2026 CHAU-SHI Series - Chasing Dreams Open
Round 4
September 4, 2026
The seventh event of the 2026 CHAU-SHI Series—the Chasing Dreams Open, featuring a total prize purse of NT$3 million—concluded its final round today (September 4) at The Royal Kuan-Hsi Golf Club. Taiwanese player Shapiyate Mako delivered an extraordinary all-around performance, carding an eagle and nine birdies without a blemish for a blistering 11-under-par 61. He secured a come-from-behind victory with a four-round total of 26-under-par 262, claiming the winner's prize of NT$500,000 and his second career Taiwan Tour title.
His four-round total of 26-under-par sets the lowest four-round score record on the Taiwan Tour for this season, tying the recent tour record set by Chang Wei-lun at this same tournament last year.
Hung Chien-yao also previously matched this record of 26-under-par at the 2023 Mizuno Open on the CHAU-SHI Series held at the Bombax Golf Country Club.
Chen Yu-yu fired a 63 to finish as the runner-up at 24-under-par 264, two strokes back, earning NT$250,000.
Shen Wei-cheng shot a 67 to take sole possession of third place at 265 overall, while Hsieh Ting-wei (66) and Tsai Shang-kai (68) finished tied for fourth at 266.
Starting the day three strokes behind the leaders at 15-under, Mako utilized his trademark long driving, sharp chipping, and exceptional putting—highlighted by a stellar 12 putts on the front nine—to collect six birdies, including two on par-5s, for a 30. By the turn, he vaulted into the solo lead at 21-under. He extended his advantage to two strokes on the par-5 11th after reaching the green in two and sinking a 9-foot putt for an eagle. Despite a fierce charge from the chasers down the stretch, Mako never relinquished the lead, picking up three more birdies over his final four holes to stretch his cushion to three. Although he narrowly missed a 15-foot eagle putt on the closing par-5 18th, he tapped in for birdie to cap off a brilliant back-nine 30 and secure a two-stroke victory. Reflecting on his win, Mako noted that although he held a two-stroke lead after the front nine, he knew the back nine offered prime scoring opportunities and his rivals possessed the firepower to catch him. He didn't breathe a true sigh of relief until sinking a 9-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th to push his lead to three strokes in a fiercely contested battle.
He credited his stellar putting all week, noting that his ability to regularly convert 9-to-12-foot birdie putts fueled his fast start. Mako admitted that starting from the 15th hole on the back nine, he eyed a 29 to break the single-round course record of 60. While that milestone eluded him, he was thrilled to shatter his previous career-low round of 63 and his personal four-round tournament low of 17-under.
Turning professional four years ago, Mako expressed heartfelt gratitude to his parents, coach, "Uncle LC Chang," wife, and friends for their unwavering support. He dedicated his victory to his one-year-old son, who serves as his greatest driving force. Following his maiden Taiwan Tour victory at the Chia Yun Open last September shortly after his son's birth, Mako noted that fatherhood has grounded him, giving him a renewed sense of responsibility in all aspects of life.
Standing tall with an impressive physical build, Mako possesses a well-rounded game featuring an average driving distance of 330 yards. Recent adjustments to his swing mechanics and putting grip—particularly changing his putting posture—dramatically sharpened his accuracy on the greens, paying massive dividends this week.
Looking ahead, Mako's goals are set on the upcoming Asian Tour events: the Yeangder TPC and the Taiwan Mercuries Masters. Aside from breaking his multi-year streak of missing the weekend cut at these majors, he aims to contend for top finishes. Additionally, he plans to attend the China Tour and Asian Tour qualifying schools at the end of the year.
During the awards ceremony, Lin Yi-yuan was presented with a special red envelope by Chairman Lin Kuo-er for shattering the Taiwan Tour single-round record with a 60 yesterday. Chairman Lin remarked that the tournament's smooth execution felt blessed by good fortune, expressing delight over the fierce competition and the exceptional scores produced by the elite field.
This year marks the third consecutive year the tournament has integrated a charitable component.
Led by Lin Kuo-er, Chairman of Green Forest Enterprise, and enthusiastically supported by Liao Nien-chi, Chairman of The Royal Kuan-Hsi Golf Club, the philanthropic platform continues to flourish within this professional golf tournament. True to Chairman Lin's motto, "Kindness is contagious, and good deeds spread," the charity initiative—launched in 2024—has seen growing contributions year after year. The overwhelming outpouring of love and support has inspired Chairman Lin to commit to continuing the initiative next year, following a total of NT$1.64 million raised in 2024, NT$2.18 million last year, and NT$2.49 million this year.
Late Chairman Liao Wan-ying of The Royal Kuan-Hsi Golf Club was a lifelong supporter of both men's and women's professional golf in Taiwan. Continuing this legacy 23 years later, the club partnered with the TPGA in 2022 to host Taiwan Tour events, fulfilling its corporate social responsibility to promote domestic golf development by serving as a single-tournament title sponsor for the fifth consecutive year. Green Forest Enterprise Chairman Lin Kuo-er returns as a co-title sponsor for this event. Having supported the tournament for five straight years, Chairman Lin brought his three-year experience of running women's charity golf events into the Chasing Dreams Open starting in 2024, marking his seventh year integrating a charitable platform into professional golf to give back to society together.
The CHAU-SHI Series was initiated by Wong Chau-shi, co-founder of Mercuries & Associates and Honorary Chairman of the Mercuries Group. In 2021, due to the impact of the pandemic, the number of Taiwan Tour events and total prize money shrank drastically. He stepped forward to personally title-sponsor six special tournaments with NT$2 million each, totaling NT$12 million, laying the foundational structure for the 2021 Taiwan Tour. This has continued for six consecutive years under the same model as the CHAU-SHI Series, with each event sponsored at NT$1.5 million this year across eight total events.
The CHAU-SHI Series features a separate Order of Merit special award: the season's prize money leader will receive an additional NT$250,000 provided by Lin Kuo-er, Chairman of Hung Lin Construction Co., Ltd., along with an exemption into the following year's Taiwan Mercuries Masters.
Highlights of the final two rounds will be broadcast in a 60-minute summary program on September 15 and 16 at 4:00 PM. Broadcast platforms include the TPGA Facebook page, Zhilin Sports, and YouTube, while related tournament news can be tracked anytime via the TPGA official website, LINE platforms (Golfourit and LINE Today), and Yahoo Sports.
