2025 CHAU-SHI Series – Nan Pao Open
Round 3
2025/6/27
The third round of the NT$3 million CHAU-SHI Series’ third stop, the Nan Pao Open, was played today (27 June) at Nan Pao Golf Course. Under blazing sunshine and high temperatures, the players pushed hard for low scores and the contest heated up along with the perspiration. Hung Chien-yao fired a bogey-free 64 with eight birdies, earning the NT$10,000 low-round prize for the day; Hsu Yu-cheng carded a 68. The two share the lead at 14-under-par 202 after 54 holes. Liu Yen-hung and Japan’s Shori Ishizuka both signed for 68, reaching 203 and sitting one stroke back, tied for third.
Hsieh Chi-hsien shot 69 and Kao Teng posted 73; they share fifth at 205, three behind the leaders. Lee Jui-shen (68), Shen Wei-cheng (69) and Wang Wei-hsuan (70) are tied for seventh at 206, four shots adrift.
With one round remaining, any player within four shots still has a chance to capture the NT$500,000 winner’s cheque. Tomorrow’s expected heat will further test stamina. The final round will again use split-tees from holes 1 and 10: the first group goes at 7:00 a.m.; the final group at 8:20; play should finish by 1 p.m. followed immediately by the prize ceremony.
Hung Chien-yao’s irons and putter were razor-sharp: 16 greens hit and only 25 putts, his best figures of the week. He kept drives in play—12 fairways for a third straight day—and produced three front-nine birdies for 33, then five more coming home for 31, without a blemish. His highlight came at the par-4 17th: a fairway wood found the short grass, then a 7-wood from 235 yards finished on the fringe, where he chipped in from 16 yards for his eighth birdie. He said putting will decide tomorrow’s outcome.
Hsu Yu-cheng posted four birdies and one bogey. All four birdies came on two par-3s and two par-4s; the longest were a 33-foot putt at the par-3 15th and a 27-footer at the par-4 4th. He hit only 12 greens but needed just 26 putts. None of the par-5s yielded birdies because of errant tee shots or approaches. He noted that his swing has been inconsistent all week and hopes to tighten it for the final round while maintaining his good short-game feel.
Liu Yen-hung recorded six birdies and two bogeys. He hit 12 fairways, 14 greens and took 28 putts. Three birdies came on par-5s with simple up-and-downs, the longest birdie putt being seven feet at the first. He lamented several missed chances with the putter and pointed out that tomorrow’s heat will be a factor.
Shori Ishizuka also tallied six birdies and two bogeys. He surged with four straight birdies at holes 2-5, all on putts inside eight feet, turning in 32 to join the leaders, but wayward tee shots on the inward nine left him even-par 36. He hit only eight fairways but struck his irons well and needed 28 putts. He plans an aggressive approach tomorrow—especially off the tee—and again believes putting will be decisive.
Hsieh Chi-hsien made six birdies and three bogeys, needing 26 putts. Errant drives and approaches limited birdie chances; he posted 33 out and an even 36 in, ending three back but still in the hunt.
Overnight leader Kao Teng struggled with the putter, taking 32 putts and managing just one birdie against two bogeys for a 73. Though now three behind, he remains in contention.
The tournament is personally title-sponsored by Mercuries Group Honorary Chairman Wong Chau-shi, organized by the PGA of Taiwan (TPGA), with Nan Pao Golf Course as title host and co-organizer. Nan Pao is hosting this event for the fourth time (after 2021, 2023 and 2024) and co-hosting a TPGA men’s event for the sixth time since 2012.
Nan Pao, Taiwan’s first organic eco-golf course, earned EU certification in 2012 and has promoted professional golf for more than a decade, including a 2012 TPGA major and a 2019 Philippine-Tour co-sanctioned event. It joined the CHAU-SHI Series in its inaugural 2021 season, skipped 2022 due to COVID-19, and has title-hosted every year since. Nan Pao has been instrumental in TPGA’s pursuit of world-ranking status.
The CHAU-SHI Series, launched in 2021 by Wong Chau-shi to revive Taiwan’s tour after pandemic cutbacks, now spans ten events within a 20-tournament TPGA season. The Series money champ also receives NT$200,000 from Hung Lin Construction Chairperson Lin Kuo-er and a berth in next year’s Mercuries Taiwan Masters.
Nan Pao’s A and B courses serve this week’s event: par 72, 6,639 yards, not long but with tricky grainy greens that make short putting decisive.
Special prizes: hole-in-one awards on A3, B2 and B6 (with additional Bell & Ross watch on B2 for the first pro ace); course-record bonus of NT$20,000 for breaking Tony Lascuna’s 64; low-round prizes of NT$10,000 for rounds 3 and 4; spectators may walk the course after paying the NT$340 facility fee and must stay on cart paths, with no carts and no children under six or pets allowed.
Athletic trainers are on site 27-28 June. Edited one-hour highlight shows of the final two rounds will stream at 4 p.m. on July 8 and 9 via TPGA Facebook, Chih-Lin Sports Channel and YouTube, with news updates on the TPGA website, LINE Golfourit, LINE Today and Yahoo Sports.
