2025/11/19

The 2025 ThreeBond TPGA Challenge Tour Finale – Elite Challenge Tour, with a total purse of NT$1

million, teed off today (19th) at Taipei Golf Club. Tsai Kai-Jen surged on the back nine with one eagle

and four birdies, carding a 3-under-par 69 to take the provisional lead. Hsu Li-Peng followed one shot

behind with a 70, sitting in second place. They were the only two players to finish the first round

under par.

Two other players, Yang Hsiao-Che and Lo Cheng-Yuan, both shot even-par 72 to tie for third place.

Lien Lu-Sen and Wei Lin shot 73 and are tied for fifth.

The final round will be played tomorrow, with players competing for the championship trophy and

the NT$180,000 winner’s prize. The final standings will not only determine the event’s champion but

will also impact the Challenge Tour’s season-long Order of Merit title, bonus awards for the top three,

and qualification for next year’s Challenge Tour and Taiwan Tour. The prize money totals among the

top four players in the current season ranking are extremely close, making the competition intense.

Current leader Tsai Kai-Jen also sits second on the season-long money list. Tomorrow, he will not only

aim for his second Challenge Tour victory of the year but also fight for the season’s Order of Merit

title. If he wins and current No.1 Hsieh Ting-Wei does not finish solo second, Tsai will clinch the

season money title.

Lee Jui-Shen, who is currently ranked third in total earnings, also has a chance to win the season-long

title. In today’s first round, Hsieh Ting-Wei shot 75 and is tied for ninth, while Lee shot 78 and sits tied

for 24th.

Today’s weather at Taipei Golf Club was cloudy, with very low morning temperatures of 10–12°C and

only 12–15°C at noon. Fortunately, the wind was mild, but the difficulty of the greens made putting

very challenging.

Tsai Kai-Jen played very differently between the front and back nines — three bogeys and no birdies

for a 39 on the front, followed by one eagle and four birdies for a 30 on the back. He noted that the C-

Course front nine is inherently more difficult, and he misjudged the wind, played more conservatively,

and struggled with distance control, resulting in a low greens-in-regulation rate, including a three-putt

on hole 9. However, on the back nine, he judged the wind better, and both his driver and irons

performed well. After chipping in from 20 yards on hole 10 for his first birdie, he entered “birdie

mode,” carding birdies on holes 11, 13, and 14 with putts ranging from 2 to 6 feet.

On the par-5 16th, he hit an 8-iron from 172 yards to 21 feet and rolled in a long putt for a spectacular

eagle. On the par-3 18th, he missed his 15-foot birdie attempt but made a solid 6-foot comeback putt

to save par, ending with a satisfying finish.

He emphasized that the keys to victory tomorrow are driving and putting. He will try to minimize

mistakes and not overthink the race for the money title. “Just play my best! Focus on my

performance. If good things are going to happen, let them happen naturally!”

Second-place Hsu Li-Peng delivered balanced performance across the board, making five birdies and

three bogeys, including two birdies each on par-3 and par-5 holes. Aside from a standout 33-foot

birdie putt on the par-3 4th, both of his par-5 birdies were set up by chip-and-putt sequences with 6-

foot putts. Two other birdies came from 9-foot putts.

His performance today was very steady with 10 fairways hit, 12 greens in regulation, and 29 putts.

Although he three-putted for bogey on hole 14, he said Taipei Golf Club is difficult and he was very

satisfied with his performance today. “Nothing to complain about!”

Tied for third place, Yang Hsiao-Che and Lo Cheng-Yuan each shot three birdies and three bogeys.

Yang chipped in twice for birdie today—from 20 yards on the par-5 2nd and the par-4 13th. He said

that since finishing the Chasing the Sun Open in late October, his swing had become inconsistent and

his form was not ideal. Yesterday’s practice was also not good, so he relied more on his short game

feel today.

The final round will be played tomorrow. Players will again tee off simultaneously from holes 1 and 10

in two-player groups. The first group starts at 7:00 a.m. and the last group at 8:17 a.m. The

tournament is expected to finish around 1:30 p.m., followed by the award ceremony.

This finale event consists of two rounds (36 holes) with no cut. The champion will earn NT$180,000,

the runner-up NT$100,000, and third place NT$60,000. Only 40 players are competing, including the

top 34 players from the latest Challenge Tour money list, two Taiwan Tour seed players, and

sponsor/invitation entries. All participants will receive prize money; players finishing 36th–40th each

earn NT$10,000.

The tournament is title-sponsored by ThreeBond, organized by The PGA of Taiwan (TPGA), and co-

organized by Taipei Golf Club. The course measures 6,964 yards and is played on the C and D courses.

The Challenge Tour’s season money leader will receive an additional NT$500,000 bonus provided by

Taiwan Fu Hsing Industrial Co. The second-ranked player will receive NT$300,000, and the third-

ranked NT$200,000. The top three players in the final season money ranking will earn direct

exemption into next year’s Taiwan Tour.

The current top 10 players on the ThreeBond Challenge Tour money list are Hsieh Ting-Wei, Tsai Kai-

Jen, Lee Jui-Shen, Lin Da-You, Hsieh Tung-Hung, Wu Yao-Wei, Tsai Chen-Kai, Lee Shih-Hung, Yang

Hsiao-Che, and Liu Tze-Sen.

Season-long money leader Hsieh Ting-Wei has accumulated NT$534,499. Tsai Kai-Jen follows with

NT$420,395, and Lee Jui-Shen is third with NT$418,000. Lin Da-You sits fourth with NT$270,000, and

Hsieh Tung-Hung is fifth with NT$254,898.

Tomorrow is the decisive final round that will determine the season money champion. Whether Hsieh

Ting-Wei can retain the No.1 position depends on his performance as well as the challenges from Tsai

Kai-Jen and Lee Jui-Shen.

Chairman Jui-Chang Lin of Taiwan Fu Hsing Industrial Co. continues to sponsor the TPGA Taiwan Tour

and ThreeBond Challenge Tour money titles this year. He has also added bonus awards for the top

three players of both tours — NT$500,000, NT$300,000, and NT$200,000 respectively — totaling

NT$2 million. This marks the seventh consecutive year that Taiwan Fu Hsing has supported the TPGA’s

money titles.

In addition to Taiwan Fu Hsing Industrial Co., the ThreeBond Challenge Tour has long-term

sponsorship support from Yeangder Group, Bowei Group, Cheng-Guan-Yuan Driving Range, and

Advanced Group. Long-term co-host courses include Ban-Zhi-Hua, Hsin Yi, Ta Kang Shan, Kaohsiung,

Taipei, and The Royal Kuan-Hsi Golf Club, all major contributors to the success of this tour.

The award ceremony for the Challenge Tour’s Money Leader and the 2nd and 3rd place finishers will

be held during the Pro-Am dinner on the 21st.

Special Awards Provided:

Hole-in-One Prize

On holes 4, 8, 11, and 18, the prizes follow the original sponsorship provided by the course. The

course offers NT$20,000 for members and NT$10,000 for non-members.

On hole 18 (D Course hole 9), Tung Hui Watch Co. provides an ORIS watch valued at NT$122,800 to

the first professional player who scores a hole-in-one during the two official competition rounds.

Course Record Bonus (C & D course)

Breaking the course record of 66 (held by Coach Lu Chien-Shun) will earn NT$30,000 (provided by the

course). No bonus is offered for closest-to-the-pin.

ThreeBond is a multinational corporation from Japan known for manufacturing industrial adhesives. It

was introduced to Taiwan by former TPGA Chairman and current ThreeBond Challenge Tour CEO

Chih-Chung Chen, and has been the title sponsor of the TPGA Challenge Tour for 11 years.

This year’s ThreeBond TPGA Challenge Tour featured nine tournaments. The first eight events each

offered NT$1 million in total prize money with NT$150,000 to the champion (except the 7th event,

Advanced Challenge Tour, which awarded NT$250,000). The finale also features a NT$1 million purse

with NT$180,000 for the champion.

Spectators are warmly welcomed to Taipei Golf Club to enjoy this exciting and highly competitive

tournament.

Spectators may enter the course during the tournament without paying maintenance or facility fees.

They must fill out a waiver form at the starting area in exchange for a spectator pass, which should be

worn in a visible location for staff inspection. Spectators must not enter the fairways and should

maintain a safe distance at all times. Walking on cart paths is required; golf carts are not allowed, and

no shuttle service is provided between holes. For safety reasons, children under six and pets are not

recommended to enter the course.