April 8, 2026

Bombax Opening Event Round 1 – Lin Da-yu and Yang Hao Tied for the Lead

The opening event of the 2026 ThreeBond Advanced Challenge Tour teed off today (8th) at Bombax Golf Club in Tainan. Lin Da-yu and Yang Hao both posted 5-under-par 67 to share the lead. Jiang I-an and Hsiao Ho-yu each carded 4-under-par 68 to sit tied for third. Defending champion Hsieh Ting-wei, seeking a successful title defense, shot a 3-under-par 69, tied with Li Chao-hua for fifth place, two shots behind the leaders, heading into tomorrow’s final round.

Amateur Hsu Po-cheng recorded a 73 and is currently tied for 18th place among professionals, the best performance among the five amateurs in the field.

Weather conditions were poor early in the morning, with heavy fog and rain. Conditions did not improve until around 10:00 a.m. Tee times were delayed twice—originally scheduled for 6:30 a.m., the start was first postponed by 30 minutes to 7:00 a.m. due to low visibility. As dense fog persisted, it was delayed another 30 minutes to 7:30 a.m., when play finally commenced. The first round concluded at 3:20 p.m.

This event marks the opening stop of this year’s ThreeBond Advanced Challenge Tour, featuring a total purse of NT$1,000,000, with NT$150,000 awarded to the champion. The tournament is organized by ThreeBond Co., Ltd. and The PGA of Taiwan (TPGA), with Bombax Golf Club serving as the title sponsor and host venue. A total of 91 professional players and 5 amateurs are competing, including two Taiwan Tour seed players (one of whom is defending champion Hsieh Ting-wei). The course is set at 7,182 yards.

Lin Da-yu started from hole 1 and recorded five birdies with no bogeys. On the par-5 9th and 16th holes, he reached the green in two on the 9th and two-putted from 24 feet for birdie, while on the 16th he chipped to 9 feet and made the putt. He also drained consecutive long birdie putts of 30 and nearly 40 feet on holes 11 and 12. His highlight came on the par-4 18th, where his tee shot finished just off the left edge of the green, followed by a chip to 9 feet and a successful birdie putt.

He noted that his accurate putting on the back nine was key, taking only 12 putts compared to 19 on the front nine, totaling 31 putts. His driving was solid with only one missed fairway, but iron play was inconsistent, making birdie opportunities harder to come by. He secured his first career win at a TPGA Challenge event held at Wu Fong Golf Course last June, and will aim for his second title in tomorrow’s final round.

Yang Hao carded seven birdies and two bogeys, including birdies on three par-5 holes, all achieved with chip-and-putt combinations inside 12 feet. Most of his other birdies came from within 6 feet, with his longest birdie putt being 15 feet on the 1st hole. He totaled 29 putts for the round.

He said his iron play was excellent, hitting 15 greens in regulation, which created many birdie chances, though he missed three birdie putts inside 12 feet. He hit nine fairways overall, but his short game was less consistent, with missed chips on holes 7 and 15 leading to bogeys.

Jiang I-an, one shot back, recorded six birdies and two bogeys, including birdies on all four par-5 holes. On the 5th hole, he reached the green in two and two-putted from 30 feet. On the other three par-5 holes, he made birdies with chip-and-putt. He stated that his long iron play was strong, hitting 15 greens, with good chipping but average driving and slightly off putting.

After struggling with putting at the previous event at Hsin Yi Golf Club, he switched to a thicker putter grip. The change worked well today, helping him secure multiple birdies, though he still had two three-putt bogeys.

Hsiao Ho-yu also recorded six birdies, benefiting from accurate long iron play that left him within 15 feet on most holes. His longest birdie putts were 24 feet on holes 15 and 18. However, he made consecutive mistakes on the par-3 11th—from tee shot to iron, chip, and putt—resulting in a double bogey. He recorded 32 putts.

Defending champion Hsieh Ting-wei trails the leaders by two strokes with four birdies and one bogey. Starting from hole 1, his driving and iron play were average, missing four greens in regulation. His putting was below expectations, though he stated he is not putting pressure on himself to defend the title and is maintaining a relaxed mindset.

This marks the eighth consecutive year since 2019 that Bombax Golf Club has hosted the opening event of the ThreeBond Advanced Challenge Tour. Following tomorrow’s award ceremony, ThreeBond and TPGA will hold a signing ceremony at the venue, continuing their 12th year of title sponsorship.

The final round will be played tomorrow, with tee times starting from holes 1 and 10. The first group will tee off at 6:30 a.m., and the final group at 8:42 a.m. The tournament is expected to conclude around 1:30 p.m., followed by the award ceremony and signing event.

Spectators are welcome during the tournament. A NT$20 facility maintenance fee is required at the starter area. Visitors must register and obtain a spectator pass. All spectators must walk along cart paths, and no shuttle service is provided between holes. For safety reasons, children under six and pets are not permitted on the course.

Hole-in-one prizes are offered on holes 2, 8, 11, and 17, each awarding a one-year club membership. Additional hole-specific prizes include the following. On Hole 2 (Mountain Course), 12 cases of Budweiser limited-edition aluminum bottles are provided. On Hole 11 (Lake Course), a sterling silver golf ring set is sponsored by Baoli Jewelry Co., Ltd. On Hole 17 (Lake Course), a one-year FAIRWAY VIBE indoor golf premium membership and a pair of golf shoes sponsored by Hsu Chang Technology Footwear Co., Ltd. are awarded. Also on Hole 17 (199 yards, Lake Course), a SEVENFRIDAY watch valued at NT$55,000 is sponsored by Tung Hui Watch Co., awarded to the first professional player to make a hole-in-one during official rounds.

A course record bonus of NT$20,000 is offered for breaking the course record of 62, currently held by Hung Chien-yao.

The amateur champion will receive five dozen SRIXON Z-STAR DIAMOND balls sponsored by Dunlop Taiwan and one OMNIX golf bag sponsored by Shang Chong International Co., Ltd.

ThreeBond, a Japanese multinational company specializing in industrial adhesives, has been the title sponsor of the TPGA Challenge Tour for 12 consecutive years. The 2026 season will feature nine events.

In addition, Chairman Lin Rui-chang of Taiwan Fu Hsing Industrial Co., Ltd. sponsors the season-ending bonus awards, with NT$500,000 for the Order of Merit winner, NT$300,000 for second place, and NT$200,000 for third place.