August 4, 2026

The 2026 CHAU-SHI Series - Qing Lian HDF Open, offering a total prize purse of NT$3.5 million, officially commences tomorrow, August 5, at the Chang Hwa Golf Club. Today's club members pro-am event featured 40 professional players paired with 120 club members in a New Scramble format. Professional Hsu Chih-kai and his three amateur guests combined for a score of 13-under-par 59 to win the title, with each guest receiving a pair of ECCO men's Core Mesh golf shoes.

Chang Hwa Golf Club Director Hsieh Chien-hui achieved a hole-in-one on her very first hole of the day, starting from the 11th, earning a NT$10,000 prize provided by the club. During the luncheon, she announced an additional special prize for the four-round official tournament: any professional player who hits a hole-in-one on the 11th hole, with no limit on the number of winners, will receive a NT$20,000 cash prize sponsored by her.

The tournament runs from August 5 to August 8 over 72 holes. A total of 139 players from 5 countries, including 131 professionals and 8 amateurs, are competing for the title. The champion will receive NT$650,000, and the runner-up will earn NT$33,000. Fresh off his victory at last week's HCT ADT Open, Lu Wei-chih is seeking back-to-back wins, while Wang Wei-hsuan is aiming for a three-peat.

This tournament is title-sponsored individually by Weng Chau-shi, Honorary Chairman of the Mercuries Group. It is organized by the Taiwan Professional Golf Association (TPGA), with the Ching Lian Group and Hote Precision Technology Co., Ltd. serving as the single-tournament title sponsors, and the Chang Hwa Golf Club as the co-organizer. This marks the third consecutive year that the Ching Lian Group and Hote Precision Technology have title-sponsored this event, and Ching Lian Group Chairman Wang Jui-fu has announced that the group will continue its sponsorship for the next three years.

This event is the fifth of eight stops on this year's CHAU-SHI Series. The series features a special year-end Order of Merit title, where the top-ranked money leader will receive a bonus of NT$250,000 provided by Lin Kuo-er, Chairman of Red Forest Construction, along with an exemption into the 2027 Taiwan Mercuries Masters.

The CHAU-SHI Series was initiated by Weng Chau-shi, co-founder of Mercuries & Associates and Honorary Chairman of the Mercuries Group. In 2021, when the pandemic severely impacted the schedule and prize pools of the Taiwan Tour, Weng stepped forward to personally title-sponsor six tournaments at NT$2 million each, establishing the foundation for the tour's revival. This is the sixth consecutive year the series has been held under the same title-sponsorship model, with eight events scheduled for this season.

Top domestic talent is out in force, including the majority of the top 60 seeded players from last year's Taiwan Tour Order of Merit. All of the current top 17 players on the money list are competing, including Chang Wei-lun (1st), Chan Shih-chang (2nd), Hung Chien-yao (3rd), Su Chin-hung (4th), Wang Wei-hsuan (5th), Thailand's Wachira Kawinpakorn (6th), Lu Wei-chih (7th), Chan Chia-han (8th), Tsai Kai-jen (9th), and Mako Shapiyate (10th).

In addition to 106 players from Taiwan, the field features 33 international professionals from Italy, Japan, Thailand, and the United States.

Tomorrow's first round will be split into morning and afternoon waves. The first morning group tees off at 6:30 AM, and the final group starts at 8:25 AM. The first afternoon group begins at 11:20 AM, with the final group teeing off at 1,310 PM.

Following the first two rounds, the field will be cut to the top 50 players and ties for the final two rounds. Athletic training and recovery services will be provided on-site for the final two rounds on August 7 and 8.

The Chang Hwa Golf Club course measures 6,816 yards. To increase the competitive challenge, the 6th hole, originally a 477-yard par-5, will be played as a par-4, changing the front nine par from 36 to 35. Combined with the 37-par back nine, the course plays to a total par of 72. The course and greens are in excellent condition but present a rigorous test due to narrow fairways, difficult rough, tricky green grass grain, and hot, humid weather conditions that will test players' stamina and patience.

Special Awards:

Hole-in-One Prizes: NT$10,000 provided by the club for holes 2, 9, 11, and 16. Grand Hotel Stay: Da-An Group is offering a free one-night stay in the Presidential Suite at the Lishan Guest House for any hole-in-one, with no limit on the number of winners. Course Record: NT$20,000 provided by Chang Hwa Golf Club (currently 64, held by Chang Che-yu).

Spectator Information:

Spectators are welcome. Please pay a NT$20 insurance fee at the clubhouse counter, fill out the required information, and collect a spectator badge. Spectators must walk on cart paths; no shuttle service between holes is provided. For safety reasons, children under 6 and pets are not permitted on the course.

Highlights of the final two rounds will be broadcast via delayed recording on August 18 and 19 starting at 16:00. Platforms include the TPGA Facebook page and YouTube channel, Yahoo Sports, the LINE Golfourit channel, the TPGA official website, Zhilin Sports, and LINE Today.