2024/10/15

The ThreeBond Advanced Challenge Tour, with a total prize fund of NT$1.1 million, began today (15th) at the Nan Yi Golf Country Club in Tainan. Last year's champion Su Ching-hung (then an amateur) and Fang Chuan-wei both shot 70, two strokes under par, each earning a daily low-score bonus of NT$20,000 provided by Great International Hydronix Corp. Chairman Wang Fu-chung. They are currently tied for the lead by one stroke. Tomorrow's final round will see Su Ching-hung aiming for both a title defense and his fourth championship this year.

Five players, including Chen Chieh-sheng, Chen Wei-sheng, Liu Tse-sen, Hsieh Min-hsuan, and Hsu Chih-jieh, are one stroke behind at 71, tied for second. All of them have a chance to compete for the championship tomorrow.

Lin Cheng-yu hit a hole-in-one on the 113-yard 8th hole using a 54-degree wedge, earning a total of NT$130,000—NT$100,000 from ADVANCED INTERNATIONAL and NT$30,000 from Nan Yi Course. This is his first hole-in-one in his professional career, and he finished with a score of 77, placing him in 30th.

Additionally, Chen Chieh-sheng hit his second shot to 294 cm from the hole on the 18th green, earning a bonus of NT$20,000 from ADVANCED INTERNATIONAL for the nearest-to-the-pin shot on his second stroke.

Amateur player Ruan Yi-chi scored 74, the best among the five amateur competitors, placing him tied for 11th on the leaderboard.

The tournament offers a champion’s prize of NT$250,000 (increased from NT$150,000 with an additional NT$100,000 by PARJET CO., LTD. Chairman Lin Chao-hsien). The runner-up will receive NT$75,000, and the third-place finisher will earn NT$50,000. The tournament has no elimination, and after the second round, prize money will be awarded to the top 40 players based on performance.

The tournament consists of two rounds (36 holes) with 81 players, including 76 professionals and five amateurs. It is the seventh stop of this year's ThreeBond TPGA Challenge Tour.

This is the first time Nan Yi Course has co-hosted the ThreeBond TPGA Challenge Tour, and ADVANCED INTERNATIONAL has been sponsoring professional men's golf tournaments in Taiwan for seven consecutive years.

Last year's champion, Su Ching-hung, has turned professional and has already claimed three titles on this year's ThreeBond Challenge Tour. Tomorrow, he will not only seek to defend his title but also aim for his fourth win of the season.

Su captured five birdies today but made three bogeys. He had a strong start with four birdies on the front nine, including two birdies on par-5 holes with up-and-down putts from 3-6 feet. He also sank 12-foot birdie putts on the 2nd and 6th holes, along with another 12-foot birdie putt on the 11th hole.

He noted that he only missed four fairways today. His mid-to-long irons were slightly off, but his putting was decent. He expressed some regret about missing 3-foot par-saving putts on the 14th and 17th holes, saying, "I completely misread the lines on those two putts!"

He described Nan Yi Course as having a foreign style, requiring excellent shots on every stroke with minimal room for error. The greens are smooth but greatly influenced by grain and slope. It's been 10 years since he last played a tournament here, and his unfamiliarity with the course poses a significant challenge.

Fang Chuan-wei agreed, saying he was "very unfamiliar" with Nan Yi Course, having never played it before. He made four birdies and two bogeys today, with two birdies on par-5 holes at the 1st and 9th, thanks to up-and-down putts. He also made birdie putts from 3 and 4 feet on the 6th and 8th holes, respectively.

He commented that his driver performance was inconsistent, but his short irons within 110 yards were solid, and he had 30 putts today. He emphasized the high difficulty of the course, particularly the need to be mindful of the water hazards and tee shot placement. The greens are beautiful, with a moderate speed, but the slopes are challenging, making it hard to read the putting lines.

Hsieh Min-hsuan, who won titles earlier this year at the Bombax Course opener and the CHENG GUAN YUAN Challenge, tied for second with Chen Chieh-sheng and three other players today. Both are aiming for their second win tomorrow.

Hsieh made an eagle, two birdies, and three bogeys. On the 11th hole, a par-5, he hit his second shot to the edge of the green with a 4-iron, then chipped in from 10 yards for an eagle. On the 17th hole, another par-5, he holed out from 7 yards for a birdie.

He mentioned that his iron shot distance control was good, focusing on leaving the ball in manageable uphill positions on the greens. However, his putting was average today, and a few chip shots from the rough weren’t as well executed as he'd hoped.

He added that he's preparing for the second stage of the Japanese Qualifying School next month and has been working on swing changes for greater stability and precision. This tournament is an opportunity to refine his techniques, and he hopes to perform well both here and in the qualifying school. He won the Bombax Challenge Tour opener on April 18, his second career title, and is seeking his third win tomorrow.

Chen Chieh-sheng recorded four birdies and three bogeys, with birdies on all four par-5 holes, all achieved with up-and-down putts. The longest putt was 18 feet on the 5th hole, with two other "OK" birdies. He mentioned that his driver was slightly off today, but his iron play was decent, and he putted well with 27 putts in total.

He pointed out the challenge of Nan Yi Course is in the tee shots, where placement is crucial, and the greens, with their large slopes and elevated positions, demand precise approaches. He won his first professional title on April 25 at the CHENG GUAN YUAN Challenge at Hsin Yi Course and is seeking his second title tomorrow.

Liu Tse-sen and Chen Wei-sheng both made five birdies and four bogeys today. Liu is known for his powerful drives and said his driving was decent, with average iron play but strong putting, taking 27 putts. He confidently sank par-saving putts from 6-9 feet.

Chen Wei-sheng made two birdies on par-5 holes, including the 1st and 9th holes, both into the wind. Despite missing two eagle putts from 9 feet and over 40 feet, he secured birdies on both. He also saved par on the 16th hole with a 15-foot downhill putt after his second shot overshot the green. He felt this boosted his confidence significantly. His overall play was consistent, and his average driving distance was about 290 yards.

ADVANCED INTERNATIONAL co-sponsored the ThreeBond Advanced Fu-hsing with Taiwan Fu-hsing Industrial in September 2018. They became the sole sponsor in 2019 and have supported the men's challenge tour for seven consecutive years.

The tournament course spans 7,256 yards. Tomorrow, players will start simultaneously from both the 1st and 10th tees, with the first group teeing off at 7:00 AM and the last group at 9:10 AM. The event is expected to conclude around 2 PM, followed by the award ceremony. The conditions at Nan Yi Course are excellent, with dense rough, and the course presents challenges for both long and short hitters. The greens are smooth but have tricky slopes and surrounding rough, testing the players’ short game skills.

Additional awards during the event include:

• Hole-in-one prize: NT$30,000 provided by Nan Yi Course on holes 3, 8, 13, and 15, plus any sponsor's prizes for the first professional player to make a hole-in-one on those holes.

• NT$100,000 from ADVANCED INTERNATIONAL for a hole-in-one on any par-3 hole during the tournament rounds (both professional and amateur players eligible). If no one scores a hole-in-one, the NT$100,000 will be donated to TPGA as a development fund.

• An Oris watch (market value of NT$118,000) sponsored by Tung Hui Watch Co. for the first professional player to make a hole-in-one on the 13th hole during the two rounds.

• Daily low-score prize: NT$20,000 (provided by Great International Hydronix Corp. Chairman Wang Fu-chung) awarded to the player with the lowest round in each of the two rounds. Both professional and amateur players are eligible.

Additionally, NT$20,000 will be awarded by ADVANCED INTERNATIONAL for the player whose second shot lands closest to the pin on the 18th hole (professional players only).

ThreeBond, a Japanese manufacturer of specialized adhesives, has been a long-time sponsor of TPGA, supporting former TPGA Chairman and current ThreeBond Challenge Tour CEO Chen Chih-chung for over 30 years. This is the 10th year they have been the title sponsor of the TPGA Challenge Tour, which continues to feature nine tournaments this year.

Lin Jui-chang, Chairman of Taiwan Fu-hsing Industrial Co., Ltd., has once again increased the annual bonus pool for the top three players on the Taiwan Tour and ThreeBond Challenge Tour money lists, offering NT$500,000, NT$300,000, and NT$200,000 for the top three players, respectively.

The event is open to spectators, who are required to pay a NT$30 cleaning and facility fee at the course's front desk. Upon presenting the receipt at the starting station, spectators will receive a pass and a complimentary bottle of water provided by the association. Spectators must walk on the cart paths, avoid entering the fairways, maintain a safe distance, and silence their mobile phones.