2025/6/10

The third leg of the 2025 ThreeBond TPGA Challenge Tour—the HWAN TAI Challenge Tour—began today (June 10) at Nan-Tou Nan-Tou Golf Course. Lee Kai-jui, who recently earned his professional teaching certification earlier this year, shot a three-under-par 69 to take the solo lead after the first round. Six players trail by just one stroke at 70 and are tied for second: Tsai Kai-jen, Lee Jui-shen, Lee Chao-hua, Weng Yung-tien, Lin Wei, and Hsu Li-peng. The final round will be held tomorrow to decide the champion and the NT$150,000 first-place prize.

Bombax leg champion Hsieh Ting-wei is aiming for his second win. He carded a 71 today and is currently tied for eighth with Chen Hui-hung, Fang Chuan-wei, and Lee Cho-chuan, just two strokes behind the leader and still in contention for the title.

The tournament features two rounds over 36 holes, with 92 professional players (including 2 amateurs) competing for the trophy and top prize. The event has no cut, and prize money will be awarded to the top 40 players (including ties) after both rounds.

This two-day, 36-hole competition is the third stop of the 2025 ThreeBond Challenge Tour, with a total purse of NT$1 million. It is the first time that HWAN TAI Cement Products Company has served as the single-event title sponsor for a Challenge Tour event, and the first time that Nan-Tou Golf Course has co-hosted. The event is jointly organized by ThreeBond and The PGA of Taiwan (TPGA). HWAN TAI Cement had previously sponsored the NT$3 million Taiwan Tour HWAN TAI Open as title sponsor for three consecutive years from 2021 to 2023. Chairman Lee Shih-pin of HWAN TAI Cement has also long supported many men’s professional tournaments held in the Taichung area.

Solo leader Lee Kai-jui said after his round that he played consistently well across all clubs today. His driving was solid, although he used his driver only three times; he mostly relied on a 2-iron off the tee and performed well. This is his second Challenge Tour event of the year—the first did not go well—but he said today’s round “felt really OK.”

He recorded five birdies and two bogeys. He started with a birdie on the par-5 1st hole with a chip and a 7-foot putt. He birdied the par-5 11th with the same chip-and-putt combo and again birdied the par-5 18th with a 10-foot putt after a chip. On the 2nd hole, he made a 12-foot birdie putt, and on the 16th, he drained a 60-foot bomb for birdie. He shot 35 on the front nine and 34 on the back.

Among the six players tied for second, the oldest is 61-year-old Weng Yung-tien, a senior tour player. He played well off the tee and with his irons, carding four birdies and two bogeys. On the front nine, he made three birdies, the longest being a 12-footer on the 5th. However, he three-putted the 3rd and made another error on the 9th for bogeys, shooting 35. On the back nine, his stamina slightly declined, and his tee shots weren’t as accurate, though he still managed a birdie on the 10th and saved par on all other holes for another 35.

He noted that Nan-Tou Golf Course has hosted the senior event for seven years, and he participates every year—winning three times. His familiarity with the course gave him an advantage, as he knows where to land the ball to attack the green and avoid mistakes. “Tee shots are most important here. You can’t hit it crooked. The greens are a little slow—but you get used to it!”

Tsai Kai-jen, who lost his Taiwan Tour seed last year due to injury, shot six birdies and four bogeys. While he has the advantage of long drives, his 2-iron off the tee was erratic in the front nine. After a birdie on the par-5 1st, he lost rhythm and hit poor tee shots from holes 4 through 7. On the par-3 4th and 6th holes, he found penalty areas and failed to recover, carding four straight bogeys. He steadied on the 8th with a tee shot that reached the green on a par-4, then two-putted from 18 feet for birdie, finishing the front nine at 38. On the back nine, he adjusted his driving, created more birdie chances, and carded four birdies for a 32.

Lee Chao-hua made four birdies and one double bogey. Three of his birdies came on par-3 holes: a 21-foot putt on both the 4th and 13th, and a 45-foot putt on the 17th. His double bogey came on the par-4 14th after hitting his drive out of bounds. He said his putting was solid today, iron play was average, and while he only hit six fairways, he didn’t make many major mistakes. However, his approach shots didn’t land close to the hole, so birdie opportunities were limited.

Lin Wei also shot four birdies and two bogeys. He said his start was rough—he hit OB on the par-5 1st and failed to get on the green with his chip on the 2nd, missing a 3-foot par putt for two early bogeys. After settling in, he found rhythm, hit 15 greens in regulation, though not close enough to the pin, and had 30 putts total. He commented that the challenge of Nan-Tou lies in hitting the fairway off the tee; with good placement, attacking the flag on the second shot becomes much easier.

Lee Jui-shen had three birdies and one bogey. He said his driving was good, mostly using a 3-iron off the tee. His chipping and putting were steady, with all three birdies coming from within 7 feet. His only bogey was on the 10th, where his second shot went right and ended up on a slope, preventing him from reaching the green in regulation. He also narrowly missed a 7-foot birdie putt on the 3rd.

Hsu Li-peng had four birdies and two bogeys. His iron play was strong, hitting 14 greens in regulation. Two of his birdies were tap-ins. Though he only hit six fairways, his errors were minor. He had 30 putts, which he described as average. He played today with a sore throat, and the hot weather drained his stamina, affecting his performance slightly on the closing holes.

Nan-Tou Nan-Tou Golf Course was originally designed and built by Taiwan’s “Father of Golf,” Chen Chin-shih, with the first nine holes completed in 1980 and the full 18 finished in 1982. Located on the Nan-Tou Plateau in Nantou along the Bagua Mountain Range, the course boasts commanding views of scenic peaks including Jiji Dashan, Yushan, Xitou, and even Hehuanshan. The course is visually stunning but features narrow fairways, wooded edges, winding paths, and dramatic elevation changes. Players face significant challenges in distance and directional control. The total course length for the tournament is 6,852 yards.

Tomorrow’s final round will feature simultaneous tee-offs from holes 1 and 10, beginning at 6:30 AM. The round is expected to conclude by 1:30 PM, followed by the awards ceremony.

ThreeBond is a Japanese multinational company that began as a specialized adhesive manufacturer and has served as the title sponsor of the TPGA Challenge Tour for 11 years. The 2025 ThreeBond TPGA Challenge Tour will again feature nine events.

Special Prizes for This Tournament:

Hole-in-One Prize:

Holes 4, 6, 13, and 17 – NT$12,000 cash and pre-arranged sponsor gifts provided by Nan-Tou Golf Course.

Hole 17 (8th hole of the IN course, 190 yards) – One ORIS luxury watch valued at NT$122,800, provided by Tung Hui Watch Company.

Awarded to the first professional player to make a hole-in-one during the two official rounds.

Course Record Prize:

Breaking the course record of 67 – NT$20,000 awarded by the course.

Amateur Winner Prizes:

– 5 dozen SRIXON Z-STAR XV golf balls sponsored by DUNLOP Kokuju Co.

– One OMNIX golf bag sponsored by Shang Chong International Co., Ltd.

This event is closed to on-course spectators. Viewing areas are limited to the tee boxes of holes 1 and 10, and the areas surrounding the greens of holes 9 and 18. For safety reasons, children under six and pets are advised not to enter the course.