2024/8/14

The 2024 ThreeBond TPGA CHALLENGE TOUR's fifth event, the Din Yue Challenge Tour, will commence tomorrow (15th) at CCK Golf Club in Taichung. The two-day competition will consist of 36 holes over two rounds. A total of 77 professional golfers, including 4 Taiwan Tour seed players, and 9 amateur golfers will compete for the championship trophy and a prize of NT$150,000. This marks the first time Dinyue Restaurant is hosting the event under its own name, following its inaugural co-hosting with Recoco Corporation Ltd. last year.

The total prize pool for this event is NT$1,000,000. The event is title-sponsored by ThreeBond, organized by the Taiwan Professional Golf Association (TPGA), and co-hosted by CCK Golf Course.

Among the participants is Su Ching Hung, the 22-year-old champion of the first two ThreeBond Yeangder Challenge Tour events at Ta Kang Shan and Hsin Feng. He is aiming for a third consecutive win, with his primary goal this year being to secure a victory on the Taiwan Tour. Last year's champion, Lu Sun Yi, who also won the TPGA Rookie of the Year award, is back to defend his title. Notably, Chiu Yu Chia, the 26-year-old professional golfer sponsored exclusively by Dinyue Restaurant, is also competing. Chiu, who is aiming for his first professional title, has a close relationship with Dinyue Restaurant’s chairman, Jiang Qinglong, who has supported him since his professional debut in 2021 due to a long-standing friendship with Chiu's parents.

Yesterday (13th), a Pro-Am event was held at CCK Golf Course, featuring 29 professional golfers paired with 87 amateur participants. Despite the scorching weather, the organizers thoughtfully provided delicious rice balls, hot dogs, beer, tea, and sports protection services for all the guests. However, the event was cut short by an hour due to sudden rain, allowing the guests ample time to prepare for the evening's player welcome night held at the Starlight Banquet Hall of Dinyue Restaurant. The event kicked off with a high-energy performance by the popular girl group ELL&s, who performed three hit songs.

Dinyue Restaurant’s CEO, Wang Qingrui, expressed his honor in co-sponsoring last year's TPGA event with Recoco and meeting everyone involved. Reflecting on Taiwan's recent triumph at the Paris Olympics, where the nation won two gold medals, Wang spoke of the need to develop international-level athletes suited to the Eastern physique. Five years ago, Dinyue built a badminton court in Taichung, even before the Olympic champions Lin and Yang became household names. Now, with their back-to-back Olympic golds in Tokyo and Paris, Wang believes Taiwanese athletes have proven themselves capable. He announced the goal to elevate Dinyue Restaurant’s Challenge Tour to a Taiwan Tour event next year to further support Taiwanese golfers on the international stage.

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.