2024/8/15
The 2024 ThreeBond TPGA Challenge Tour's fifth event, the Din Yue Challenge Tour, held its first round today (15th) at CCK Golf Club in Taichung. Su Ching Hung, who has consecutively won the first two ThreeBond Yeangder Challenge Tour events at Ta Kang Shan and Hsin Feng, shot a remarkable 63, nine under par, thanks to his excellent iron play and putting. He now holds a four-stroke lead as he aims for his third consecutive victory. If Su Ching Hung secures this win, he will become the first player in the 10-year history of the ThreeBond series to achieve three consecutive wins.
Ku Po Yun and Huang Hsiang Hao both shot 67, five under par, and are currently tied for second place. Yeh Yu Chen posted a 69, three under par, to sit in fourth place. Chan Ting Li, Chiu Han Ting, Hsu Chih Kai, and amateur player Wen Xin all carded 70, two under par, to tie for fifth place, with Wen Xin leading the amateurs.
Tseng Tzu Hsuan, Hsiao He Yu, Lin Ming Yeh, Hsu Chih Jieh, Peng Hung-Ching, and Lin Wei Jie are tied for ninth, each with a score of 71.
The total prize money for this tournament is NT$1 million, sponsored by ThreeBond, with Dinyue Restaurant as the event’s title sponsor, and organized by the Taiwan Professional Golf Association, with assistance from CCK Golf Club. A total of 77 professional players, including four TPGA Tour seeds, and nine amateurs are competing for the championship trophy and the top prize of NT$150,000.
Despite rain starting at 11:00 AM in Taichung, the weather did not cause significant delays, and all players completed the first round by 1:45 PM.
Su Ching Hung, a 22-year-old from Pingtung, played CCK Golf Club for the first time. After adjusting his swing under Coach Tsai Ting-Hong's guidance, he maintained a strong rhythm throughout the day, excelling in both driving and iron play, with several approach shots landing close to the pin. He recorded one eagle, nine birdies, and two bogeys for a 63, with all nine birdies resulting from putts within 9 to 12 feet, except for a longer 18-foot putt on the 2nd hole. His eagle on the 13th hole was a 15-yard bunker shot holed out. The two bogeys resulted from short putts due to misjudgments.
Su Ching Hung stated that, with unstable weather expected tomorrow, he will stick to the same strategy as today, focusing on playing each shot well and not thinking about the possibility of a three-peat.
Having graduated from Taiwan Sports University in June, Su Ching Hung has been practicing at Ta Kang Shan Golf Course since childhood and alternates between Da Gang Shan and Hsin Yi courses for training. This is his first year as a professional, and besides his recent consecutive Challenge Tour wins, he performed well in the first half of the year on the TPGA Tour, finishing in the top ten in five consecutive tournaments, with his best result being third place at the Sanhwa TPGA Championship. However, his results have slipped to around 30th place in the last three TPGA events. After playing the Qing Lian HDF Open last week, he sought out Coach Tsai in Linkou to adjust his swing, hoping to challenge for his first TPGA Tour win in the second half of the year.
As a rookie professional, Su Ching Hung currently ranks first in the ThreeBond Challenge Tour annual prize money list and sixth in the TPGA Tour annual prize money list.
Tied for second at 67 is 30-year-old Ku Po Yun, who had one eagle, five birdies, and two bogeys. His putting was also excellent, with only 24 putts. His longest birdie putt was 36 feet on the 15th hole, while the others ranged from 10 to 15 feet. His eagle on the 9th hole was a 40-yard shot holed out. Ku Po Yun, who missed last week's Qing Lian HDF Open due to a hand injury, was very satisfied with his score of 67 in the Din Yue Challenge Tour today.
Huang Hsiang Hao, who also shot 67 to tie for second, had six birdies and two bogeys with 28 putts. His birdie putts on the 2nd and 4th holes were 18 feet long. His strategy for tomorrow remains to keep the ball on the fairway and the green.
The final round will take place tomorrow (16th), with players teeing off from both the 1st and 10th holes. The first group will tee off at 6:30 AM, and the last group at 8:30 AM. The leading group of Su Ching Hung (-9), Ku Po Yun (-5), Huang Hsiang Hao (-5), and Yeh Yu Chen (-3) will tee off from the 1st hole at 8:30 AM. The tournament is expected to conclude around 1:00 PM, followed by an award ceremony at the restaurant on the second floor of the clubhouse.
This event has no cut, and prize money will be awarded to the top 40 players (including ties) after two rounds.
Dinyue Restaurant, which co-sponsored last year’s event with Recoco Corporation Ltd., is the title sponsor for the first time this year. During the players' welcome night, Dinyue Restaurant CEO Wang Ching-Rui expressed hopes that this event will be upgraded to a TPGA Tour event next year, further promoting golf players on the international stage.
TPGA President Chen Jung Hsin highlighted the three-year effort to include the Taiwan Tour in the Official World Golf Ranking system. Thanks to the continued support of sponsors, this goal was achieved last month (July), and the Taiwan Tour will officially be recognized as a points-earning tour starting January 5, 2025. The Challenge Tour was originally established to nurture Taiwan Tour players, and Chen expressed gratitude to the sponsors for their ongoing support, urging players to repay this support with strong performances to further elevate the TPGA.
Dinyue Restaurant, led by former Taipei World Trade Club executive chef Lai Yuanhui and the chef team from the alliance with Ji Pin Seafood, opened in July 2020. The high-end Cantonese restaurant, located in Taichung, was built with an investment of NT$500 million and is renowned for its luxurious decor. The restaurant’s first floor features 18 private dining rooms, inspired by the 18 holes of a golf course. The second floor houses the Starlight Banquet Hall, which can accommodate 36 tables and boasts Taiwan's largest 673-inch P1.5 LED screen with high-end surround sound, ideal for weddings or major brand events.
The co-hosting CCK Golf Course is a historic venue with 50 years of history. The course is lined with towering old pine trees, and players often experience the thrill of low-flying commercial and military aircraft overhead. Under the leadership of General Manager Hong Guangming, the course has been well-maintained, and the lush rough, bolstered by abundant rainfall in central Taiwan this year, provides a challenging 7,140-yard course for the competition.
TPGA President Chen Jung Hsin highlighted the three-year effort to include the Taiwan Tour in the Official World Golf Ranking system. Thanks to the continued support of sponsors, this goal was achieved last month (July), and the Taiwan Tour will officially be recognized as a points-earning tour starting January 5, 2025. The Challenge Tour was originally established to nurture Taiwan Tour players, and Chen expressed gratitude to the sponsors for their ongoing support, urging players to repay this support with strong performances to further elevate the TPGA.
The first round of the competition will begin tomorrow (15th), with players teeing off simultaneously from the 1st and 10th holes. The first group will tee off at 6:30 AM, and the last group at 8:30 AM. The event does not feature a cut, and the top 40 players (including ties) after two rounds will receive prize money.
Spectators are allowed in designated areas around the 1st and 10th tees and the 9th and 18th greens. For safety reasons, children under six years old and pets are advised not to enter the course.
Special prizes are available for the event:
- Hole-in-One Prize (for both rounds on 8/15 - 8/16):
- Holes 4, 11, 17: CCK Golf Course offers NT$20,000 and the sponsor’s pre-set prizes.
- Hole 11 (225 yards, 2nd hole of the IN section): Tung Hui Watch Co. offers an ORIS watch valued at NT$118,000 to the first professional player to achieve a hole-in-one during the official two rounds.
- Amateur Champion Prizes:
- Sponsored by DUNLOP Guozhu Company, 5 dozen SRIXON Z-STAR XV golf balls.
- Sponsored by SHANG CHONG INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD., an OMNiX golf bag.
ThreeBond, the annual title sponsor of the TPGA CHALLENGE TOUR, is a multinational corporation specializing in manufacturing adhesives. This is the 10th consecutive year they have sponsored the TPGA CHALLENGE TOUR, which will feature 9 events this year.
Taiwan Fu Hsing Industrial Co., Ltd. Chairman Lin Ruizhang has also added bonuses for the top three players in the ThreeBond Challenge Tour’s annual prize rankings, awarding NT$500,000, NT$300,000, and NT$200,000 respectively.
