Mercuries Taiwan Masters: Hung aiming to get monkey off his back
Chinese-Taipei’s Hung Chien-yao [main picture, right] edged closer to an elusive first win on the Asian Tour today after taking the third-round lead in the Mercuries Taiwan Masters.
He fired a two-under-par 70 to lead on seven under for a one-shot advantage over compatriot Shen Wei-cheng, who returned the same score, and Gavin Green – the Malaysian who claimed this event in 2017 and shot a 71 today.
Thailand’s Suteepat Prateeptienchai is a stroke further back in solo fourth, following a 72, in one of Chinese-Taipei’s most revered tournaments, staged at Taiwan Golf & Country Club.
Overnight leader Chang Wei-lun from Chinese-Taipei suffered double bogeys on the eighth and 13th and came in with a 74. He is three off the lead in a tie for fifth.
Hung, a prolific winner on the Taiwan PGA Tour, was paired in the final group with Chang and after a great start that saw him birdie the first two holes he later endured trouble of his own, making a bogey on six and a double on the 10th. He steadied the ship with birdies on 14 and 15.
Hung Chien-yao.
“I was kind of upset [after the double on 10], but that was all right because I know number 10 is always a tough hole,” said Hung, whose wife Nikki is caddying for him.
“So, yeah, I’m okay with that. I mean, maybe not double, but I’m okay with a bogey. I should have just played smarter to make just a bogey.”
He finished third in the Yeangder TPC last week, making it 11 top five finishes in 13 seasons on the Asian Tour, with a best finish of second place in the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open last year.
The 34-year-old also won the Ambassador ADT Open on home soil in July – for his third win on the Asian Development Tour (ADT).
Remarkably, he has triumphed 15 times on local tour since 2013, including the three ADT victories.
He said: “Yeah, I am excited about tomorrow, I’m always excited. I mean, you know, finished number three last week, and playing pretty good on this course. I know a lot of crowds, a lot of spectators, are actually here for me, so I’m just gonna enjoy the round tomorrow and just try to hit a lot of good shots to show everybody.”
On another day filled with birdies and bogeys, Green’s scorecard was remarkably tame. He made two birdies and dropped one shot to put himself in position for his first Asian Tour victory since his success here nine years ago.
“Actually, I could have gotten pretty good, just missed a lot of putts early on,” he said. “You know, hitting it all right, hitting a lot of fairways, a lot of greens, just not making any putts. Just struggling with the putts and getting the lines, getting the speed obviously uphill into the grain, it just takes a big hit.”
Gavin Green.
He also claimed the Asian Tour Order of Merit in 2017 before focusing on the DP World Tour but after a season heavily interrupted by tennis elbow he is revelling being back as the seen of what was arguably his biggest victory to date.
“Yeah, I’m excited. Like I said, I think what it is for me is I’m just trying to get that consistency. As long as I can just continue with that consistency, you know, whatever happens, happens,” he said.
“But all I know is I’m enjoying myself. You know, it’s fun, and it’s fun being here. For me, this is like home again. So, yeah, it’s good, it’s good to be back.”
Australian Jed Morgan (69), Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond (69), Jeunghun Wang (70) from Korea, American Shotaro Ban (71) and Chinese-Taipei’s Hsieh Ting-wei (71), share fifth place with Chang.
Thailand’s Ratchanon ‘TK’ Chantananuwat continued to enjoy a good week in just his second tournament as a professional. He returned a 71 and is in joint 19th place, on one under.
Chang Wei-lun [main picture] gave local fans something to cheer about today after taking the lead in the Mercuries Taiwan Masters, at Taiwan Golf & Country Club.
The Chinese-Taipei golfer shot a second-round four-under-par 68 to finish six-under.
He is one ahead of compatriot Hung Chien-yao, full of confidence after finishing third in the Yeangder TPC last week, who carded a 67 – the joint best round of the week so far – plus Malaysia’s Gavin Green, the champion here in 2017, and Suteepat Prateeptienchai from Thailand.
Green continued his fine comeback after an injury plagued year to shoot a 71 while Suteepat, a Chinese-Taipei specialist with three wins here in the last three years, fired a 69.
Australian Kevin Yuan, whose 67 yesterday gave him the first-round lead, is in fifth place, one stroke further back after a 73. He is joined by Chinese-Taipei’s Chang Shih-chang and Shen Wei-cheng, who came in with rounds of 67 and 71 respectively.
Chang, who has one Asian Development Tour win to his name from 2017, has put himself in a great position to mount a serious challenge for one of the tournaments Chinese-Taipei players want to win the most.
Hung Chien-yao.
Paired with Yuan, he gave no indication of what was about to come when he made a bogey on the third. However, three birdies in a row from the sixth and two more on 10 and 13 saw him storm through to the top.
“Really very happy to play well in such a big tournament,” said the 33-year-old, who tied for fifth here two years ago for one of seven top five finishes since joining the Asian Tour in 2015.
“We all know how challenging the course is, so we come here prepared. It’s tough but at the same time the greens are just so good to play on. Course familiarity is key here. I’m using a local caddie, and he was able to read the greens well so that helped.”
Hung is enjoying a strong season. As well as last week’s result, which was one of his best finishes on the Asian Tour, he also tied for fifth at the season-opening Philippine Golf Championship and won the Ambassador ADT Open on home soil in July – for his third win on the Asian Development Tour.
Like Chang he made his one and only bogey of the day early on, on the first hole. And like the leader he climbed into contention helped by three birdies on the trot from the sixth. He made six birdies in total.
“I was playing nine holes on Monday with my wife [his caddie], and then I just feel like this is one of the toughest courses,” he said.
“I mean, tougher than Linkou last week, because of the rough. I know that it’s gonna get windy. And you know, the green is fast and firm. It’s fast, so I know it’s playing a lot tougher than last week.
Gavin Green.
“But because we play courses out here, like four, five tournaments in a year, I kind of know the courses. You just gotta stay with it, just have to play smart. You don’t have to really attack.”
A pep talk from his wife after his bogey also did the trick.
He said: “She said to me ‘You know, this is one of the courses where that’s going to happen. So just stay with it, go to the next hole, play the next shot, and just do well.”
Green, who won the Asian Tour Order of Merit title the year he claimed this week’s event, has been suffering from tennis elbow for much of the year.
Having made the turn in two over he was well off the pace but produced the kind of golf he is known on the second half, making five birdies, although a double on his 14th, the fifth as he started on 10, cost him the outright lead.
Asked about his elbow, he said: “It’s not 100%. It’s not. I’m still running a little bit on Ibuprofen and just trying to calm it down a little bit. And then you know, in the room, in the mornings and nights, I still have to stretch it out and try to loosen it as much as I can. So, yeah, just managing it really.”
Suteepat’s arrival at the top of the leaderboard will surprise no one. He won the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open in 2023 and 2024, as well as the Yeangder TPC in 2024.
He joked: “It’s the last event of the year for us in Chinese-Taipei, so it’s my last chance!”
Yuan, like Chang and Hung, is looking for his first win on the Asian Tour.
Kevin Yuan.
“I was happy with how I hit it, but it’s just one of those ones where you’re gonna get some flyers. It’s just gonna not go your way sometimes,” he said
“Yeah, I’m happy, like still being in the hunt. I’m really happy with how I’m like putting it. Obviously, the greens are always nice here at this golf course, and definitely made a few big par putts, which has helped me keep in this because I do feel like they didn’t really go my way this today. I’m looking forward to the weekend.”
Pictures by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.
Australian Kevin Yuan [main picture] made a brilliant eagle two on his 14th to snatch the first-round lead in the Mercuries Taiwan Masters today.
It helped him fire a five-under-par 67 at Taiwan Golf & Country Club for a one-shot lead, on an extremely hot day when the course lived up to its reputation as one of the toughest.
South Africa’s Jbe Kruger and Gavin Green from Malaysia, both former champions here, who were paired together today, shots 68s to sit in second along with Chinese-Taipei’s Lee Chieh-po and Atiruj Winaicharoenchai from Thailand.
They are a stroke ahead of Chinese-Taipei’s Shen Wei-cheng, Denzel Ieremia from New Zealand, Swede Charlie Lindh, Pakistan’s Ahmad Baig and Korean Minhyuk Song, who carded 69s.
Yuan started on the back nine and was four under by the time he reached the 333-yard par-four fifth, his 14th.
Said the 29-year-old: “So me and Clayton [his caddie] were thinking about hitting driver to reach because we had the front tee box this week, and driver’s been feeling good. So, I hit driver and hit it to like maybe 18 feet, just short of the flag, and I had a really good putt there. So yeah, it was driver and a holed putt.”
Jbe Kruger.
He also made five birdies and two bogeys, the last coming on his 16th to cut his two-shot lead, to make a good start that backs up a good season with has seen him rise up to 31st place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit.
“I started off with a great birdie to go on 10, and 10’s always such a tough hole to start. Had a great four iron, and then holed a really good 15 footer, and then made a huge par on 11, and then yeah, it’s just been up and down.
“Like I made a few big pars today, which really helped my scores because on this course it’s quite easy to make bogey. The rough is really thick, and the fairways are pretty tiny. So you miss the fairway, and you’re just trying to save par.”
This week’s venue is the oldest golf club in the country, and its greens are in immaculate condition according to the players. However, its tight-tree lined fairways and tricky, sloping greens are once again posing a huge challenge.
“It was brutal,” said Kruger.
“It’s just a tough golf course. You have to play well. You can’t make mistakes. Every single shot you have to concentrate on because it’s just that tough.
“The greens are so fast, if you miss the fairways, you can’t stop it. So, you have to physically try and hit the fairway, and if you don’t, you’re just trying to get it on the green. So, it’s just not a normal golf course. It’s literally try and hit the fairway, then you try and hit the green because the greens are so fast, because they’re so good.”
He made an eagle, four birdies and two bogeys today.
The South African won here in 2024 for his first victory on the Asian Tour in five years after an extraordinary weekend of golf that saw three rounds played, each shotgun starts, as a result of Typhoon Krathon. Extremely poor weather meant no play was possible on Thursday and Friday. It was his third title on the Asian Tour.
Gavin Green.
On playing with old friend Green, he said: “It definitely helps. Obviously, I’ve known him a long time. It helps play with someone you know, a familiar face, but I can’t hit it as far as him, unfortunately.”
Green, who made five birdies and dropped one shot, is playing here for the first time since his victory, the year he claimed the Asian Tour Order of Merit title.
He has been out of action for three months suffering from tennis elbow, so was more than happy with his start.
“Obviously, had not much real expectations,” he said.
“I’ve been injured for like three months now. Obviously, the place has changed a lot for me. I think I just actually played quite well and actually had the feeling of playing nice again.”
Atiruj finished first at a first stage qualifier for the DP World Tour Qualifying School at the start of the month in Belgium. He was 18 under the event and so is coming into the week in good form.
He said “I am trying to get better every year and try new things. I have been playing in tough conditions already, so I am prepared for this week.”
A host of players fired 70s, including Filipino Miguel Tabuena and Ratchanon Chantananuwat, the young Thai star who turned professional last week.
Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert was also in the same group as Kruger and Green. Last week’s winner of the Yeangder TPC and the new Asian Tour Merit list leader returned a 71.
Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho, third on the Merit list, returned a 74, while defending champion Rattanon Wannasrichan from Thailand shot 76.
Pictures by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.
Overview
The Mercuries Taiwan Masters enjoys the distinction of being Chinese-Taipei’s longest-running professional golf tournament run by a single company.
It is a rare achievement in today’s fast-paced world of professional golf, which re-enforces the status of the tournament.
Founded in 1987 by Mercuries Life Insurance Chairman, Mr. George Wong, it became part of the Asian Tour in 2000 – when local star Keng-chi Lin triumphed.
Lu Wen-teh has won it more times than anyone else with four victories, in 1994, 1996, 2007, 2008, while a long list of Asian Tour stars have been successful here: Thaworn Wiratchant, Scott Hend, Gavin Green and Daniel Chopra.
This week marks its 40th edition and 24th as an Asian Tour event.
Mercuries have kindly increased the prizemoney to US$1.2million from US$1million.
Established in 1993, Mercuries Life Insurance is mainly a life insurance company. Headquartered in New Taipei City it provides personal insurance, annuities, travel and group insurance and other life insurance products.
George Wong, Chairman of the Mercuries Group.
Taiwan Golf & Country Club
Nicknamed “The Old Tamsui Course” it was established in 1919 and is the oldest golf club in Chinese-Taipei.
While not long by modern standards, it is a notoriously difficult course with treelined fairways on both sides and greens that are very tricky and difficult for first timers.
It is also regarded as the cradle of professional golf in Chinese-Taipei because the historic venue has produced many Taiwanese golf legends, including Min Nan Hsieh, Ji Xiong Guo, TC Chen, Wen teh Lu, Ter Chang Wang, Liang His Chen, and the Hsieh brothers Yu Shu and Chin Sheng.
Tournament Information
- Tournament: Mercuries Taiwan Masters
- Date: 24 – 27September 2026
- Venue: Taiwan Golf and Country Club, Tamsui, Chinese Taipei
- Par/Yards: 72 / 6,946yards
- Purse: US$1.2million
- Asian Tour leg: Eleventh
- Edition of tournament: 40th
- Previous winner: Rattanon Wannasrichan (THA)
- Previous winning score: 283 (-5)
- Total number of players: 125
- Format: Stroke play tournament over four rounds of 18 holes with a cut after 36 holes to leading 65 plus ties.
Taiwan Golf & Country Club.
Field Breakdown
- Order of Merit winners: Sihwan Kim (2022), Jazz Janewattananond (2019), Gavin Green (2017), Liang Wenchong (2007), Jeev Milkha Singh (2006 & 2008)
- Nationalities: 23
- Top contenders: Pavit Tangkamolprasert (THA), Taichi Kho (HKG), Travis Smyth (AUS), Chien-yao Hung (TPE), Wei-hsuan Wang (TPE), Jazz Janewattananond (THA)
- Highest ranked player on OWGR: Travis Smyth (AUS) #180
- Highest ranked player on the Order of Merit: Pavit Tangkamolprasert (THA) #1
- of amateurs in the field: 5
- of Chinese Taipei players in the field: 44
Tournament Notes
- Last week’s winner Pavit Tangkamolprasert from Thailand is having an outstanding season. In addition to the victory at the Yeangder TPC last week he also has a runner-up at the season opening Philippine Golf Championship and a T2 at the International Series Japan soon after. After these fine performances he now tops the Asian Tour Order of Merit table for the first time in his career. Outside of the Asian Tour he has posted a runner-up and a T2 on the All Thailand Tour in 2026.
- The defending champion Rattanon Wannasrichan just had his best result of the season last week at the Yeangder TPC, posting a score of -18 for a T8. The two-time Asian Tour winner will be looking to use the good memories of his victory here last year to produce another good finish, and to bring his season back to the level he is accustomed to.
- Travis Smyth from Australia won the International Series Japan in early April, and before that had a third-place finish at the Philippine Golf Championship and a solo-fifth at the New Zealand Open presented by Millbrook Resort. On the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia he early in the year won the ISPS HANDA Japan-Australasia Championship to wrap up the 2025/26 Order of Merit crown on that tour after , also helped by two other top-fives. Winning the Order of Merit title on his home tour has secured Smyth status on the DP World Tour for 2027.
- Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho won the the International Series Morocco, in dramatic fashion over Bubba Watson just before the mid-year break. The win came the week following a T2 in the BMW Japan Golf Tour Championship Mori Building Cup on the Japan Tour after coming up short in a three-way playoff. Kho made a charge on Saturday last week, posting a 64 to sit in T3 after three rounds, but fell back after a 71 on Sunday on a low scoring day. Prior to this year’s win in Morocco Kho had one career victory on the Asian Tour, the 2023 World City Championship presented by Hong Kong Golf Club.
- Hung Chien-yao from the host nation came within two strokes of a playoff last week in Linkou. Having won three times on the Asian Development Tour before, including once in 2026 at the Ambassador ADT Open, his solo-third finish last week equals his best performance on the Asian Tour.
- Fellow local star Wang Wei-hsuan stormed home with an un-official course record equalling 62 in the final round at Linkou to finish T4, his best result on the Asian Tour in 2026. He had his best Asian Tour season in 2025 when he finished ninth on the Order of Merit following third-place finish in this tournament, runner-up at the SJM Macao Open after a playoff loss, and T2 at the Yeangder TPC. He won the local circuit Order of Merit last year and has two wins and three T2’s there so far this season. Two of the T2s were also part of the Asian Development Tour.
- The 2019 Order of Merit champion Jazz Janewattananond from Thailand is working his way closer towards an eighth Asian Tour win, which would put him T6 on the win-table with players like Arjun Atwal and Jyoti Randhawa from India and England’s Lee Westwood. After a T4 at the Yeangder TPC after four rounds in the 60s last week, two T3s at International Series Morocco and Singapore Open presented by The Business Times, another win should not be far away.
Main picture: defending champion Rattanon Wannasrichan.
Pictures by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.
Pavit Tangkamolprasert [main picture] says the prospect of playing on the DP World Tour next season if he wins the Asian Tour Order of Merit does not daunt him and has come at just the right time in his career.
The Thai star won the Yeangder TPC last week, for his first victory on the Asian Tour in seven years, to move to the top of the Merit list for the first time in his career and plans on staying there.
“I’m so happy to be in a position to finish top of the Order of Merit,” said the 37-year-old – who will tee-off in the Mercuries Taiwan Masters tomorrow.
“I’m gonna try my best on the events coming up to maintain this position. I’ve never won the Order of Merit before, so yeah I will give 100% to get it for the first time in my life.”
The reward of a DP World Tour card is one of the benefits to come from the Asian Tour’s renewed partnership with its European counterparts and could not have come at a better time for Pavit.
Pavit Tangkamolprasert and his wife get drenched after his win last week.
“It is very good for us to have the opportunity to play the DP World Tour and skip qualifying if I finish first. I played there in 2017 and that time I was young and lacked experience. I think it’s a good chance to go back and prove myself again.”
In his 16th season playing on the Asian Tour, Pavit is in the form of his life.
In addition to his impressive wire-to-wire victory last week, he was runner-up at the season opening Philippine Golf Championship and joint second at the International Series Japan soon after. Outside of the Asian Tour he also posted a runner-up and an equal second on the All Thailand Tour this season.
“I think I have played solid since International Series Jakarta last year, but this year after coming close in many events, I’ve managed to get my mentality stronger. It’s not easy to win a tournament anywhere, and I think I handled the situation last week quite well,” he said.
He will get an early chance to experience playing in Europe next week as he has entered the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
He said: “Again, I’ve been there in 2017. Such a great event and a lot of world class players. I’m looking forward to learning from them to improve my game. I didn’t play links course much in my entire life, so I’ll try my best to play in that condition. I’m ok with Europe, the grass is different from Asia, but the most difficult is the weather!”.
Upon his return he will then face the final four events of the season on the Asian Tour when the race for the Merit title really hots up. He’s already experienced what it’s like to win an Order of Merit as he won the Asian Development Tour’s rankings in 2014 and the All Thailand Golf Tour’s in 2020 but finishing first on the Asian Tour will be an achievement like no other, experienced by an exceptional few.
Pictures by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.
Khavish Varadan [main picture] is well within his rights to consider 2026 a breakthrough season so far.
Currently riding high on top of the Asian Development Tour (ADT) Order of Merit, thanks to a win and a pair of second placed finishes, he’s also shown glimpses of his potential on the Asian Tour. He tied for 11th at the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open in May – for his best finish on the Tour.
However, ahead of this week’s Mercuries Taiwan Masters, Malaysia’s rising star is not getting ahead of himself.
“I wouldn’t say breakthrough,” says the 26-year-old, “but I’m just building on every week. You know, I’m not doing anything special. It’s just, you know, the same thing every week. Hopefully the breakthrough will come soon.”
Varadan represents an exciting new generation of golfers from his country, that includes Ervin Chang.
At last week’s Yeangder TPC he was one of the clubhouse leaders on the first day and eventually finished in a tie for 39th . The result moved him into 66th place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit.
Chang charged through on the final day carding a 64 to end in out right possession of sixth. It was his second-best performance on Tour and means he is well placed in 35th position on the Merit list.
Khavish Varadan in action last week.
Varadan will want to improve on his Merit list position and has work to do, while also trying to wrap up first place on the ADT Merit list.
He said he struggled to deal with the nuances of the Chinese-Taipei greens last week but credits a swing change and a new caddie with his strong performances this year. His countryman Guna, who used to work with Thailand’s Sarit Suwannarut, is now on his bag.
“Went through a swing change middle of last year, somewhere in April. It’s nice to see the changes I’ve made in my golf game prosper slowly,” he said.
“I would say hiring Guna has made a big difference, as well as the work on my swing and also the new irons that I put in have been performing really well. So, you know, everything kind of blends in together. But I would say, first, I think having a good guy on my bag is really helpful.”
He first made headlines at Malaysian Open early in 2024, when in his first event as a professional he shared the lead at the halfway mark. He went on to finish in a tie for 13th for an impressive debut.
However, it’s been this year that he has started to find his feet, with his place on the Asian Tour made possible thanks to finishing 22nd at the Qualifying School.
His form has helped vindicate his decision two years ago to not finish his final year at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in order to make the transition to the paid ranks.
“It wasn’t easy,” he says of the important decision.
“I could have finished my final year in college, but I didn’t see any help in my golf game continuing at university. Whilst on the other end it’s not easy, professional golf is also not easy. You know, you need a little bit of luck involved and also a good support system, which I have. You know, I am thankful to my dad for that because he was like, ‘Well, if you make a decision, I’m all in …’.
Khavish Varadan (left) was the top Malaysian player when he tied for 13th at the Malaysian Open in 2024.
“So, it’s been good. I think I have learned a lot in professional golf because in university we wouldn’t be playing in conditions like this, and able to perform in conditions like this. You know, everyone’s playing in it and everyone’s playing well in it, so we’ve got to find a way to put the ball in the hole. So, I think I would be complaining a lot in university, but now, no.”
His victory on the ADT came at the Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters where he defeated Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond in extra time, while one of his runner-up finishes was also the result of a play-off, at the PKNS Selangor Masters on home soil. Singapore’s Nicklaus Chiam got the better of him on that occassion.
Those were certainly invaluable real-life experiences that could not have been learned at university and will hopefully put him on course to winning on the Asian Tour – something which no Malaysian has achieved since Nicholas Fung and Gavin Green in 2017. The former claimed the Queen’s Cup in June of that year, while the latter was victorious in October, at the very same event that starts this Thursday at Taiwan Golf & Country Club.
The Yeangder TPC featured one of its strongest ever fields last week, with players jostling to finish as high up as possible on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, as the season enters its closing stages. They also had plenty to say about it as well. Here are the best quotes of the week, where victory went to Pavit Tangkamolprasert from Thailand.
First Round
Malaysia’s Ervin Chang after his 64 (-8) to be tied for the lead on day one:
“My putting and my damage control overall were key today. On hole number seven, my 16th basically as I started on back nine, I actually duffed my tee-shot. Then I had 185 yards to the pin, into the wind, and hit a six iron to 18 feet and made it for birdie. On hole number nine, my last hole, I hit my tee shot a little bit left, but the second shot caught a flyer over the green, but I chipped in for birdie. Earlier on three I also chipped in for birdie. There were some crazy moments, some moment that just made me wonder, like, am I doing this correctly?”.
On cutting back on his time online and on social media:
“I didn’t look at the scoreboard, and it’s something that I’ve been working on over the last three months. I didn’t cut off social media, but I cut off golf on my social media, on my Instagram, as just because on the golf course it is stressful enough, and I don’t look at golf again after the round.”
Pavit Tangkamolprasert from Thailand, who also fired a 64 on Thursday, on playing in Chinese Taipei:
“I mean, I played here a lot. I love it. I have very good friends here, you know, and all the tea, good food, very happy about this week. My irons were on fire today, kind of like three feet, four feet, left me easy putts.”
On having his wife Chorphaka Jaengjit, a Thai LPGA professional, join him during his week in Taipei:
“This week is our 20th anniversary of being together. So, it is a very special week for me. I am trying to win for her.”
Kazuki Higa.
Local star Chien-yao Hung after his 64 to join the leaders:
“I bogeyed the last, but I told myself it’s ok. I think the main highlight today was how I played through my calf cramps on the last three holes! I was just thinking about how I got it. Did I not drink enough water? Maybe because the weather is cooling that’s why I thought I didn’t need to drink too much. I knew it’s easy to make bogeys on the last three holes, so I wasn’t expecting too much. Because of the cramps, I wasn’t able to concentrate as well. I actually had an easy chip on the last, but I didn’t chip well which was a pity. But overall, it’s alright.”
Second Round
Thai Tawit Polthai on his 62, an un-official course record due to preferred lies in effect, on Friday:
“Everything was like a perfect day for me. I mean, it’s like my driving was good, irons were good and I hit all the good numbers and my putting was very well. I’ve shot 10 under in like a practice round before, but not in a tournament.”
Fellow Thai Poom Saksansin talking about his recent form after a 64 in the second round to share the lead:
“It’s not been very good. I’ve played in local events and finished not so well. But I just opened an academy and I was teaching one of my friends, and I was just teaching him a drill, which took about two hours, and then that drill got into my swing. So good luck for me.”
About the drill he explained:
“My swing is a little bit too deep on my backswing and my shaft gets too flat, which is the same problem as my friend. So, I just told him that you have to get your hands more in front and more steep on the backswing. I kept doing that drill for two hours because I was teaching him. I wasn’t hitting any shots. Then yeah, that drill got into my swing.”
Joint leader Pavit Tangkamolprasert on his week at the halfway stage:
“I’m feeling pretty good this week, it’s been very easy game for the first two days for me. I mean, I hit a lot of fairways, hit a lot of greens, and my putts have dropped this week. So yeah, a couple of low rounds.”
About the Linkou International course he said:
“Well, I like this course actually. I mean, like you don’t have to hit it long, just put it in a good position, and I can reach the par fives. So yeah, this week the first two days I think my position is very good. My driving is pretty good this week, so that means my ball position I hit it from the fairway. Especially this course, you know, you have to hit it on the fairway to make a birdie. And then my irons have been good for the past two days, and my putt have dropped.”
Chien-Yao Hung.
Third Round
Leader Pavit Tangkamolprasert on being bogey free through 54 holes:
“I’m quite surprised because I’m kind of like, you know, a birdie bogey player, but yeah, this week I think I put the ball in a very good position. I mean, when I missed it’s not been in that tough a place, for the past three days. I think that’s the key.”
On what a win would mean to him after coming second twice on the Asian Tour and twice on the All Thailand Tour in 2026:
“I know would be very, very happy for myself because you know, I keep knocking on the door for maybe five or six years, even this year already, including the All Thailand Tour and Thai PGA. And yeah, if it’s my week, it’s my week, so I just have to stay calm tomorrow. Do what I did for the past three days and then let’s see.”
Defending champion Kazuki Higa from Japan after his 67 to move him up to second place after three rounds:
“I made less mistakes today, compared to yesterday. Today’s biggest challenge for me was reading the greens. Gave myself a lot of birdie chances but missed a few short putts out there which was a pity. This is the best day so far this week that I’ve hit my woods and irons. I started the final round one shot back last year too so I’m in a similar position again. I will just try and make as many birdies as I can again tomorrow and see how it goes. I don’t feel any pressure right now. I’m happy to be in this position heading into the final round.”
Filipino Miguel Tabuena after his 63 that included a back-nine 29:
“Yeah, it’s been a while. It was a bit of a slow start on the front nine, and then just the putter caught on fire on the back nine. I didn’t hit it as well as yesterday, I missed like maybe six fairways today, but you know the greens aren’t the fastest, so you can get away with being in the rough. And it’s just one of the days where the putter got hot, and a chip in on 16 also helped.”
On being back on the Asian Tour after playing on LIV for most of the season:
“You know it’s always nice coming back, it’s my favorite tour by far. It’s been the family for the longest time, and you know, it’s a nice way to end the year. Being around Asia, being close to Manila is a big boost for sure.”
Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho also went low on Saturday, posting a 64 after playing the first seven holes in six under to get back in contention:
“Yeah, it was a really fast start. Kind of two very different nines, because on the front I was hitting a lot of fairways, hitting a lot of greens, and kind of just tapping in for birdie, really. And then on the back, I just felt like I just kind of didn’t hit as many fairways, and then kind of just didn’t quite judge the wind great every single time. So felt like I was hitting good shots still, but I was just missing the greens, and I felt like my short game really went on display on the back nine and I’m really proud of how I was able to keep together a strong round.”
Taichi Kho.
On his recent form after winning the International Series Morocco in early June:
“I think the only thing that I’ve realized is, you know, I put a lot of work in after Morocco. Like I put in a lot of work before Morocco and after Morocco, and yeah, sometimes golf just has its way of doing its own thing. I’ve realized the results side of things and the performance side of things is, I think some of it’s in our control, but a lot of it is out of our control. I’m just trying to bring my best self to the table more often, and when I say that, I mean you know in terms of like the person that I am and the type of focus that I bring to the table, and less so about the performance side. So, as I’m just focusing more on that side of things this week as opposed to the scoring side, I’m obviously bringing a lot of good golf to the table.”
Final Round
Winner Pavit Tangkamolprasert on his emotions after making a birdie on the 72nd hole to beat Kazuki Higa by one shot:
“You know, words can describe this week’s game, I think this is the most solid tournament I’ve played all year. I made only one bogey out of 72 holes, which is very fantastic. But yeah, a lot of low rounds. Still, I had to make the shots because you know, like the defending champion Kazuki Higa and me were playing together, he kept coming and he was playing very solid. But yeah, it’s just on the last hole he made par and I made birdie.”
Asked if it felt like a match-play situation with Higa he said:
“Not really. You know, I just wanted to concentrate on my game actually, I didn’t look at the scores much, and you know, I’ve been coming very close for so many times, and it helps a lot, you know. I just keep trying, keep trying, doesn’t matter. But yeah, as I told you, so it’s this week and it was my luck.”
On what was the key moment in the final round:
“Yeah the first hole, I started with an eagle again. So that boosted a lot of confidence, followed on the third and fourth holes with birdies, so yeah, a hot start. You know, when you play in the final round, you know everyone is shooting low. A couple guys shot like 10 under, nine under, coming up. But yeah, four under first four is the key, just make it very, very easy for myself.”
Runner-up Kazuki Higa on his final round at Linkou after coming up one shot behind:
“I played alright the last four days. Thought I will just add some pressure to the other competitors like Pavit today. I didn’t hit a good tee shot on the last, second shot i thought i hit it good but it went into the bunker. I thought my bunker shots are my strongest but this week, i was in the bunkers four times and i only hit one good one. That was disappointing.”
Describing his mindset during the final round:
“I told myself i needed to make at least a birdie in every three holes to be able to keep up the challenge. My putter held up when it mattered most so that was good. I didn’t set any targets today. i just wanted to make a birdie in every three holes. That was my main mindset today.”
Main picture Pavit Tangkamolprasert.
Pictured by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.
A relieved and emotional Pavit Tangkamolprasert [main picture] from Thailand holed a nerve-jangling four-foot birdie putt on the final hole to hold off defending champion Kazuki Higa and complete a memorable wire-to-wire victory at the Yeangder TPC today.
The one-shot win over playing-partner Higa from Japan handed him his first victory on the Asian Tour in seven years, after a string of near misses, and moved him into first place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit.
He closed with a six-under-par 66, for a four-round total of 25-under, while Higa – attempting to become the first player to successfully defend the title – shot the same score.
Chinese-Taipei’s Chien-yao Hung secured third on his own by making birdie on the last for a 65, finishing one stroke further back – at Linkou International Golf & Country Club.
His compatriot Wei-hsuan Wang and Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond were joint fourth, after carding 62 and 65 respectively.
Pavit Tangkamolprasert.
Pavit’s last win on the Asian Tour came at the end of 2019 when he claimed the Sabah Masters in a play-off. It was his second title on the Tour, as he triumphed at the Macau Open three years earlier, also in extra time, and few would have thought a third would have taken quite so long – although the two-year break caused by the global pandemic did not help.
“You know, words can’t describe this week’s game,” said the 37-year-old.
“I think this is the most solid tournament I’ve played all year. I made only one bogey out of 72 holes, which is very fantastic. But yeah, a lot of low rounds. Still, I had to make the shots because the defending champion Kazuki Higa and me were playing together. He kept coming.”
He described his four on the last as the “best birdie of my life”, while he will also long remember the opening hole, also a par five.
Having started the day with a one-shot lead over Higa he made the perfect start by eagling the first. Remarkably, he played the hole in seven under this week, with three eagles and one birdie.
For most of the day he had appeared on course for a more comfortable victory, and also a record-setting one.
Lying three ahead of Higa with six to play he had not made a bogey all week and was attempting to become the first player in Asian Tour history to not drop a shot over 72 holes.
However, a disappointing bogey on the 13th and a birdie by Higa, denied Pavit the record and also cut his lead to one. His Japanese opponent then birdied the next hole, meaning they were tied with four to play.
Pavit Tangkamolprasert.
Pavit had a chance to move one ahead on the 17th but missed a 12 footer for birdie meaning they were level playing the par-five 18th.
The Thai golfer then took the upper hand by reaching the front of the green in two, while Higa hit his second left into a greenside bunker.
Facing a challenging long bunker shot Higa splashed his ball out to 20 feet while Pavit chipped up to four feet. Higa came narrowly close to making his putt but after it slipped past the hole, Pavit confidently holed out for a long-awaited victory.
He was also able to enjoy the win with his wife Chorphaka Jaengjit, a professional on the Thai LPGA Tour, who was here this week – in particular because they were celebrating their 20th anniversary of being together.
Asked how they planned to celebrate tonight, he said: “Well, let’s see if she wants shabu. I think not only my wife, me and all my Thai friends are waiting and then they’re all gonna ask ‘Hey, where are you going for dinner?’ I think I’ll let them choose.”
It is an important and reassuring victory for Pavit as he came close to winning earlier this year. He claimed second place in the Philippine Golf Championship and was joint runner-up in the International Series Japan.
It’s been a long wait for his third Asian Tour title although he was victorious at the Singha Laguna Phuket Open in 2024 on the Asian Development Tour – where he has triumphed a record eight times.
Kazuki Higa and Pavit Tangkamolprasert.
Higa will be disappointed not to have defended the title, particularly as the Yeangder Group are one of his main sponsors. However, the result is far and away the best result of the year on the Asian Tour for last year’s Order of Merit champion.
“Thought I would just add some pressure to the other competitors like Pavit today,” he said.
“I didn’t hit a good tee shot on the last, second shot I thought I hit it good, but it went into the bunker. I thought my bunker shots were the strongest part of my game but this week I was in the bunker four times and I only hit one good one. That was disappointing.”
The expected challenge from Australian Travis Smyth, the leader of the Merit list before this week, Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho, and Miguel Tabuena from the Philippines, did not materialise today.
They were all on the shoulders of the leader at the start of the day, but Smyth carded a 70 to finish nine back, Kho shot a 71 and was eight behind, while Tabuena, playing in the final pairing, came in with a 72 to tie with Smyth – who has moved to second on the Merit list.
The Asian Tour remains in Chinese-Taipei for next week’s Mercuries Taiwan Masters, at Taiwan Golf & Country Club. Rattanon Wannasrichan is the defending champion – another of the many Thai golfers who have been successful in Chinese-Taipei.
Pictured by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.
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