Korea’s Jiho Yang [main picture] capitalised on more palatable afternoon conditions to take the first-round lead in the KOLON Korea Open today, shooting a fine six-under-par 65.

He leads from compatriot Yujun Jung, alone in second following a 66, at Woo Jeong Hills Country Club – in the seventh leg of the season on the Asian Tour.

Koreans Sangmoon Bae – winner of this event in 2008 and 2009 – Chanmin Jung, Jinho Choi and Soomin Lee, Sweden’s Charlie Lindh and American Austen Truslow are tied for third after 68s.

They all finished late in the day while the players in morning session had to battle through persistent rain and colder conditions.

Yang is a two-time winner on the Korean PGA Tour, in 2022 and 2023, but he will no doubt rate today’s round as one of his finest – coming in his national open, featuring a stellar field.

Charlie Lindh. 

“It rained earlier this morning,” said the 37-year-old, who has been a professional since 2007.

“I was hoping the rain would stop, and thankfully it did by the time I teed off. That made me feel a lot lighter mentally.”

He started on the back nine and made bogey on his first two before he boarded the birdie train with three in a row from the 13^th and another on 18. He dropped his third and final shot of the day on the first before the birdies returned with five in his last six, including on the last two.

He explained: “I got a bit flustered after making two bogeys, but I told myself to stay calm. Then a long putt dropped, and from that moment on I felt much more comfortable. My shots and my mindset both settled down, and I think that helped me finish the round well. My wife is with me again this week, just like always. I get a lot of support from her.

“I’m trying to approach things with the same mindset as last season. I don’t want to rush, and I try not to get angry. As I get older year by year, I’m making a bigger effort to control my emotions and stay mentally composed.”

Jung is another surprise frontrunner, throwing the form back out of the window. He has yet to find his feet in the professional with just two top 10s in nearly four years on the Korean PGA Tour. However, he’ll be hoping today’s performance in just his fourth start on the Asian Tour will mark a turning point.

He also started on the back nine and made the turn in one under before a fine bogey free second nine thrust him into the spotlight. He made birdies on two, three, five plus eight and played a brilliant second shot from the trees on the par four ninth to rescue his par.

He said: “I played a practice round on Monday and then played in the Pro-Am on Tuesday. Yesterday, it rained a lot, so I couldn’t practice for very long. But my main focus was to avoid missing greens as much as possible and just keep the ball in play not hitting any OBs.”

Lindh has been showing signs this year of a player coming into form, as was the case today.

Kieran Vincent.

“We obviously got the right side of the draw,” said the Swede, who tied for sixth in the New Zealand Open earlier in the year.

“It made it a lot easier. I saw guys were struggling out there early this morning. We just had perfect weather, like playing indoors, really. Played solid, just solid all over nothing really stood out.

“I feel like my game is definitely much better now than what it was last year. Feel more comfortable. My putting has always been good. The tee to green game has been much better this year, or I mean, I’ve been working on the swing for the last three years. I made a grip change, it’s complicated.”

Zimbabwe’s Kieran Vincent is in a large group of players who shot 69, although he was of the few to do so in the morning.

“I think obviously the rain and the weather always creates a little bit of interesting factors, but at the end of the day it doesn’t really change a whole lot, you know,” said Vincent.

“You still got to hit a good shot, you still got to pick a target and trying to hit it as best as you can, and I think today what worked well was I just gave myself a bit of freedom to make some errors. There were going to be errors made, and instead of making big errors by compounding it, I was just okay with what happened, and just kind of moved on from there.”

He’ll be hoping for a good result this week ahead of his brother Scott’s arrival next week for LIV Golf Korea. Scott is enjoying his second stint on the LIV Golf League by virtue of winning The International Series Rankings last year, while Kieran played for Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII team in 2024.

Bubba Watson.

South African Ian Snyman, the most recent winner on the Asian Tour at the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open two weeks ago, carded a 72 along with American Bubba Watson, one of the star attractions this week. Abraham Ancer from Mexico was one shot worse. Both he and Watson will be staying on to compete in LIV Golf Korea.

Korean Minkyu Kim, the winner here in 2022 and 2024, carded a 74 and will need to bounce back tomorrow to have any chance of completing the hattrick.

Zimbabwe’s Kieran Vincent [main picture] overcame the elements to take a share of the clubhouse lead mid-way through day one of the KOLON Korea Open.

He shot a two-under-par 69 along with Koreans Jeunghun Wang and Dongmin Lee at Woo Jeong Hills Country Club, when rain and cold weather combined with a tough course set up to make par a good score.

They lead from Australian Jed Morgan, Thailand’s Gunn Charoenkul and Suteepat Prateeptienchai plus Koreans Changgi Lee, Hanmil Jung, and Kyungnam Kang.

“I think obviously the rain and the weather always creates a little bit of interesting factors, but at the end of the day it doesn’t really change a whole lot, you know,” said Vincent.

“You still got to hit a good shot, you still got to pick a target and trying to hit it as best as you can, and I think today what worked well was I just gave myself a bit of freedom to make some errors. There were going to be errors made, and instead of making big errors by compounding it, I was just okay with what happened, and just kind of moved on from there.”

Those errors mainly came early on when he dropped shots on the first and fifth to slip to two over. However, he birdied six and eight to make the turn in level, dropped a shot on 11 before making four birdies in a row from 12.

Jeunghun Wang.

Said the 28 year old: “I honestly didn’t even realise I’d made four in a row. I was like marking my scorecard, and like on the third one, I’m like, ‘Oh, that’s three in a row already’. Yeah, obviously had some really good shots, made a couple of putts.

“I was kind of hitting it decently the whole day, and so it was only about a matter of time when a couple of putts went in, and so it was nice to have it all in a row.”

A dropped shot on 17 cost him the outright lead but it was solid start on a difficult day.

He has won once before on the Asian Tour at the International Series Vietnam in 2023, in just his second year as a professional.

“I think honestly, my game’s been trending, and it’s been getting a lot better,” he said. “I know I’ve been telling my team, like, hey, we’re not that far off, we’re getting better, we’re getting closer, and so yeah, today was just a good, good day to kind of see myself up there and thereabouts in the leaderboard, and obviously a good start for the week.”

He’ll be hoping for a good result this week ahead of his brother Scott’s arrival next week for LIV Golf Korea. Scott is enjoying his second stint on the LIV Golf League by virtue of winning The International Series Rankings last year, while Kieran played for Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII team in 2024.

Pictures courtesy Korea Golf Association.

Minkyu Kim says the excitement is outweighing the pressure ahead of two of the biggest weeks of his season, starting with the KOLON Korea Open, which commences tomorrow, before LIV Golf Korea next week.

The Korean [main picture] will attempt to join only three players to have won his national open more than twice when he tees off at Woo Jeong Hill Country Club, before being part of the Korean GC team he joined this year in what is his first season on the LIV Golf League.

The 25 year old won the KOLON Korea Open in 2022 and 2024, on both occasions at Woo Jeong Hills, and should he be successful he will join Koreans Changsang Han and Daesub Kim plus American Orville Moody in the hattrick club. Han is the event’s most successful player with seven titles, while the others have triumphed on three occasions.

“The KOLON Korea Open is a very special tournament for me,” said Minkyu Kim.

“Just having the opportunity to go for a third win is already a big honour. It’s not an easy challenge, but I feel more excitement than pressure. If I stay focused, every one shot at a time, I believe good things can happen.”

Minkyu Kim and Younghan Song finished first and second two years ago to earn places in The Open.

His success in the tournament is one of the reasons why he was selected to play on the LIV Golf League, and it’s an opportunity he feels has led to a lot of progression.

He said: “I’ve really enjoyed my experience on LIV Golf so far. Competing alongside world-class players naturally pushes me to raise my own standards, and I’ve learned a lot both on and off the course. I also really enjoy our team KGC environment — it brings a different kind of energy to the game.

“It has definitely improved my game. Playing against so many different styles of players has helped me look at my own game more objectively. I’ve improved in terms of course management and mental strength, and overall I feel like I’m becoming a more complete player.”

The KOLON Korea Open is returning to Woo Jeong Hills for the first time since his victory here two years ago, as the course underwent renovations last year.

“Woo Jeong Hills is a course where strategy is very important,” said the Korean.

“It’s not about being overly aggressive — it’s about smart course management. Around the greens can be quite challenging, so short game is key, and I think patience is one of the most important factors to playing well here.”

This week marks only his second appearance of the season on the Asian Tour, after he finished tied for sixth in the GS Caltex Maekyung Open last month.

Minkyu Kim after winning in 2024.

He’s appeared in seven events on the LIV Golf League in 2026, with his result in Mexico, where he was eqaul 22^nd.

He said: “My game feels pretty stable at the moment. My ball-striking and putting have both been consistent, and I think that’s been a positive. I’m continuing to work on the small details to keep improving and build even more confidence.”

He has been paired with two other former champions in the first two rounds: American Seungsu Han and Junseok Lee from Korea.

American Bubba Watson and Abraham Ancer from Mexico are two of the event’s marquee players.

It is the 68^th staging on Korea’s most prestigious event, which is once again part of the Open Qualifying Series. The winner on Sunday will earn a place in this summer’s Open championship at Royal Birkdale.

Overview

Few tournaments on the Asian Tour are as big and important as the KOLON Korea Open.

This year marks the 68th staging of Korea’s national open, which returns to Woo Jeong Hills Country Club.

The prestigious event has been played at the Club since 2003, with the exception of last year when renovations were taking place.

Once again, the winner will earn a place in The Open – to be played at Royal Birkdale in July this year – as the event is part of the Open Qualifying Series.

The tournament is owned by the Korea Golf Association, with whom the Asian Tour has enjoyed a flourishing and long-standing relationship.

This week marks the seventh stop of the season on the Asian Tour.

Tournament Information

• Tournament: KOLON Korea Open
• Date: 21 – 24 May
• Venue: Woo Jeong Hills Country Club, Cheonan, Korea
• Par / Yards: 71 / 7,326 yards
• Purse: KRW2,000,000,000
• Asian Tour leg: Seventh
• Edition of tournament: 68th
• Previous winner: Sadom Kaewkanjana (THA)
• Total number of players: 144
• Format: Stroke play tournament over 4 rounds of 18 holes with a cut after 36 holes to leading 60 players (including amateurs) plus ties.

Minhyuk Song celebrates after winning the GS Caltex Maekyung Open three weeks ago. Picture courtesy of Korea Golf Association.

Field Breakdown

• Order of Merit winners: John Catlin (2024), Andy Ogletree (2023), Sihwan Kim (2023), Jazz Janewattananond (2019)
• Nationalities: 18
• Top contenders: Jeongwoo Ham (KOR), Cameron John (AUS), Ian Snyman (RSA), Pavit Tangkamolprasert (THA), Minkyu Kim [main picture] (KOR), Minhyuk Song (KOR), Seonghyeon Kim (KOR), Jazz Janewattananond (THA), Bubba Watson (USA), Abraham Ancer (MEX), Richard T. Lee (CAN)
• Highest ranked player on OWGR: Seonghyeon Kim (KOR) #146
• Highest ranked player on the Order of Merit: Jeongwoo Ham (KOR) #2
• No. of amateurs in the field: 7
• No. of Korean players in the field: 91

Tournament Notes

• As an extra incentive this year, an additional bonus of KRW200,000,000 (approximately US$133,481) will be awarded to the winner.
• South African Ian Snyman is perhaps the hottest player in the field this week following his first Asian Tour win at the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open two weeks ago. The week before that he finished T3 at the notoriously difficult Namseoul Country Club at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open. He also started off the year well with a T5 at the season opening Philippine Golf Championship. Currently third on the Order of Merit.
• Jeongwoo Ham from Korea is also in good form, winning the Singapore Open presented by The Business Times wire-to-wire last month. With the win in Singapore, he also punched his ticket to The Open via the Open Qualifying Series (OQS). Prior to his victory in Singapore he had also recorded four wins on his home tour in Korea, the last one coming in 2024.
• Fellow Korean Minkyu Kim won the Korea Open twice at the demanding Woo Jeong Hills course, in 2022 and 2024 and he recently finished T6 at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open for his best result this year. This season he has mainly been playing on the LIV Golf League as part of the Korean GC team, with a T22 in LIV Mexico City as his best finish there.

Ian Snyman after winning the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open two weeks ago. Pictures courtesy Taiwan PGA.

• Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert, currently in fourth place on the Order of Merit, started 2026 with excellent results after a runner-up at the season opening Philippine Golf Championship and a T2 in the International Series Japan. He also had an early season T2 on the All Thailand Tour after a play-off loss to compatriot Danthai Boonma. Slightly off his early season form in his last three tournaments while still making the cuts, he will be looking to rebound this week.
• Australian Cameron John has been playing great golf this year, with a runner-up at the Singapore Open and a T7 at International Series Japan. The result in Singapore also meant that he earned a place at The Open at Royal Birkdale this summer via the OQS. He also won two tournaments on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia earlier in 2026 to finish second to compatriot Travis Smyth on their 2025/26 Order of Merit.
• Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond won this tournament and this venue in 2019, the same year he would go on to win the Order of Merit title after four victories. This season his best posting has been a T3 at the Singapore Open last month, as well as a runner-up on the Asian Development Tour in late March. He is currently tied for ninth in all-time Asian Tour wins with seven, the last one coming at the 2022 International Series Morocco.
• Seonghyeon Kim from Korea has a card on the PGA Tour after graduating from the Korn Ferry Tour last year. However, as he’s preparing to possibly enter his national service later this year, he has played on the Korean PGA Tour since mid April with a T6 af the co-sanctioned GS Caltex Maekyung Open as his best finish. On the PGA Tour he has posted a T7 at the Valspar Championship as his best result in 2026, followed by a T13 at the season opening Sony Open in Hawaii. He played in three Asian Tour events in 2025 with a sixth place in the Shinhan Donghae Open as his best finish.
• Minhyuk Song from the host country won the recent GS Caltex Maykyung Open, one of the major championships in Korea, in a play-off with compatriot Mingyu Cho in dramatic fashion a few weeks ago. The 22-year-old could be considered one of the top young Korean prospects after finishing T2 in the same event in 2023 and posting numerous other top 10’s in Korean events since then. Now an Asian Tour winner and member. His Korea Open record leaves a lot of room for improvement, as he has missed the cut in every edition since first playing in 2021.
• American Bubba Watson, a two-time Masters champion in 2012 and 2014, is currently playing on the LIV Golf League as captain of the Range Goats GC. This year has not been what he has hoped for, but he had a runner-up and three other top-10s in 2025.

Abraham Ancer claimed the PIF Saudi International in 2023. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

• Fellow LIV player Abraham Ancer from Mexico, playing for Torque GC, is having a better season with a T3 in South Africa and a T4 in Riyadh. He has one LIV win on his resume, the 2024 Hong Kong event. He has one victory on the Asian Tour, the 2023 PIF Saudi International, and he also won the 2021 WGC FedEx St. Jude Invitational on the PGA Tour.
• Three-time Asian Tour champion Richard T. Lee from Canada qualified for LIV by winning the Promotions event in early January, and came very close to victory in LIV Singapore after losing to Bryson DeChambeau in a playoff. He has also posted three other top-20’s in his LIV season so far, as well as a T4 in the Woori Financial Group Championship on the KPGA Tour late last month.
• Past champions in the field this week: Minkyu Kim (2022 and 2024), Jazz Janewattananond (2019), Seungsu Han (2023), Junseok Lee (2021), Minchel Choi (2018), Yikeun Chang (2017), Sangmoon Bae (2008 and 2009).
• Korean Simon Seungmin Lee, ranked number two in the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD), just won the G4D Open at Celtic Manor in Wales, UK, last week. Lee, who is autistic, has previously won the US Adaptive Open in 2022, the 2025 ISPS HANDA Australian All Abilities Championship and the Glico Paragolf Championship in Japan three times. He regularly competes on the Korean PGA and China Tours.
• The tournament is part of the Open Qualifying Series (OQS) – The leading player, not already exempt as of close of entries who makes the cut will earn a place in The 154th Open at Royal Birkdale from 16 -19 July 2026.
• The event was staged at La Vie Est Belle (Dunes Course) last year – the only time it has not been played at Woo Jeong Hills in the last 22 years.
• The winningest player in tournament history is Korea’s Changsang Han who won the title seven times in an eight-year span. This included four years in a row 1964-1967 and three straight years 1970-1972.

American Bubba Watson and Abraham Ancer from Mexico will headline next week’s Kolon Korea Open – bringing a touch of LIV Golf star power to one of the region’s most prestigious National Opens.

The tournament is returning to Woo Jeong Hills Country Club after a two-year gap due to renovations and will be played from 21-24 May.

In addition to their participation, the tournament has also been given a boost in terms of prize money. It has been raised to KRW2,000,000,000 (approximately US$1,335,000), an increase of US$400,000 from last year.

The two star players are taking time out from their busy LIV Golf schedules, although their trip is timely as LIV Golf Korea will be played the following week.

Watson is the captain of RangeGoats GC, while Ancer plays for Torque GC. The former is a two-time winner of the Masters, in 2012 and 2014, and has triumphed 12 times on the PGA Tour.

Abraham Ancer.

Ancer has an impressive record of claiming titles on many of the major tours, having tasted victory once on the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, the PGA Tour of Australasia, Web.com Tour and the LIV Golf League. He has also enjoyed success on the Asian Tour, winning the PIF Saudi International in 2023.

As is traditionally the case with the Kolon Korea Open are formidable field has entered the tournament.

Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana, the defending champion, will compete, attempting to become the seventh player to win back-to-back titles in the 68-year history of the event.

Other former champions competing are Minkyu Kim from Korea (2022 and 2024), Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond (2019), and Koreans Seungsu Han (2023), Junseok Lee (2021), Minchel Choi (2018), Yikeun Chang (2017) and Sangmoon Bae (2008 and 2009).

South African Ian Snyman, winner of last week’s Taiwan Glass Taifong Open will also line up with other winners from the Asian Tour this year: Koreans Minhyuk Song (GS Caltex Maekyung Open), Jeongwoo Ham (Singapore Open) and Wooyoung Cho (Philippine Golf Championship).

Sadom Kaewkanjana pictured winning last year.

Canada’s Richard T, Lee, also competing on the LIV Golf League, Kiwi Danny Lee and Australian Cameron John are some of the other big name players who have entered.

The event was staged at La Vie Est Belle (Dunes Course) last year – the only time it has not been played at Woo Jeong Hills in the last 22 years.

South African Ian Snyman was a big part of the conversation after winning in Chinese Taipei last week but there were some great quotes across all four days from those in contention.

Round One

First-round leader Tawit Polthai from Thailand, who won the Asian Development Tour Order of Merit in 2025, after his 66 (-6):

• “Singapore was pretty solid and that helped my confidence. I don’t want to think about goals for the year, or what I want to do here this week. I just want to play good golf and enjoy my time on the Asian Tour.”

Fellow Thai Charng-Tai Sudsom, who won his first professional title by nine shots last week on home soil, on his opening 67 (-5):

• “Winning last week in Thailand was good. And I love playing in Taiwan. My father is from here. I did not hit too many drivers today. I just wanted to keep it in play. The highlight was definitely the eagle on the fifth hole, where I chipped in from about 35 yards.”

Suradit Youngcharoenchai, also from The Kingdom, on his 68 (-4) that included a triple bogey on the sixth hole:

• “It was hard to make the triple after such a good start. I just told my caddie on the seventh tee, let’s pretend that we haven’t made any birdies so far and let’s go and get some from this hole onwards.”

Matthew Cheung.

Round Two

Hong Kong’s Matthew Cheung after firing a 64 (-8) in the second round:

• “I am so very happy right now, and I am just riding that happiness. The Singapore week was unforgettable. My wife was pregnant, and then I missed the cut, and changed my flight to leave Saturday afternoon. I got home at like 9pm, and my wife started having contractions an hour later. We went to the hospital that night, and Annalise was born Sunday morning. I was planning to pull out of this week, but Kaitlin’s been super supportive with everything I’ve ever done in terms of my golfing career, and she actually pushed me to come here and play. I would not be here without her.”

American Shotaro Ban, a resident of Chinese Taipei, on his second round 67 (-5):

• “It was a lucky start for me. On the 10th hole, I hit my second shot over the green, and then managed to chip it in from a bad spot to make a birdie. I played steady after that. Made an eagle on the par-5 17th, which was good. I hit it to the centre of the fairway and then hit a 7-iron second shot to about 20 feet and made that putt.”

Tawit Polthai on his strategy playing Taifong Golf Club in the second round:

• “The only thing I had in my mind was to keep my tee shots in play. I did not have any number in mind for the round, so very happy that I could shoot another 66. I just wanted to hit good second shots and then see if we could make a putt.”

Round Three

South African Ian Snyman on his 69 (-3) that tied him for the lead going into the final round:

• “Today was an interesting one. I made some interesting birdies. Made a few nice putts. Chipped in twice, on 15 and I chipped in on number four.”

On the playing conditions compared to the first two rounds:

• “Today was different because of the wind. The wind was swirling. We thought it was going to be a north wind, but it changed from north to west, and then sometimes it was even the opposite direction. So, a few times you are over the ball but you’re not sure. And you don’t want to be long, but you also don’t want to be short. So, it was a bit of a guessing game.”

Santiago de la Fuente.

Filipino Lloyd Jefferson Go after posting a 67 (-5) on Saturday in his first cut made on the Asian Tour this season:

• “I just wanted to play my play. Just trying to play my best. I’m not playing so well, so I’m kind of just trying to keep my ball safe, and I’m relying on my short game and putting to play well.”

On finishing his round birdie, eagle after bogies on 15 and 16 to share the lead:

• “I made two really good putts; I think that was a big game changer in my round. After 15 and 16, I was able to recover on 17 and 18. I was shocked after like the 15th to see my name up there. I was like, oh, everyone’s playing bad today. So, I was really shocked.”

American Chase Koepka on making a big charge on moving day with a 66 (-6) to go from T12 to third:

• “I knew posting something in the 60s was good today. You know 66, I mean, felt like I played really, really nicely, except for one hole.”

On coming back from major surgery in 2024 to securing his Asian Tour card late in 2025:

• “It really didn’t feel like I was truly back playing until the last bit of the season during that long stretch. The game has been a little bit sloppy to start the year. There’s been some good things, but I’m just happy that putter has kind of been the biggest difference.”

Round Four

Ian Snyman after his 69 (-3) to secure his first Asian Tour win by two shots:

• “This is crazy. Two months ago, I was in the shower, and I was thinking, ‘Will I ever win again?’ You work hard and you run out of ideas about what to do and what to change. And here I am today, and we have managed to do it. And it was just solid. I felt like there was very little amount of luck involved out there for me. This week, I managed to swing good, and the putting was good. I was just in a good mindset.”

On what his breakthrough victory meant after five years on the Asian Tour:

• “Obviously, I was hoping not to wait for five years for my first win here, but to be honest with you, I haven’t had a lot of chances on the Asian Tour. I’ve had good weeks, but not weeks where I felt like I was in control. There were always some poor shots. But this week was just solid, solid, solid. I’m glad I won feeling good, because sometimes you feel good about your game and you still don’t win.”

Mexico’s Santiago de la Fuente posted a T2 for his best Asian Tour finish so far after a 67 (-5), but was left to rue a costly bogey on 17 after going into the bushes and taking a penalty drop:

•  “It was a crazy week. I struggled a little bit at the beginning of the week, made some silly mistakes. But as the week went on, I understood the course a bit more and how I needed to play. The 17th is going to hurt for a long time, but I guess it just wasn’t meant to be for me this week. Ian did a great job, and he played amazing this week. I will have my time and I will have my day. This is my second year on the Asian Tour and the first when I have a full card and I can pick and choose my tournaments. So, I am happy to get a good result here and put up points which will help me secure my card for the next season.”

Joint runner-up Matthew Cheung, who also recorded his best finish on the Asian Tour, after his 68 (-4) in the final round:

• “I tried a new golf ball and a new putter and we had a new baby in the past couple of weeks! So, yes…a lot of positives. I was really good at staying patient all day. I hit a couple of really good shots in the middle there. Honestly, I wasn’t hitting it too great on the back nine, but I made some really good up and downs to keep myself in it, and I chipped in on the 17th, which was a bit of a cherry on top.”

Pictures courtesy Taiwan PGA.

May 10: Five years after bursting onto the scene with five wins on the Big Easy Tour, South African Ian Snyman (main image) finally broke through on the global scene with a resounding two-shot win in the US$500,000 Taiwan Glass Taifong Open – his maiden win on the Asian Tour in 83 career starts.

The popular, soft-spoken 29-year-old made only three bogeys through the week to reach 15-under total after Sunday’s round of three-under par 69. That was enough to deny Mexico’s Santiago De la Fuente (67) and Hong Kong’s Matthew Cheung (68), two players also searching for their first win on the Tour.

Chinese Taipei’s Wei-lun Chang (67) was the best-placed among local stars, tied fourth at -12, where he was joined by overnight joint leader, Filipino Lloyd Jefferson Go (72) and American Chase Koepka (71).

Thailand’s Suradit Yongcharoenchai (67) and Danthai Boonma (68) were tied seventh at -11, while American John Catlin improved to get into the top-10 with a 66, the best round of the day.

Ian Snyman presented with the winner’s trophy by Lin Po-shih, President of Taiwan Glass Group and Chairman of Taifeng Golf Club.

“This is crazy. Two months ago, I was in the shower, and I was thinking, ‘Will I ever win again?’ You work hard and you run out of ideas about what to do and what to change. And here I am today, and we have managed to do it,” said a relieved Snyman, who climbed to No3 in the Asian Tour Order of Merit with the $90,000 winning cheque.

“And it was just solid. I felt like there was very little amount of luck involved out there for me. This week, I managed to swing good, and the putting was good. I was just in a good mindset.

“Obviously, I was hoping not to wait for five years for my first win here, but to be honest with you, I haven’t had a lot of chances on the Asian Tour. I’ve had good weeks, but not weeks where I felt like I was in control. There were always some poor shots. But this week was just solid, solid, solid. I’m glad I won feeling good, because sometimes you feel good about your game and you still don’t win.”

There was a moment late into the round when things looked dicey for the Belville resident.

Santiago de la Fuente of Mexico. Pictures courtesy Taiwan PGA.

Having made only two bogeys in the 68 holes, Snyman hit his tee shot way short on the long par-3 15th hole, and then compounded the error with a poor bunker shot that left him with a long putt for par. He left the first putt nearly 20 feet short and looked set for a debilitating double bogey, before hitting a perfectly-read putt for a ‘crucial’ bogey.

At almost the same time, De la Fuente smashed a good-looking second shot on the par-5 17th, but it bounced and went into the bushes behind the green. The 2024 Latin American Amateur champion needed to take a penalty drop and made a bogey. He birdied the 18th to record his best finish on the Asian Tour, but the mistake on the 17th cost him dear.

Matthew Cheung of Hong Kong. Pictures courtesy: Taiwan PGA.

De le Fuente took the bogey on the 17th in his stride.

“It was a crazy week. I struggled a little bit at the beginning of the week, made some silly mistakes. But as the week went on, I understood the course a bit more and how I needed to play,” said De la Fuente.

“The 17th is going to hurt for a long time, but I guess it just wasn’t meant to be for me this week. Ian did a great job, and he played amazing this week. I will have my time and I will have my day.

“This is my second year on the Asian Tour and the first when I have a full card and I can pick and choose my tournaments. So, I am happy to get a good result here and put up points which will help me secure my card for the next season.”

Cheung, who became a father for the first time two weeks ago and said he played in Taiwan only because his wife asked him to, also recorded his best finish on the Asian Tour.

“I tried a new golf ball and a new putter and we had a new baby in the past couple of weeks! So, yes…a lot of positives,” said the 29-year-old.

“I was really good at staying patient all day. I hit a couple of really good shots in the middle there. Honestly, I wasn’t hitting it too great on the back nine, but I made some really good up and downs to keep myself in it, and I chipped in on the 17th, which was a bit of a cherry on top.”

The Asian Tour will return to action in two weeks with the Kolon The 68th Korea Open Golf Championship at Woo Jeong Hills Country Club from May 21-24.

South African Ian Snyman has given himself another great opportunity to claim his first title on the Asian Tour after taking a share of the lead in the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open, along with Filipino Lloyd Jefferson Go.

Snyman, joint-third last Sunday in Korea, shot a three-under-par 69 at Taifong Golf Club to go to 12-under for the three rounds.

Go returned a 67, helped by a stunning birdie, eagle finish, while American Chase Koepka, brother of five-time Major winner Brooks, is another shot back in third following a 66 – the lowest round of the day.

Chinese Taipei’s Liu Yung-hua (70), appropriately sponsored by Taiwan Glass this week, American Shotaro Ban (73) and Matthew Cheung (74) from Hong Kong are in a tie for fourth, an additional two shots behind.

Lloyd Jefferson Go with his sister Lois Kaye on the bag.

Thailand’s Tawit Polthai, the leader after the first two rounds, came in with a 77, falling back into a tie for 10th, five behind the leaders.

Snyman made his only bogey of the day on the first but later made up ground with four birdies to put himself in position for a win that is due. He has finished joint second once, equal third twice, and tied for fifth on two occasions.

“Today was an interesting one,” said Snyman.

“I made some interesting birdies. Made a few nice putts. Chipped in twice, on 15 and I chipped in on number four.”

Both those chip ins were for birdie, ensuring he secured the lead for the first time heading into the final round on the Asian Tour.

“Today was different because of the wind. The wind was swirling. We thought it was going to be a north wind, but it changed from north to west, and then sometimes it was even the opposite direction,” said the 31-year-old.

“So, a few times you are over the ball but you’re not sure. And you don’t want to be long, but you also don’t want to be short. So, it was a bit of a guessing game.”

Go will be relieved to find himself sharing the leading. He finished seventh at this year’s Qualifying School but has not made a cut this season.

Chase Koepka.

He said: “I just wanted to play my play. Just trying to play my best. I’m not playing so well, so I’m kind of just trying to keep my ball safe, and I’m relying on my short game and putting to play good.”

The 31-year-old made bogies on 15 and 16 before gaining three shots in the last holes, which are both par fives.

“I made two really good putts. I think that was a big game changer in my round. After 15 and 16, I was able to recover on 17 and 18. I was shocked after like the 15th to see my name up there. I was like, oh, everyone’s playing bad today. So, I was really shocked,” he said.

Victory tomorrow will take on even special meaning as his sister, Lois Kaye, is on the bag. She has been caddying for him all year and is also a professional golfer.

He made six birdies in total and three bogeys.

Koepka was the big mover on moving day with seven birdies and just one dropped shot. Four of those birdies were on the second half.

Like the two frontrunners he is also looking for his first win on the Asian Tour.

“I knew posting something in the 60s was good today. You know 66, I mean, felt like I played really, really nicely, except for one hole,” he said.

It’s only his second season playing full-time on the Asian Tour, having been out for most of 2024 with an injury. He suffered a severe shoulder and nerve damage injury requiring major surgery.

“It really didn’t feel like I was truly back playing until the last bit of the season during that long stretch. The game has been a little bit sloppy to start the year. There’s been some good things, but I’m just happy that putter has kind of been the biggest difference,” he said.

Thailand’s Ekpharit Wu, the defending champion, fired a 70 and is in joint seventh, four off the pace along with Chinese-Taipei’s Lee Chieh-po – the 2021 champion.

Pictured courtesy Taiwan PGA.

May 8: Thailand’s Tawit Polthai (main picture), who was denied a run at glory by a blazing sun last year at Taifong Golf Club, has given himself another chance when he preserved his one-shot lead at the top of the US$500,000 Taiwan Glass Taifong Open leaderboard despite a brilliant charge by new father, Hong Kong’s Matthew Cheung.

Tawit was leading after 13 holes in the second round in a local Chau-Shi Series – Din Yue Open in July last year, when he had to retire from the tournament because of severe heat exhaustion.

Having learned his lessons, a much better hydrated Tawit kept the pedal to the metal and added a second successive round of six-under par 66 to reach 12-under at the halfway stage.

Two weeks after missing his “best cut ever”, Cheung shot a brilliant 64 and was just one behind the leader at 11-under after shooting a 69 on Thursday.

At the par-72 course, American Shotaro Ban, a resident of Chinese Taipei now, made four birdies and a double bogey in his last six holes to match his opening-round 67 and reach 10-under.

Matthew Cheung of Hong Kong. Pictures courtesy: Taiwan PGA.

“It was a lucky start for me. On the 10th hole, I hit my second shot over the green, and then managed to chip it in from a bad spot to make a birdie,” said Tawit, who played the back nine first.

“I played steady after that. Made an eagle on the par-5 17th, which was good. I hit it to the centre of the fairway and then hit a 7-iron second shot to about 20 feet and made that putt.”

Tawit’s only mistake was a bogey on the first hole (his 10th), where the ball took a bounce on the firm green and went over much to his surprise.

“The only thing I had in my mind was to keep my tee shots in play. I did not have any number in mind for the round, so very happy that I could shoot another 66. I just wanted to hit good second shots and then see if we could make a putt,” added Tawit, who graduated to the Asian Tour after winning the Order of Merit on the Asian Development Tour last year.

Cheung went back to Hong Kong after missing the cut in the Singapore Open presented by The Business Times. Within an hour of reaching home, his wife Kaitlin, had to be rushed to the hospital, where she gave birth to Annalise, their first daughter.

The 30-year-old showed on Friday that Annalise has been good for his golf game as well, as he fired nine birdies after opening with a bogey.

“I am so very happy right now, and I am just riding that happiness,” said Cheung, who was a member of the Hong Kong national team that won the Asian Games gold in Hangzhou.

“Even though I missed the cut, the Singapore week was unforgettable. My wife was pregnant, and I  changed my flight to leave Saturday afternoon. I got home at 9pm and my wife started getting her contractions an hour later. We rushed to the hospital, and Annalise was born Sunday morning.

“I was planning to pull out of this week, but Kaitlin’s been super supportive with everything I’ve ever done in terms of my golfing career. She actually pushed me to come here and play. I would not be here without her.”

Shotaro Ban of the USA. Pictures courtesy: Taiwan PGA.

Cheung recalled a 25-foot downhill putt on the fourth hole as the best shot of his day and added: “I hit a lot of good shots out there. On the first hole, that was just a tough second shot, and it left me in a bad position. But overall, very happy with how I played today. I gave myself a lot of opportunities and made a lot of good putts.”

Ban, who shifted his residence to Chinese Taipei in 2023, unfortunately lost his ball in the rough on the par-4 16th hole and had to settle for a double bogey, but bounced back well to close with birdies on the two par-5 closing holes of Taifong Golf Club.

South Africa’s Ian Snyman, who made an albatross on the 17th hole during his practice round on Tuesday, was bogey-free in a round of 67 that took him to nine-under par.

Two holes-in-one were recorded on Friday.

Italian Gabriela De Barba got his on Hole 12 with a 6-iron from 188 yards. De Barba had started the day with two bogeys in the first three holes, but finished with a 68 to be inside the cutline at -4.

The other ace belonged to Australian Brett Rankin with an 8-iron from 181 yards on the eighth hole. It helped him finish with a 70, but that wasn’t enough to make it to the weekend at 4-over 148.

The Taiwan Glass Taifong Open is usually played in November, but has been moved forward this year to May at the Tour’s request.

May 8: Two weeks after missing his “best cut ever” Hong Kong’s Matthew Cheung (main picture) shot a brilliant eight-under par 64 and soared to the top of the leaderboard after the morning session’s play in the second round of the US$500,000 Taiwan Glass Taifong Open.

Cheung went back to Hong Kong after missing the cut in the Singapore Open presented by Business Times. Within an hour of reaching home, his wife Kaitlin, had to be rushed to the hospital, where she gave birth to Annalise, their first daughter.

The 30-year-old showed on Friday that Annalise has been good for his golf game as well, as he fired nine birdies after opening with a bogey. The 64, added to his 69 in Thursday’s opening round, gave him an 11-under par total at the halfway stage of the tournament.

At the par-72 Taifong Golf Club, Cheung enjoyed a one-shot lead over American Shotaro Ban, who made four birdies and a double bogey in his last six holes for a second straight 67.

South Africa’s Ian Snyman, who made an albatross on the 17th hole during his practice round on Tuesday, was bogey-free in a round of 67 that took him to nine-under par.

Overnight leader, Thailand’s Tawit Polthai, was playing in the afternoon session.

Shotaro Ban of the USA. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

“I am so very happy right now, and I am just riding that happiness, said Cheung, who was a member of the Hong Kong national team that won the Asian Games gold in Hangzhou.

“The Singapore week was unforgettable. My wife was pregnant, and then I missed the cut, and changed my flight to leave Saturday afternoon. I got home at like 9pm, and my wife started having contractions an hour later. We went to the hospital that night, and Annalise was born Sunday morning.

“I was planning to pull out of this week, but Kaitlin’s been super supportive with everything I’ve ever done in terms of my golfing career, and she actually pushed me to come here and play. I would not be here without her.”

Cheung recalled a 25-foot downhill putt on the fourth hole as the best shot of his day and added: “I hit a lot of good shots out there. On the first hole, that was just a tough second shot, and it left me in a bad position. But overall, very happy with how I played today. I gave myself a lot of opportunities and made a lot of good putts.”

Ban, who shifted his residence to Chinese Taipei in 2023, unfortunately lost his ball in the rough on the par-4 16th hole and had to settle for a double bogey, but bounced back well to close with birdies on the two par-5 closing holes of Taifong Golf Club.

It was a morning of perfect tee shots, with two holes-in-one recorded.

Australian Brett Rankin’s came on the eighth hole with an 8-iron from 181 yards. It helped him finish with a 70, but that wasn’t enough to make it to the weekend at 4-over 148.

The other ace belonged to Italian Gabriela De Barba, who got his on Hole 12 with a 6-iron from 188 yards. De Barba had started the day with two bogeys in the first three holes, but finished with a 68 to be inside the cutline at -4.

The Taiwan Glass Taifong Open is usually played in November, but has been brought forward this year to May at the request of the Tour.