2026 CHAU-SHI Series Wealthy Family Open Round 1 August 12, 2026 The 2026 CHAU-SHI Series - Wealthy Family Open officially teed off today at the National Golf Country Club in Miaoli. Japanese player Nobuaki Oda delivered a stellar performance across all departments, firing a 9-under-par 63 to tie his personal career-low single-round score and take the sole early lead. Taiwan's Liu Yu-jui followed closely behind with a 65 to sit in second place. Japan's Yoshikuwa Yuta and host-course professional Hsieh Ting-wei both carded rounds of 66, placing them tied for third. Chen Yi-tung, He Chin-hong, Su Chin-hung, and Japan's Atsuya Oishi share fifth place after shooting 67s. Hsu Chih-kai achieved a rare albatross on the 564-yard, par-5 3rd hole, holing out directly with his second shot using a 3-wood from 255 yards. He finished the day with a 69, tying for 14th place alongside 12 other domestic and international competitors. Chen Hsuan-yi carded a 70 to lead the 14 amateur participants in the field, sitting in a tie for 27th place. Serving as the sixth event of this year's CHAU-SHI Series, the tournament features a total prize purse of NT$3 million, with the champion taking home NT$500,000. The 72-hole competition runs through August 15 across four rounds. The tournament is title-sponsored individually by Wong Chau-shi, with the Wealthy Family Golf Team serving as the single-tournament title sponsor, the TPGA as the organizer, and the National Golf Country Club as the co-organizer. Nobuaki Oda's brilliant round matched his career-best score of 63 for the fourth time. Displaying precision across his bag and a scorching hot putter with just 25 putts, he carded one eagle, eight birdies, and one bogey. Although he hit only seven fairways off the tee, his drives avoided trouble and left clear approaches to the greens. He capitalized on all four par-5 holes with an eagle and three birdies, highlighted by hitting the par-5 16th green in two from 150 yards and sinking a 6-foot putt for eagle, alongside a long 26-foot birdie conversion on the 12th. Oda noted that morning winds were challenging but manageable, and praised the pristine condition of National's newly renovated greens, which allowed him to putt with confidence. Liu Yu-jui combined a solid long game and irons with a hot putter, switching to a lighter putter specifically suited for National's greens following yesterday's pro-am. The adjustment paid off with 26 putts, yielding one eagle, six birdies, and one bogey. He played a flawless back nine (holes 10-18) with a 5-under 31, highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 13th where his second shot tracked a smooth right-to-left slope right next to the flagstick. Liu also caught a lucky break on the 16th when a stray drive bounced off the cart path down to 110 yards from the pin before converting the birdie. Local player Hsieh Ting-wei hit his drives and irons well but felt his putting left room for improvement, missing a few narrow chances inside 15 feet on the front nine. However, he capitalized on all four par-5s and caught fire on his closing stretch with three consecutive birdies on holes 16 through 18, sinking a 15-footer on the 17th and a 30-foot sweeping putt on the 18th to finish strong. Yoshikuwa Yuta put on a putting exhibition with 24 putts, capitalizing on the smooth rolling surfaces to rack up nine birdies, though a double bogey and a bogey kept him slightly in check. His highlights included a 33-foot long-putt birdie on the 12th and a 26-foot conversion from off the 2nd green. His only major blemish came on the par-3 11th, where a strong tee shot carried over the back of the green into a difficult downhill chip, leading to a three-putt double bogey. He Chin-hong posted six birdies and one bogey, hitting all 18 greens in regulation and finding 12 fairways, though a three-putt on the 15th and a miscalculated wind distance on the 3rd left a few scoring opportunities out on the course. The tournament features 139 players from 6 countries, including Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, the United States, and Taiwan. There are 105 Taiwanese players (including 14 amateurs) and 34 international competitors, with Japan representing the largest foreign contingent at 23 players. Following the first two rounds, the field will be cut to the top 50 players and ties for the final two rounds, with the runner-up receiving NT$250,000 and third place earning NT$160,000. The CHAU-SHI Series was initiated by Wong Chau-shi, co-founder of Mercuries & Associates and Honorary Chairman of the Mercuries Group, who stepped forward during the pandemic in 2021 to support the Taiwan Tour and has continued his dedication for six consecutive years with a sponsored prize purse of NT$1.5 million per event. The course measures 7,059 yards with a par of 72. National Golf Country Club spared no expense in renovating the greens across the property, with nine holes completely refurnished to welcome the tournament. Green-side rough management and the mastery of green contours, speed, and slope serve as the ultimate competitive tests. Notably, the 7th hole features the largest putting green in Taiwan, while the par-3 14th features a championship tee box set at 210 yards today. Special Awards: Hole-in-One Prizes: NT$10,000 provided by the club for holes 5, 8, 11, and 14. 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 or holes. Course Record: NT$60,000 provided by the club for breaking the course record of 64, currently held by Greg Moss. Spectator Information: Spectators are welcome. Please visit the tournament service desk to fill out information, pay a NT$20 cleaning service fee, and collect a spectator badge. Spectators must walk strictly on cart paths; riding in golf carts is prohibited, and no inter-hole shuttle service is provided. For safety reasons, children under 6 and pets are not permitted on the course. Highlights of the final two rounds (August 14 and 15) will be broadcast via delayed recording on August 25 and 26 starting at 16:00. Platforms include the TPGA Facebook page and YouTube channel, Yahoo Sports, the TPGA official website, LINE Today, the LINE Golfourit channel, and Zhilin Sports. Additionally, Golf Media will broadcast the event across 20 golf courses nationwide.
