2025 CHAU-SHI Series
Nan Pao Open
Round 1
2025/6/25
The third leg of the 2025 CHAU-SHI Series—the Nan Pao Open with a total purse of NT$3 million—teed off today (25 June) at Nan Pao Golf Course. Play was suspended briefly in the afternoon due to a thunderstorm but was completed before dark. Hsu Yu-cheng and Hsieh Chi-hsien both produced flawless, bogey-free rounds of eight-under-par 64, tying the course record and sharing the lead. Tseng Tzu-hao sits third with a 65, while Chang Chien Ko-yen and Lien Lu-sen are tied for fourth after matching 66s.
Nine other players carded 67 to share sixth place: Tsai Chuan-chih, Chen Yu-yu, Japan’s Masaya Hattori, Shori Ishizuka and Nobuaki Oda, together with Lin Yi-yuan, Liu Yen-hung, Wang Wei-hsuan and Wang Hsi-an.
Temperatures in Tainan’s Danei District soared to 35 °C in the morning. At 4:05 p.m., heavy rain and lightning forced a suspension; play resumed at 5:50 p.m. when conditions improved, and the first-round 18 holes were completed.
Co-leader Hsu Yu-cheng excelled with irons and putter, hitting seventeen greens in regulation and taking 28 putts. He collected eight birdies without a bogey. All four par-5s yielded birdies, and he also birdied the par-3 11th and 15th holes, the latter with a downhill 20-foot putt—his longest of the day; every other birdie was from inside nine feet. He posted matching 32s on each nine.
His driving was steady: only eight fairways hit, yet no wild misses. On the par-4 4th his tee shot strayed right into trees; with help from his Japanese playing partner he found the ball, punched out to 64 yards, reached the green with his third and holed a nine-foot putt to save par—one of his highlights.
Hsu noted that this is his seventh consecutive tournament since early May, spanning TPGA, China Tour and the Tech Cup. He returned from Jinan two days ago and headed south for this “golf marathon.”
Afternoon starter Hsieh Chi-hsien posted an eagle and six birdies without a bogey, thanks to a razor-sharp putter—his 23 putts were the day’s lowest. He birdied or eagled all four par-5s; on the 482-yard 16th he found the green from 160 yards with an 8-iron and holed a nine-foot eagle putt. He opened with four straight birdies (1–4), tying his personal best streak; the first was a 30-foot putt and the fourth a 21-footer.
The Tainan native said familiarity with Nan Pao’s grainy greens helped: “Putting is the key—whoever holes putts scores well.” He hit 12 greens, creating plenty of chances.
Tseng Tzu-hao signed for seven birdies, no bogeys. His woods, irons and putter were all solid; short-iron approaches from about 100 yards repeatedly left birdie looks inside 9–12 feet. He needed just 27 putts and hit 16 greens, capping his round by holing a 17-yard chip for birdie at the last.
Chang Chien Ko-yen also went bogey-free with six birdies on 27 putts. His best came at the par-5 10th: after driving right behind trees, he reached the fringe in three and holed an eight-yard putt. He added an 18-foot birdie at the par-3 8th. Having grown up playing Nan Pao, he said today was his best putting display there despite the course’s challenging grain.
Long-time senior tour member Lien Lu-sen matched Chang’s 66, registering six birdies on 24 putts. He credited sharp wedges inside 100 yards and accurate putting; after the rain delay the slower greens cost him a birdie chance on 16, where he three-putted for par.
This 72-hole event features 117 players from four countries—109 professionals and eight amateurs—with NT$500,000 to the winner.
Fully title-sponsored by Mercuries Honorary Chairman Wong Chau-shi, it is organized by the PGA of Taiwan (TPGA) with Nan Pao Golf Course as title host and co-organizer. Nan Pao is hosting the event under its name for the fourth time (2021, 2023, 2024, 2025) and is co-hosting a TPGA men’s event for the sixth time since 2012.
Designed with eco-friendly principles, Nan Pao is Taiwan’s first certified organic ecological course, EU-approved in 2012 and the first 27-hole organic course in the Asia-Pacific. The club co-hosted a TPGA major in 2012 and a Philippine-Tour co-sanctioned event in 2019. It joined the CHAU-SHI Series in its inaugural 2021 season, resuming after a pandemic pause, and now hosts for the third consecutive year. Nan Pao has also been instrumental in TPGA’s pursuit of world-ranking points.
The CHAU-SHI Series, launched by Wong Chau-shi in 2021 amid the pandemic downturn, has expanded this year to ten events within a 20-tournament TPGA season. The Series also offers a NT$200,000 bonus and a Mercuries Taiwan Masters berth to its money champion, courtesy of Hung Lin Construction Chairperson Lin Kuo-er.
After two rounds the top 50 and ties advance to the weekend. The champion will earn NT$500,000, the runner-up NT$250,000.
Nan Pao Golf Course uses the A and B nines for this event: par 72, 6,639 yards. Though short, the greens’ heavy grain makes reading and short putting decisive.
Special prizes include:
Hole-in-One Awards
Hole 3 (A3): 20 boxes of collagen from San Yueh Biotech and 20 dozen V PLUS U3 balls from Fu-Yi Industrial
Hole 11 (B2): one Hitachi inverter air-conditioner; a golf set and five dozen three-piece balls from Sheng Yi Co.; weekday deluxe stay with breakfast at Yong Kang Queentown Hotel
Hole 15 (B6): weekday deluxe stay with breakfast at Shan-Hua Zan Mei Hotel
Each of the above four holes also carries NT$20,000 in prize money from the club.
Hole 11: a Bell & Ross watch valued at NT$168,000 from Tung Hui Watch Co. for the first professional ace during the four rounds.
All holes: one-night presidential suite stay at Lishan Guesthouse (no date restrictions) from Da An Group.
Course-Record Bonus (Courses A & B, 64 by Tony Lascuna): NT$20,000 from the club.
Round-Low Awards for Rounds 3 and 4: NT$10,000 each, sponsored by SOCH Furniture | Tiam Tiam Khun; split if tied.
Sports therapists will be on site 27–28 June.
Spectators may walk the course after paying a NT$340 facilities fee at the clubhouse, completing registration, and receiving a badge and coffee voucher. Walking on cart paths only; carts prohibited. Children under six and pets are not allowed for safety reasons.
The final two rounds will be recorded and edited into 60-minute highlight programs to air at 4 p.m. on July 8 and 9. Coverage will stream on TPGA’s Facebook page, Chih-Lin Sports Channel, and YouTube. Updates will appear on the TPGA website, LINE Golfourit, LINE Today, and Yahoo Sports.
