2025/7/30
The sixth leg of the 2025 CHAU-SHI Series, the Chasing Dream Open with a total purse of NT$3 million, entered its second round today (July 30) at The Royal Kuan‑Hsi Golf Club. Under sunny skies, Lawrence Ting and Chang Wei-lun both aggressively attacked the course, each carding a 10-under-par 62 to tie the course record and share the lead at 14-under 130 through two rounds.
Ting made 10 birdies with no bogeys, while Chang recorded 11 birdies and one bogey. Both matched the course record of 62, previously set by Lu Wei-chih, and each achieved this score for the first time in their professional careers; their prior bests were both 63.
Yeh Yu-cheng shot a 66 to sit alone in third at 13-under 131. Hung Chien-yao turned in a 65 to reach 132 and currently sits solo fourth. Hsieh Ting-wei also posted 65 for a two-round total of 133, placing him solo fifth.
Four professional players — Lu Sun-yi, Hung Chao-hsin, Liu Yong-hua, and Kao Teng — are tied for sixth at 134. Among them, Lu shot 63, Hung and Liu each shot 65, and Kao carded 67.
Among the amateurs, Tsai An-chieh had the best performance with a 67 today, reaching 8-under 136 overall, currently tied for 14th on the professional leaderboard.
After two rounds, players with a score of 1-under 143 or better — a total of 58 players including three amateurs — advanced to the final two rounds.
Lawrence Ting’s performance today marked his career-low in a professional event. He made 10 birdies and no bogeys. “The weather was good today. It turned sunny, a bit stuffy but still comfortable. My driver was excellent, and irons were solid too — I hit 17 greens and had only 25 putts,” he said. Starting from the 10th tee, he carded 4 birdies for a 32 on the front and 6 birdies on the back for 30. The birdies included four par-5s and six par-4s. His longest birdie putt was a 10-footer at the 2nd hole.
He noted that although he missed five fairways off the tee, none were disastrous. Even when landing in the rough, he could still recover. He remained patient, acknowledging that the wet fairways often caused mud-covered balls to fly unpredictably. The only green he missed was the par-3 12th. “The Royal course isn’t particularly long — it’s very attackable,” he remarked.
Chang Wei-lun made 11 birdies and one bogey. He commented that his tee shots today weren’t as sharp as yesterday, hitting only 9 fairways, but his iron play and putting were exceptional. He hit 14 greens in regulation, most of them close to the pin, and had just 23 putts — the lowest of the round. “My putting was really on today. I just looked at the line and stroked it in,” he said.
None of his birdie putts exceeded 12 feet. Notable birdies included the 1st, 4th, and 7th holes with 12-foot putts, and the rest were within 5 to 9 feet.
He recalled the last time he shot a 9-under 63 was in the opening round of the Mizuno Open at Banqiao Golf Club in June this year — a tournament he ultimately won.
Yeh Yu-cheng carded six birdies and no bogeys. He had solid all-around play with his driver, irons, and putter. Four of his six birdies came on par-5s. On three of the long holes, he made birdies from within 3 feet with chip-and-putt plays. On the 18th, he reached the green in two and had an 18-foot eagle try that narrowly missed. His other birdies came from 6–8 feet, though he missed two good chances on par-3s from 9 and 15 feet.
He said he missed only two fairways and hit 13 greens with 26 putts. “Today’s weather was nice and the course isn’t long, but green positioning is key. Putting was also crucial to my score.” He finished the last three holes of Round 1 this morning with a 65, then played the full second round about an hour later. “Fatigue wasn’t a problem, but waking up at 3 a.m. was tough,” he added.
Lu Sun-yi, who played in the same group as Yeh, also played 21 holes today. After finishing Round 1 with a 71, he bounced back with a Round 2 performance that felt like waking from a dream. He hit 15 greens and had just 25 putts, scoring an eagle and seven birdies with no bogeys — his personal best in a professional event, surpassing his previous best of 65.
Starting on the 10th hole, Lu made two birdies and an eagle for a 32, and five birdies on the back for a 31. On the par-5 18th, his second shot with a 7-iron flew 185 yards to 8 feet, and he holed the eagle putt. He also birdied two other par-5s with chip-and-putt plays. His longest birdie putt was a 15-footer at the 7th hole.
He noted that he missed only two fairways, both of which he managed to save par. Notably, on the 13th, his drive landed in the 14th fairway. He hit his second back to the fringe of the 13th green and saved par with a chip and putt. On the 9th hole, his drive went left and he feared it had gone into the water, but the ball was found on the edge. He hit the green with his second and two-putted for par. “My short game was really sharp today — it saved me many strokes,” he said.
Hung Chien-yao made seven birdies with no bogeys. He said his swing and mentality weren’t quite as good as yesterday, but the result was still decent. He hit 16 greens — two more than the previous round — and had 27 putts. With playing partners performing well and his young caddie giving accurate reads, he caught fire from holes 4 to 8, carding five straight birdies for a front-nine 31 and two more on the back for a 34.
At the par-3 7th hole, he holed a 21-foot birdie putt — the longest of his round — thanks to his caddie’s accurate read and a confident stroke.
Hsieh Ting-wei made eight birdies and one bogey. He was in excellent form with all clubs. His tee shots were accurate and often found the fairway, giving him many chances to attack greens. His irons and putter did not disappoint either. He birdied all four par-5s and reached three of them in two shots, setting up eagle chances — although none dropped. On the 18th, his second shot left him a 15-foot eagle putt that just missed, but he still made birdie.
He made consecutive birdies on the 15th and 16th holes — a 15-footer and a chip-in from 5 yards respectively. He had 28 putts, hit 14 greens and 10 fairways — a strong performance overall.
Hung Chao-hsin played 22 holes today, completing the final four holes of Round 1 with a 69, then making an eagle, six birdies, and one bogey in Round 2. He was solid across all clubs, starting on the 10th tee and posting an eagle and three birdies on the front nine. On the par-5 18th, he hit a 4-iron 230 yards to the green, then holed a 15-foot eagle putt. He also birdied all three remaining par-5s, and his longest birdie putt was a 15-footer on the par-3 12th.
He had 26 putts, hit 9 fairways and 13 greens. “I took advantage of my birdie chances today. The only miss was a 6-foot uphill putt on the 6th. But I saved par on the 3rd hole after finding the greenside bunker — chipped to 12 feet and made the putt. That was one of the best saves today,” he said.
This 72-hole event runs from July 29 to August 1, with 124 players from seven countries — including 118 professionals and 7 amateurs. Among them are 101 Taiwanese and 16 international players from Australia, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Thailand, and the U.S. The champion will receive NT$500,000. This is the ninth TPGA event of the year and the sixth in the CHAU-SHI Series.
The event continues last year’s tradition of combining professional golf with charity. Led by Ms. Lin Kuo-er of Green Forest Development and Mr. Liao Nien-chi of The Royal Kuan‑Hsi Golf Club, the tournament promotes the spirit of philanthropy in men’s professional golf, echoing Ms. Lin’s belief that “Love is contagious; good deeds spread.” The charitable element continues to grow under the motto “Compassion Never Stops, Philanthropy Never Sleeps.”
The event is title-sponsored by Mr. Wong Chau-shi, Honorary Chairman of the Mercuries Group. The Royal Kuan‑Hsi Golf Club is the venue title sponsor, Green Forest Development Co., Ltd. is the main sponsor, and the TPGA is the event organizer, with support from the host venue.
This marks the fourth consecutive year that The Royal Kuan‑Hsi Golf Club has hosted a men’s pro event since returning to the scene in 2022, after last hosting in 1999. The club opened in 1995, hosted the Royal Men’s Open in 1998 and 1999, and 17 consecutive editions of the TLPGA Royal Women’s Open thereafter.
The late Chairman Liao Wan-ying was a long-time supporter of both men’s and women’s professional golf. In 2022, the club resumed hosting TPGA events to continue contributing to the growth of golf in Taiwan.
This year, Green Forest’s Chairwoman Lin Kuo-er remains a main sponsor. The company has supported this event for four consecutive years and introduced the women's charity platform into the Chasing Dream Open last year. This marks the sixth year the charity platform has been integrated into a pro golf event.
Charity proceeds will go to six organizations:
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St. Lucy Catholic Foundation, Hsinchu County
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Taiwan Alzheimer’s Disease Association
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Mama Pearl Children’s Care and Education Association
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Genesis Social Welfare Foundation
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Taiwan Xinfuli Emotional Education Association
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Taipei Goodwill Family Foundation
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(Up from four recipient organizations last year.)
The CHAU-SHI Series was founded by Mr. Wong Chau-shi, one of the Mercuries Group’s founders. In response to the pandemic’s impact on the Taiwan Tour in 2021, Mr. Wong personally funded six events with NT$2 million each — totaling NT$12 million. This became the foundation for that year’s tour. This year marks the fifth consecutive year of such sponsorship, with 10 events funded at NT$1.5 million each, for a total of NT$15 million, contributing to a record 20 TPGA events this season.
A special Order of Merit prize is awarded to the top earner of the CHAU-SHI Series, sponsored by Lin Kuo-er of HONLIN CONSTRUCTION CO., LTD. The winner will receive NT$200,000 and a guaranteed spot in the following year’s Mercuries Taiwan Masters.
After two rounds, the top 50 players by score advance to the final two rounds. The winner will earn NT$500,000, and the runner-up NT$250,000.
Special awards include:
Hole-in-One Awards:
Holes 3, 7, 12, and 17 — NT$20,000 + designated gifts from the venue.
Hole 12 — NT$50,000 from SOCH Furniture | Diandiansleep.
Hole 17 — A Bell & Ross watch valued at NT$168,000 from Tung Hui Watch Co., for the first professional to score a hole-in-one on this hole during official rounds.
A one-night stay in the Presidential Suite at Lishan Guesthouse, sponsored by Da-An Group (no date or hole restriction).
Course Record Bonus:
Breaking the 62-stroke record (held by Lu Wei-chih) — NT$20,000 from The Royal Kuan‑Hsi Golf Club.
Low Round Bonuses (Rounds 3 & 4):
NT$10,000 each round from SOCH Furniture | Diandiansleep. In case of ties, the prize is shared.
Spectators are welcome for Rounds 1 and 2. For Rounds 3 and 4, on-course viewing is closed. Spectators must register at the clubhouse, pay an NT$30 facility and cleaning fee, then obtain a pass at the starter area. Walking only — no carts or shuttles are allowed. Children under 6 and pets are not permitted for safety reasons.
The final two rounds will be edited into 60-minute highlight programs, airing at 4:00 p.m. on August 12 and 13. The broadcast will be available on TPGA’s official Facebook page, Videoland Sports, and YouTube. Tournament news is also available on TPGA’s website, Golfourit LINE channel, LINE Today, and Yahoo Sports.
