2026 Sun Flower & TPGA Championship Final Round Press Release May 17, 2026 The final round of the 2026 Sun Flower & TPGA Championship, with a total prize purse of NT$7 million, was held today (17th) at Taiwan Golf & Country Club. The battle for the title was intense. Chang Wei-lun, who started the day one stroke behind, staged a comeback with steady play, carding an even-par 72. With a four-round total of 285, 3-under-par, he claimed his first title in this major Taiwan tournament by one stroke and won the NT$1.5 million champion’s prize. This was his sixth professional career victory, following his two titles last year at the CHAU-SHI Series Chasing Dream Open in August and the Mizuno Open in June. Thai player Warun Leamgaew also posted a 72, finishing runner-up with a four-round total of 286 and earning NT$700,000. He was also the highest-finishing foreign player. Local player Lu Sun-yi carded a 70 and finished alone in third place with a four-round total of 287. Hung Chien-yao, who started the day with a one-stroke lead, was unable to perform at his expected level today, shooting a 77. He finished tied for fourth with Hsieh Ting-wei, who carded a 72, both ending with a four-round total of 289, 1-over-par. The title sponsor had originally added a special bonus for Hung Chien-yao, offering an additional NT$1 million to the champion’s prize if he captured his seventh title at this event. Unfortunately, Hung was unable to secure his seventh championship in tournament history. After the round, he said he had known before teeing off this morning that Sun Flower had added the bonus for his seventh title, noting that Sun Flower adds bonuses every year and that this did not create pressure for him. In his post-round speech, Chang Wei-lun said he was very happy to win this title, one of Taiwan’s three major tournaments, for the first time. In the previous edition in 2020, he lost to Yeh Yu-chen in a playoff and finished second. This time, he finally achieved his goal of winning the championship. He thanked his sponsors Taiwan Glass Group, Dinyue Restaurant Co.,Ltd, Twin Oaks Development, TaylorMade, and his family for their support. Although the weather at Taiwan Golf & Country Club was sunny today, the wind remained strong, increasing the difficulty of chasing the title. The pin positions were still tricky, and only six players in the field recorded under-par rounds. Chang Wei-lun, who began the day one stroke behind, made an 18-foot birdie putt on the fourth hole. As Hung Chien-yao, who had led by one stroke in the same group, made consecutive bogeys on holes 3 and 4, Chang moved one stroke ahead. Hung then made another bogey on the fifth hole, giving Chang a two-stroke lead. At the end of the front nine, Chang stood at 5-under-par overall, leading Hung by two strokes. On the back nine, Chang Wei-lun continued to play steadily, maintaining consistent performance with his tee shots, irons, and putting. He made a 6-foot birdie putt on the 11th hole. Although he made consecutive bogeys on holes 12 and 13 due to mistakes with his tee shot and chipping, he still maintained a two-stroke lead. Thailand’s Warun once closed the gap to just one stroke behind Chang on the 13th hole, but Warun missed a short putt on the 14th and made bogey, allowing Chang to extend the lead back to two strokes. Hung Chien-yao, meanwhile, made several mistakes with his irons and putting and gradually fell out of contention, dropping another three strokes over the final four holes. Although Chang three-putted for bogey on the final hole, he still won by one stroke in dramatic fashion. Chang Wei-lun said he did not think too much before the round and did not set winning as a goal. Because the weather was poor, the wind was strong, and the course was difficult, he felt that winning came not only from his recent change in mindset and not setting expectations too high, but also from his better putting this week, which was the key to victory. His long game and iron play were also very stable, allowing him to successfully capture the title. He noted that during the first three months of this year, he spent most of his time recovering from a wrist injury, undergoing rehabilitation and physical training. He has already played four tournaments this season and will continue competing on the Asian Tour, ADT, and Taiwan Tour, with the goal of achieving strong results and returning to full Asian Tour card status. Shih Chen-fei, Executive Director of the Sun Flower Charity and Education Foundation, said that the weather was poor during the first two days of the week and the wind was strong over the final two days. For the players, every shot was difficult. Therefore, the players’ strong skills, steady performance, and high-pressure resilience were truly admirable. She also thanked Chang Wei-lun for keeping the championship in Taiwan. The tournament was played over four rounds and 72 holes through the 17th. A total of 150 professional players participated, including 56 foreign players from eight countries and regions — Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, the United States, and Thailand — as well as 94 Taiwanese players. This historic tournament marked its 59th edition this year. It was jointly organized by Sun Flower Cotton Industrial Co., Ltd., the Sun Flower Charity and Education Foundation, and TPGA, with the 107-year-old Taiwan Golf & Country Club serving as co-organizer. The Sun Flower & TPGA Championship marks the 11th year that Sun Flower has title-sponsored this major domestic tournament. It is also the first Taiwan major of this year’s TPGA Taiwan Tour. The champion receives NT$1.5 million, the runner-up NT$700,000, and third place NT$380,000. Since the TPGA Championship was first held in 1966, it was formerly known as one of Taiwan’s three major tournaments along with the Taiwan Mercuries Masters and the Taiwan Open. After the Taiwan Open was discontinued, it was replaced by the YEANGDER TPC Championship, while the TPGA Championship has maintained its tradition and remains one of Taiwan’s three major tournaments today. This is also the third year since Sun Flower Cotton Industrial Co., Ltd. founder Chairman Shih Chun-yi passed away after the 2023 Sun Flower & TPGA Championship. Over these three years, his children have continued to uphold the late chairman’s wishes by maintaining title sponsorship of this historic international tournament. Sun Flower operates as a group enterprise. In addition to Sun Flower hosiery, its affiliated businesses include Sun Flower Living Hall, Sun Flower Senior Living Hall, Sun Flower Gas Station, Sun Flower Japanese Cuisine, as well as the Sun Flower Foundation, which oversees public welfare activities, and the Sun Flower Hosiery Culture Museum, which presents the history of the hosiery industry. Among them, the Sun Flower Foundation has long devoted itself to education, culture, sports, and charitable work under the core philosophy of “what is taken from society should be used for society.”
