2025 CHAU-SHI Series – GIANT Open
Round 1
2025/9/10
The eighth stop of the CHAU-SHI Series – GIANT Open, with a total prize purse of NT$3,000,000, officially teed off today (10th) at the Dong Hua Elite Golf Club. Three players — Tseng Tzu-hao, Shapiyate Mako, and Lu Wei-chih — all carded impressive 6-under-par rounds of 66, taking the joint lead. Hung Chao-hsin followed closely behind with a 67, sitting in solo fourth place.
Tsai Kai-jen, Shen Wei-cheng, and Yang Hsiao-che each shot 4-under-par 68s, tying for fifth place. Chen Hui-hung, Chen Ting-yu, and Hung Chien-yao posted 69s, tying for eighth.
The weather at Dong Hua was sunny and reached 33°C in the morning, but heavy rain hit suddenly at 3:50 p.m. The tournament committee decided to suspend play, sending players back to the clubhouse. Play resumed at 4:40 p.m. after conditions improved.
Tseng Tzu-hao’s irons and putter were in top form today, allowing him to card six birdies with no bogeys. He hit 16 greens in regulation, needing only 28 putts, and found 10 fairways off the tee. Among his highlights was a spectacular 48-foot uphill birdie putt on the par-4 5th hole. “I was just trying to lag it close,” he said, “but it dropped right in!” He also drained a 30-foot downhill birdie putt on the par-3 3rd hole, and converted several clutch putts inside six feet to save par.
Tseng praised the quality of the greens at Dong Hua, noting their smooth and consistent speed. He also revealed that he recently adjusted his putting tempo, saying, “I try not to overthink it — just make a confident stroke.” He added that his only regret was capitalizing on just one of the four par-5s, making birdie on the 1st hole, while his other three birdies came on par-4s from putts between 12 and 16 feet.
Lu Wei-chih’s short game and putting also fueled his success. He carded six birdies in total, including a stretch of three straight birdies on holes 6–8 for a front-nine 30. On the par-4 1st and par-4 7th, he holed 15-foot and 18-foot birdie putts, respectively, while his other birdies came from inside five feet. His most impressive shot of the day came on the par-5 12th: after driving into the left rough near the trees and facing a water hazard, he smartly laid up to the fairway, then hit a precise 192-yard 6-iron onto the green and holed an 18-foot birdie putt.
Lu said his 27 total putts were a key factor today. However, after the rain delay, he struggled with rhythm and energy, making two bogeys on the back nine alongside two birdies, finishing with a steady round despite the weather interruption.
Shapiyate Mako also posted an excellent round of seven birdies and one bogey, recording just 25 putts. His short game was sharp, converting birdies on both par-5s with chip-and-putt executions. Among his highlights, he drained a 36-foot birdie putt on the par-3 3rd hole and an 18-foot birdie on the par-3 16th hole. He revealed that he used his driver only three times today, preferring irons off the tee to keep the ball safely in play, hitting 14 greens in regulation. “Minimizing mistakes was the key,” he said.
Hung Chao-hsin, in solo fourth, rolled the ball beautifully with 25 putts, making three birdies on the par-5s, including an unforgettable one at the par-5 12th. After hitting his drive into the right rough and initially thinking his ball was lost, he returned to the tee to hit a provisional, but a marshal found his original ball just in time. He went on to chip to within three feet and holed the birdie putt — a pleasant surprise on his 28th birthday. Hung credited a recent switch to a new putter two months ago, which has improved his performance on Dong Hua’s challenging greens, where slopes and grain make reading putts difficult.
The CHAU-SHI Series’ eighth event continues through September 13th with a 72-hole, four-round format. A total of 117 players from five countries are competing, including 113 professionals and four amateurs. The winner will claim NT$500,000. This marks the second consecutive year that GIANT Heavy Machinery Engineering Co., Ltd. serves as the title sponsor of this Taiwan PGA Tour event.
The tournament is personally title-sponsored by Mercuries Group Honorary Chairman Wong Chau-shi, with GIANT Heavy Machinery Engineering Co., Ltd. as the event title sponsor, the PGA of Taiwan (TPGA) as the organizer, and Dong Hua Elite Golf Club as the co-organizer.
The CHAU-SHI Series offers a special Season Money Winner Bonus Award: the player who tops the series’ money list receives an additional NT$250,000 from HONLIN CONSTRUCTION CO., LTD. Chairwoman Lin Kuo-erh, as well as an exemption into the 2026 Taiwan Mercuries Invitational.
Founded in 2013, GIANT Heavy Machinery Engineering has grown under Chairman Chang Lin-kuei into a 160-member professional team with an average age under 35, reflecting a youthful, energetic, and dynamic corporate culture. The company specializes in the transport and hoisting of oversized equipment, providing customized solutions for oversized, overweight, and complex industrial demands, balancing safety, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. Their expertise spans Taiwan’s major science parks, petrochemicals, power generation, technology, wind energy, and offshore wind industries, solidifying their role as a leading engineering solutions provider.
Beyond business, GIANT actively engages in corporate social responsibility, supporting coastal cleanup projects, children’s care and educational programs, and sponsoring elementary school badminton teams, demonstrating its dedication to environmental protection and helping underserved communities.
The CHAU-SHI Series was initiated by Wong Chau-shi, one of the founders and Honorary Chairman of the Mercuries Group. In 2021, when the Taiwan Tour faced significant reductions in tournaments and prize funds due to the pandemic, Wong personally funded six events, contributing NT$2 million per tournament, totaling NT$12 million. This support reestablished the foundation of the Taiwan Tour. Continuing the same model, 2025 marks the fifth consecutive year of Wong’s full title sponsorship, now with 10 events, an increase from eight last year, raising his total contribution to NT$15 million and boosting the Taiwan Tour’s total to 20 tournaments this season.
This week’s field includes 97 Taiwanese players, three Taiwanese amateurs, and 20 international players from Australia, Japan, Malaysia, and Thailand. Many of Taiwan’s top golfers are in action, including most of last year’s top 60 Taiwan Tour money leaders. Among the top 10 in this season’s money rankings, five are competing: No.1 Shen Wei-cheng, No.4 Hung Chien-yao, No.6 Huang Yi-tseng, No.7 Hsieh Ting-wei, and No.10 Lu Sun-i.
Defending champion Huang Chi, who edged Shen Wei-cheng in a playoff last year, returns seeking back-to-back titles. Shen Wei-cheng, winner of this year’s SANYA TPGA Championship, is aiming for his second Taiwan Tour victory of the season, while Huang Yi-tseng, winner of the CHAU-SHI Series – Chung Hua Ta Chia Charity event, is also targeting his second title.
After two rounds, the top 50 players and ties will advance to the final two rounds of the tournament.
Dong Hua Elite Golf Club, measuring 7,176 yards, will host the four-round competition. In the first two rounds, players tee off from both the 1st and 10th holes, with the morning wave starting at 6:30 a.m. and the afternoon wave at 11:00 a.m.
Special Prizes:
Hole-in-One Prizes:
Holes 3, 6, 13, and 16 — NT$20,000 each, provided by Dong Hua Elite Golf Club.
Hole 13 — NT$100,000, sponsored by Hu Han-yen, Chairman of Chyi Teh Machinery & Crane Engineering Co., Ltd., awarded to the first player making a hole-in-one during the official rounds (open to both professionals and amateurs).
Hole 16 — A luxury ORIS watch valued at NT$122,800, provided by Tung Hui Watch Co., awarded to the first player making a hole-in-one during the official rounds (professionals only).
Lishan Hotel Special Prize:
Da An Group offers one complimentary night in the Presidential Suite at Lishan Hotel, available for both weekdays and weekends, unrestricted by hole or player count.
Course Record Bonus:
Breaking the current course record of 62, held by Chang Tze-peng, earns a NT$100,000 prize provided by Dong Hua Elite Golf Club.
Low-Round Prizes:
SOCH Furniture | Diandiansleep sponsors NT$10,000 each for the lowest rounds on Days 3 and 4. In case of ties, the prize is split evenly.
Spectators are welcome to attend. Fans must register at the event service desk to obtain a spectator pass, free of charge. For safety, walking paths are restricted to cart paths only, carts are prohibited, and shuttle service between holes is unavailable. Children under six and pets are not permitted on the course.
The final two rounds will be rebroadcast in one-hour highlight programs on September 23rd and 24th at 4:00 p.m. Coverage will be available via TPGA’s official Facebook page, Videoland Sports, and YouTube. Additional updates can be accessed on TPGA’s official website, LINE Golfourit platform, LINE Today, and Yahoo Sports.
