers Song Dingheng and Zheng Chengliang from the National Taiwan University of Sport.

Hsiao He Yu, who led the first round, shot a 78, finishing with a two-round total of 147, securing third place. Local player Tseng Fu Tung shot a 71, and Hsu Chih Kai shot 76, both finishing with a total of 148, tied for fourth place.

Amateur player Chiang Wei Tsun from Taipei Golf Club shot a 74, finishing with a total of 153, winning the amateur division and tying for 18th place in the professional ranking. This is his second consecutive amateur title following his victory at the third station of the Yeangder Challenge Tour - Ta Kang Shan Station. He also received five SRIXON Z-STAR XV golf balls sponsored by DUNLOP and an OMNIX golf bag sponsored by Shang Chong International Co., Ltd.

This event, hosted by the Yeangder Group, was the fourth station of this year's TPGA ThreeBond Challenge Tour, with a total prize pool of 1 million TWD, the champion's prize being 150,000 TWD, and the runner-up prize being 75,000 TWD.

The Yeangder Group is hosting two ThreeBond Challenge Tour events this year, including the Ta Kang Shan Station in early June. Since 2015, the Yeangder Group has continuously sponsored and hosted two Challenge Tour events annually for ten years, enriching the ThreeBond Challenge Tour and providing more opportunities for players to realize their dreams.

Today’s final round at the Hsinfeng Golf Country Club in Hsinchu featured hot and windy conditions. The narrow fairways, rough areas, numerous trees, and challenging green speeds and lines posed significant challenges for the players.

Su Ching Hung stated that yesterday's strong winds and rough areas at Hsinfeng Golf Country Club tested the precision of the driver and irons, and he didn't aim for the championship, just hoping to play at par or under. After shooting 75 in the first round and trailing by six strokes, he had no expectations of winning. However, today’s conditions were better, allowing him to master putting speed and line reading, and his irons were accurate. He recorded six birdies and four bogeys, with notable birdies on two long par-five holes achieved by chipping and putting, and two short par-three holes with accurate iron shots close to the hole, making 5-foot and 10-foot birdie putts on the 2nd and 12th holes respectively, his best holes of the day.

As the fourth last group to finish, Su submitted his card, anticipating a possible tie with Chang Chien Ko Yen, who was finishing on the 16th hole. While practicing putts on the green in anticipation of a playoff, Chang Chien Ko Yen double-bogeyed the 17th hole, trailing by two strokes. Unless he made an eagle on the final par-five 18th hole, he couldn’t tie and force a playoff. He ended with a birdie, finishing one stroke behind as the runner-up.

Su remarked that although this victory was not as thrilling as his first career win last month, he achieved his personal goal of playing his best, and it was fortunate that both consecutive wins were in Yeangder Group-sponsored events, which he considers a special connection. His next goal is to win a title in the Taiwan Tour.

Distinguished guests at the awards ceremony included Yeangder Group representative and TPGA Chairman Chen Rongxing, Hsinfeng Golf Country Club Manager Chen Yuanche, and Tournament Chief Referee Charles Kuo.

This year, Lin Ruizhang, Chairman of Taiwan Fuxing Industrial Co., Ltd., has increased the bonus for the top three players in the annual ThreeBond Challenge Tour rankings to 500,000, 300,000, and 200,000 TWD respectively.

ThreeBond, a multinational company specializing in adhesives manufacturing, has been the title sponsor of the TPGA Challenge Tour for ten consecutive years. This year’s ThreeBond TPGA Challenge Tour maintains nine events.

TPGA Media Contacts:

Wu Bin Yang: 0936-104-481

Sunny Liu: 0936-198-346

Photos provided by TPGA / Photography by Zhong Fengrong