2025/7/2
The fourth stop of the 2025 CHAU-SHI Series, the Da Jia Charity Open, began today (July 2) at CCK Golf Club in Taichung. Despite the scorching sunlight, five players shot a six-under-par 66, and are tied for the lead: Chen Yi-dong, Chen Wei-sheng, Lin Chen-ju, Chang Che-yu, and Japan’s Ryo Noro. Liu Yen-hung and Ho Chin-hung each shot 67, one stroke back in a tie for sixth place.
Five more players—Hung Rui-cheng, Lin Da-dong, Li Chao-hua, and Japan’s Yasuo Sawasaki and Ryota Okumatsu—are tied for eighth at 68.
This four-round, 72-hole tournament runs through the 5th. The field includes 124 competitors from four countries: 119 professionals and 5 amateurs. The champion will earn NT$500,000. This marks the Da Jia Charity Association’s first time as a title sponsor for a Taiwan Tour event.
Today’s round took place under stifling heat in Taichung’s Qingshui District, with temperatures reaching 33 °C and feels like 37 °C. Cloud cover made it slightly more bearable than yesterday’s blazing sun, allowing players to perform well.
Chen Yi-dong carded six birdies and no bogeys. His driving, iron play, and putting were all solid and steady. He birdied five holes on the front nine and one on the back. He noted the back nine putts were tougher, missing two 9-foot birdie opportunities. His birdies included two on par-5s and three on par-4s, with his longest birdie putt a 30-footer on hole 2. His three inaccurate tee shots didn’t stop him from reaching 15 greens in regulation and carding 28 putts to tie for the lead.
Japan’s Ryo Noro shot one eagle, six birdies, and two bogeys. On the 390-yard par-4 12th, he hit an 85-yard, 58° wedge from the fairway into the hole for eagle. He also sank two birdie putts on par-5s, though his longest birdie was a 33-footer on the par-4 10th. He reached 13 greens in regulation, sank 26 putts, and drove well—hitting nine fairways. He commented, “Fortunately the weather wasn’t extremely hot today, so it was bearable.”
Chen Wei-sheng, Lin Chen-ju, and Chang Che-yu each finished with seven birdies and one bogey. Chen Wei-sheng’s front nine featured six birdies for a low 30, followed by a birdie and a bogey for 36 on the back. He said the back nine required longer shots and the greens were tougher to read. He recorded 28 putts (11 front, 17 back) and birdied two par-5s and five par-4s, with the farthest birdie putt on hole 1 (15 feet). He hit 15 greens in regulation and missed only one fairway off the tee.
Lin Chen-ju made seven birdies and one bogey, driving and hitting irons well to leave himself good approach shots. He missed only two fairways off the tee but putted accurately with 27 strokes. Starting from hole 10, he reached the green in regulation but past the hole with his approach, three-putting for his lone bogey. He carded 31 on holes 1–9 (five birdies) and 35 on holes 10–18 (two birdies, one bogey). His longest birdie putt was a 30-footer on hole 12, with another 21-foot birdie on hole 5 and two at 15 feet.
Chang Che-yu had the second-lowest putt total of the day with just 24. His longest putts were 30 feet on hole 14 and 21 feet on hole 13, both resulting in birdies. He said his driving and iron play were solid. He credited two weeks in China playing the China Tour for improving his swing consistency—especially compared to the flat, straight layout at CCK. And compared to the more sweltering conditions in China, today’s weather in Taichung felt milder.
Among amateurs, Chen Liang-yu shot 70, tied for 29th.
The tournament is personally title-sponsored by Mercuries Group Honorary Chairman Wong Chau-shi, organized by the PGA of Taiwan (TPGA), and hosted in partnership with the Da Jia Charity Association and CCK Golf Club.
The field comprises 122 players—117 professionals and 5 amateurs—from four countries (Australia, Japan, Thailand, and Taiwan), including 95 Taiwanese and 18 Japanese.
The Da Jia Charity Association is a nationwide non-profit foundation established by law, mobilizing donations and volunteer effort under the spirit of “sharing others’ hunger and rescuing others’ peril.” Its mission includes social welfare and moral education, supporting disadvantaged groups and seniors living alone, aiding children in need with academic, material, and psychological support, and assisting government and other organizations with social-welfare and public-interest programs.
The CHAU-SHI Series was initiated by Wong Chau-shi, one of the founders of Mercuries Group. In response to pandemic-related cuts to tour events and prize money in 2021, he personally title-sponsored six tournaments at NT$2 million each (totaling NT$12 million), laying the groundwork for the season. The same support continues into the fifth consecutive year, expanding from eight Series events last year to ten this year, and contributing to a total TPGA schedule of twenty tournaments.
The Series also offers a special NT$200,000 bonus from Hung Lin Construction Chairman Lin Kuo-er to the season-long money leader, who also secures an invitation to next year’s Mercuries Taiwan Masters.
After two rounds, the top 50 and ties advance to the final two. The champion earns NT$500,000, and the runner-up NT$250,000.
CCK Golf Club is nearly 50 years old, an 18-hole par-72 measuring 7,140 yards. Its tree-lined fairways favor powerful but accurate long hitters. The flat, dry terrain enhances roll, aiding approach shots, though the elevated greens with thick surrounds challenge the short game. Moreover, this week’s high heat will further test players’ endurance and tactical patience.
Special Prizes
Hole-in-One Awards
-
Holes 4, 11 & 17 – NT$20,000 from the club + NT$100,000 from Da Jia Charity Association Chairman Liao Chi-you
-
Hole 11 – Bell & Ross watch (value NT$168,000) from Tung Hui Watch Company for the first pro ace during the four official rounds
-
All holes – one night in the presidential suite at Lishan Guesthouse, any day, courtesy of Da An Group
