2025 Ambassador ADT Open
Round 3
2025/05/31
The "2025 Ambassador ADT Open," with a total prize purse of USD 100,000 (approximately NT$3 million), held its final round today (31st) at Hsin Feng Golf Club in Hsinchu. The battle for the title was tense and thrilling, with Italy’s Gabriele De Barba shooting a 7-under 65, tying with local Taiwanese contender Chan Shih-chang, who shot 67. Both players finished with a three-round total of 14-under-par 202, forcing a playoff. De Barba ultimately won his first professional title—and first ADT win—by making par on the fourth playoff hole, defeating Chan's bogey. He took home the champion’s prize of USD 17,500 (approximately NT$525,000).
This marks his first title since turning professional in 2018 and his first participation in an ADT event, where he immediately claimed victory. This win secures him entry into the remaining ADT events of the year and grants him a two-year exemption on the ADT. If he finishes in the top 10 on the ADT’s year-end Order of Merit, he will earn a spot on the Asian Tour for the following year.
Chan Shih-chang finished runner-up, earning NT$345,000. Huang Yi-tseng shot a 67 to finish alone in third at 13-under 203, collecting a prize of USD 7,000.
Liu Yen-hung, who held a two-shot lead going into the day, shot a 71 to finish at 204 and in fourth place. Ho Yu-cheng and Chang Wei-lun shot 69 and 70 respectively, tying for fifth with a total of 205.
Thailand’s Suteepat Prateeptienchai, who shot 62 in the first round and broke the previous course record of 63 set by Lu Liang-huan in 1982, received a NT$20,000 bonus from Hsin Feng Golf Club. He finished tied for 16th with a total of 208.
De Barba, who started the day four shots behind leader Liu Yen-hung, once again demonstrated precise iron play, carding nine birdies and one double bogey. He birdied three of the final five holes to post 14-under, matching Chan Shih-chang, who birdied the last two holes after Liu bogeyed the final hole, missing the playoff. The official match concluded with the Taiwan-Italy duo heading into a dramatic playoff.
The first three playoff holes were played on the par-5 18th hole, where both players matched each other with par, birdie, and par. On the first playoff hole, De Barba three-putted for par, and Chan missed a 5-foot birdie putt, also making par—his first missed opportunity to win.
On the second playoff hole, both players made birdies again. On the third hole, Chan mishit a chip shot from the front of the green, leaving it 20 feet from the hole and two-putted for par. De Barba reached the green with his third shot, seven feet away, and also two-putted for par.
As the playoff extended, tournament officials moved the fourth playoff hole to the par-4 10th. Chan’s second shot from 124 yards with a pitching wedge flew long into the bunker behind the green. His third shot rolled 10 feet past the hole, and he two-putted for bogey. De Barba drove into the right rough, punched a low shot to the front edge of the green, and chipped to within two feet, making the par to clinch victory.
Afterward, De Barba said he was confident he could win all four playoff holes. He had chances in the first three but failed to capitalize, and finally achieved victory on the fourth.
He explained that although the wind over the past two days was strong, he was not fazed. He had competed at the Hsin Feng course in last year’s Taiwan Tour qualifying tournament, which also featured wind and rain, and passed that challenge. His home course in Japan, Naruo Golf Country Club, has narrow fairways similar to Hsin Feng’s, which helped him adjust easily.
The 30-year-old was born in Japan to an Italian father and a Japanese mother. Neither of his parents play golf. He was introduced to the game by his grandmother, who played, when he was seven years old. At age 12, he began practicing seriously and pursued a professional golf career. After turning pro in 2018, he competed on Japan’s secondary and main tours, achieving a top-ten finish on the former, though without notable success on the latter. Last year, he qualified for the Taiwan Tour, where he ranked 39th in prize money for the 2024 season. He currently competes mainly on the Taiwan Tour.
He expressed his gratitude for the Taiwan Tour’s qualification and ranking system, which gave him the opportunity to compete in this ADT event. He stated that winning this tournament would serve as a valuable stepping stone toward the Asian Tour and a rare opportunity to broaden his career.
This was the fifth stop of the 2025 ADT season and the only ADT event on this year’s TPGA Taiwan Tour. A total of 11 ADT events are scheduled for this year. This marked the eighth time Yungde Group has sponsored an ADT event with TPGA, and the fourth time under the title sponsorship of its affiliate, Ambassador Hotel. It was the fifth time with Yungde Group as the title sponsor.
Yungde Group previously title-sponsored the Yungde ADT Open in 2012 and the Ambassador ADT in 2015 and 2016. After a long hiatus, they resumed title sponsorship of the Ambassador ADT last year.
In his speech at the awards ceremony, Yungde Group Chairman Hsu Yu-jui noted that this year’s champion, De Barba, had previously competed on the Japan Tour. After an underwhelming performance, he switched to the Taiwan Tour this year and, through its qualification system, joined this ADT event for the first time and immediately claimed victory. This allowed him to join the ADT and move one step closer to the Asian Tour, helping a young golfer pursue his dreams.
This was exactly Yungde Group’s original vision when it began hosting international tournaments in Taiwan years ago, including ADT events—to provide more opportunities for young players across Asia to rise through strong performances.
Chairman Hsu also noted the tremendous effort that went into hosting the tournament at Hsin Feng Golf Club. The final round was fiercely competitive and filled with dramatic twists, providing a thrilling experience for golf fans.
With the TPGA Tour now recognized for world ranking points, more international tournaments will continue to raise the competitiveness of events and support Taiwanese players in chasing their dreams.
Since 2013, ADT events have awarded Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points. A single ADT tournament victory grants a two-year exemption on the tour, while players finishing in the top 10 of the ADT’s year-end Order of Merit receive a spot on the Asian Tour the following year.
The final two rounds of this tournament will be broadcast via recorded highlights, with online premieres scheduled for 4:00 PM on June 10 and 11. In addition to being available on the Facebook page of The PGA of Taiwan (TPGA), ELTA TV Sports, and YouTube, related news and updates can also be found on TPGA’s official website, the LINE platform Golfourit, LINE Today, and Yahoo Sports.
