2025/7/16

The CHAU-SHI Series – Din Yue Open, with a total purse of NT$3,000,000, began today at Tai Fong Golf Club in Changhua. Liu Yong-hua showcased exceptional putting, carding a bogey-free 7-under-par 65 with seven birdies to take the solo lead. Thai player Tawit Polthai followed two strokes behind with a 67.

Liu Yen-hung and Lien Lu-sen shot 4-under-par 68 to tie for third place, while Lee Jui-shen and Japan’s Yuki Kajimura posted 69, tying for fifth.

This tournament consists of four rounds and 72 holes, marking the first time Dinyue Restaurant Co., Ltd has upgraded to host a TPGA Tour event after consecutively sponsoring the ThreeBond TPGA Challenge Tour for two years.

This event is the seventh stop on the 2025 TPGA Tour and the fifth event in the CHAU-SHI Series. The champion will receive NT$500,000, and the runner-up NT$250,000. After tomorrow’s second round, the top 50 players (including ties) will advance to the final two rounds.

Liu Yong-hua recorded just 23 putts today and said:

“Today’s putting was incredible because the green speed and line reading felt very similar to courses abroad. Everything matched my expectations perfectly.”

He made seven birdies without a bogey, including three birdie putts over 18 feet. The highlight was a near 40-foot birdie on the 13th hole. He also birdied two par-5 holes with perfect chip-and-putt executions from 5–6 feet. His best shot came at the par-3 15th hole, where he struck a 7-iron from 195 yards to eight feet and sank the putt.

Liu noted that he hit only 9 fairways and 10 greens in regulation, often leaving himself over 20 feet from the hole. He relied heavily on short game and putting for par saves and birdies. For instance, at the 6th hole, after finding the rough, he chipped to six feet and saved par, and at the 10th, after overshooting the green, he sank a 10-footer for par after a long first putt ran past the hole.

“This year is my first playing on the Asian Tour. I haven’t had a big breakthrough yet, but I feel it’s coming soon,” he added.

Thailand’s Tawit Polthai made six birdies and one bogey, including two par-5 birdies. He commented:

“Overall, every part of my game felt solid today. I only hit 10 fairways, and many drives landed in the rough, but my recovery shots were excellent, with 14 greens hit and birdie chances mostly within 4–9 feet. My longest birdie was a 20-footer at the 13th.”

Despite missing four birdie chances, his putting was still good with 28 putts. “The greens rolled beautifully, but the rough is the biggest challenge—getting out is tough! That’s why I’m proud of how I handled those situations today,” he said.

Liu Yen-hung posted four birdies and no bogeys, thanks to sharp short game skills. He admitted that at least six par saves were made from precise chips after drives missed the fairway. “My tee shots weren’t ideal today—seven drives went into the rough—but I scrambled well and kept scores clean,” he said. He had 26 putts.

Veteran Senior player Lien Lu-sen impressed with six birdies and two bogeys, capitalizing on strong driving, iron play, and putting. He birdied four of the first five holes, riding strong momentum, hitting 15 greens in regulation, and taking 30 putts.

He said afterward:

“Tai Fong is a real thinking course—you need careful strategy and precise shots. Any small mistake costs you. I even changed my tee shot shape to a soft draw to suit the layout.”

Lee Jui-shen shot four birdies and one bogey, making clutch putts of 17 feet at the par-3 2nd, 11 feet at the 7th, and a 40-foot bomb at the 10th. His only bogey came at the par-3 15th after missing the green and needing two putts.

“Overall, my driver and irons felt solid today with 11 greens hit. Even though I hit only seven fairways, none were badly offline. Tai Fong’s narrow holes require absolute focus,” Lee said.

Kajimura hit 12 fairways and putted superbly with 25 putts, carding five birdies and two bogeys. Starting on the 10th, he shot 37 on the back nine with one birdie and two bogeys, then surged with four birdies on the front nine for a 32.

Among the 14 amateurs, Ke Liang-yu led with a 75, tied for 48th on the professional leaderboard.

Dinyue Restaurant Co., Ltd first co-hosted a ThreeBond Challenge Tour event with Recoco Corporation Ltd in 2023, then independently hosted one in 2024. This year, they upgraded to sponsor a TPGA Tour event.

The TPGA Tour officially joined the OWGR on January 5, ranking alongside many international tours as one that awards world ranking points.

This tournament includes players from six other countries and regions beyond the host nation—Australia, Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United States, and Hong Kong—totaling 126 professionals (93 from Taiwan, 22 from Japan), plus 14 Taiwanese amateurs.

The CHAU-SHI Series is the brainchild of Wong Chau-shi, Honorary Chairman of Mercuries Group, who has been the title sponsor since its inception in 2021. This tournament is hosted by Dinyue Restaurant Co., Ltd, organized by TPGA, and co-organized by Tai Fong Golf Club.

The CHAU-SHI Series was initiated by Wong Chau-shi to support Taiwanese golf when the pandemic reduced tournaments and prize funds in 2021. He personally sponsored six events with NT$2 million each (NT$12 million total), laying the foundation for the TPGA Tour that year. This year marks the fifth consecutive season under the same model, with event count rising from eight to ten, totaling NT$15 million, bringing the overall 2025 TPGA Tour schedule to 20 tournaments.

The CHAU-SHI Series also offers an exclusive annual prize for the Order of Merit winner: an additional NT$200,000 sponsored by HONLIN CONSTRUCTION CO., LTD Chairman Lin Kuo-erh, along with an invitation to the Mercuries Taiwan Masters next year.

Tai Fong Golf Club measures 7,255 yards with long fairways, penal rough, and undulating greens. The hot summer weather adds an endurance challenge. The course has been prepared in peak condition.

Special Prizes:

Hole-in-One Awards:

8th Hole (Pro-Am): An exclusive “Moonlight” private dining banquet at Dinyue Restaurant (valued at NT$100,000).

Official Rounds: A premium California wine set from the Tai Bai Wine Cellar (valued at NT$116,400).

Holes 2, 8, 12, 15: NT$10,000 cash from Tai Fong Golf Club.

15th Hole: A Bell & Ross watch worth NT$168,000, courtesy of Tung Hui Watch Company (professionals only).

Additional Prizes:

Presidential Suite stay at Lishan Guest House, courtesy of Da An Group.

Lowest Score Awards in Rounds 3 and 4: NT$10,000 each from SOCH Furniture | Diandiansleep (split in case of ties).

168 premium gift vouchers worth NT$5,500 each (Tai Jing Dian Royal SPA + Kang Bo Clinic health consultation), sponsored by Chairman Tang Wei-chih, for pro-am dinner attendees.

Sports Protection: Provided by YouYoung Sports Complex during the pro-am (July 15) and Rounds 3 & 4 (July 18–19).

Spectators may attend for free by registering at designated counters. Children under six and pets are prohibited.

Highlights of the final two rounds will air as 60-minute programs on July 29 and 30 at 4 PM via TPGA Facebook, Videoland Sports, and YouTube, with updates available on TPGA’s website, LINE Golfourit, LINE Today, and Yahoo Sports.