2025/10/16

The ThreeBond Yeangder Challenge – Taipei Station teed off today at Taipei Golf Club. In hot, windy conditions, Hsieh Ting-wei carded a 3-under-par 69 to take the solo lead. Hsieh Tung-hung sits two shots back with a 71 in second place. Tsai Chen-kai, Tsai Kai-jen, Yang Hsiao-che, and Chen Chieh-sheng all posted even-par 72s to share third. The final round will be played tomorrow for the NT$150,000 winner’s check; Hsieh Ting-wei is chasing his second Challenge Tour title of the season.

Lin Sheng-yu made a hole-in-one at the 210-yard 11th using a 7-iron, earning NT$10,000 from the club plus the pre-set prize on that hole—a Polly bathroom heater sponsored by Hsin Han Trading Co., Ltd. It was his second ace in a professional event, the first coming on October 15 last year at the Advanced Challenge Tour at Nan Yi Golf Club. He shot 77 today and is tied for 22nd.

Among the four amateurs, Kuo Shih-chi led with a 74, tying for 9th on the professional leaderboard.

There is no cut after today’s opening round. Following tomorrow’s final round, prize money will be awarded to the top 40 players by score.

Tomorrow’s final round starts at 6:30 a.m. with the first group off No. 1; the final (leader) group will tee off 9:05 a.m. from No. 1. The tournament is expected to finish shortly after 2:00 p.m., followed by the awards ceremony.

This event is single-stop title-sponsored by Yeangder Group, the 8th stop of this year’s TPGA ThreeBond Challenge Tour and the penultimate event of the season. The total purse is NT$1,000,000, with NT$150,000 to the winner and NT$75,000 to the runner-up. The field comprises 89 professionals and 4 amateurs (93 players total). Yeangder Group is title sponsor of two ThreeBond Challenge events this year, including the Suncity Golf Club stop in July.

Through this week, the top five on the ThreeBond Challenge Tour money list and their earnings are: 1) Lee Jui-shen, NT$402,000; 2) Tsai Kai-jen, NT$387,895; 3) Hsieh Ting-wei, NT$384,499; 4) Lin Da-you, NT$270,000; 5) Hsieh Tung-hung, NT$209,898.

It was a tough scoring day at Taipei Golf Club—heat, stronger winds, narrow fairways, and tricky green reads kept numbers high; only two players finished under par.

Hsieh Ting-wei had five birdies and two bogeys. On the par-5s, he birdied No. 2 and No. 15 with chip-and-putt conversions of 12 feet and “OK range,” respectively; at No. 7 he reached the green in two and two-putted from 18 feet for birdie. On the par-4 13th he drove the green, missed a 24-foot eagle try, and tapped in for birdie; on No. 10 he was 20 yards short after the tee shot and got up-and-down for birdie.

He said that still battling jet lag left him “groggy” on the front nine, where he made two birdies. With the wind picking up on the back, reads became tougher; he added three birdies but also two bogeys. He returned to Taiwan on Monday from the U.S., where he narrowly missed earning 2026 Korn Ferry Tour status by one stroke at Q-School. Having skipped last week’s Advanced Challenge Tour event, he was overtaken atop the money list by Lee Jui-shen and now sits third—just over NT$10,000 behind Lee and roughly NT$3,000 behind Tsai Kai-jen. The battle for the money title and year-end bonuses is tight among the three.

Hsieh Tung-hung (47) played steady golf—four birdies against three bogeys—leaning on sharp chipping and putting, with all birdies coming on par-4s. He holed a 20-yard chip for birdie at No. 6 and converted three more birdies from 3–4 feet after chip shots. He also saved par with clutch one-chip, one-putt finishes on the last three holes (9 feet at No. 16, then 3 feet and 5 feet at Nos. 17 and 18).

He noted strong driving overall, missing only the 13th fairway left into heavy rough where a lost ball led to bogey; two more bogeys came from a missed chip and a missed putt. He’ll keep the same conservative game plan tomorrow given Taipei Golf Club’s narrow fairways, strong winds, dry turf, and demanding green reads.

Chasing a third straight victory (Taiwan Tour and Challenge Tour wins the past two weeks) and a second Challenge Tour title this season, Tsai Kai-jen posted an even-par 72. His long game was unsteady, but he putted well (28 putts) and was “just okay” with his irons (10 GIR). He made four birdies and four bogeys, many birdies coming via chip-putt conversions. On the four par-5s he had two birdies and two bogeys—the bogeys came after errant tee shots; the birdies were one-chip, one-putt makes. He said the course is narrow, with long rough, small, firm greens, and plenty of “traps,” so he’ll stay patient and conservative tomorrow, taking chances only when appropriate.

Spectators may walk the course during the tournament without a facility fee. Please register at the starter’s area to receive a gallery badge. Spectators must stay on cart paths, may not ride in golf carts, and no shuttles are provided between holes. For safety, children under 6 and pets are not permitted on course.

Special prizes for this event:

Hole-in-One Awards

Holes 4, 8 (Course C, Holes 4 & 8), 11, and 18 (Course D, Holes 2 & 9): original sponsor prizes for each hole plus NT$20,000 (club members) / NT$10,000 (non-members) from Taipei Golf Club.

Hole 18 (Course D, Hole 9): an ORIS watch (MSRP NT$122,800) sponsored by Tung Hui Watch Co. to the first professional to ace the hole during the two official rounds.

Course Record Bonus (Courses C & D): NT$30,000 from the club for breaking the official record 66 (held by Lu Chien-shun),Preferred lies: no prize money.

Amateur Champion Add-On Prizes

DUNLOP: SRIXON Z-STAR XV (5 dozen).

Shang Chung International Co., Ltd.: OMNiX golf bag (one).

Taiwan Fu Hsing Industrial Co., Ltd. Chairman Lin Jui-chang continues to provide end-of-season bonuses of NT$500,000 / NT$300,000 / NT$200,000 to the top three on the ThreeBond Challenge Tour money list.

ThreeBond, a Japan-based multinational specializing in industrial adhesives, is in its 11th year as title sponsor of the TPGA Challenge Tour, which again features nine events this season.