September 18: Philippines’ Miguel Tabuena withstood brutal wind gusts of up to 50kmph at Linkou International Golf and Country Club to post a four-under-par round of 68 and take the clubhouse lead after Thursday’s morning session of the US$1 million Yeangder TPC.

Tabuena, a house guest of his good friend Chan Shih-chang for the two back-to-back events in Taiwan, made six birdies in tough scoring conditions to pull ahead of a pack of five players at 69.

That group was led by the Chinese Taipei duo of Chen Yi-tong, whose round included two eagles, and Wang Wei-hsuan, Hong Kong’s Matthew Cheung, and Thailand’s Nitithorn Thippong and Witchayapat Sinsrang.

Local amateur Hsieh Cheng-wei, who holds the record of being the youngest player to make the cut in an Asian Tour event (14 years and 33 days) in the 2022 edition of the tournament, delighted the home crowd with a 70 start. Japan’s Takumi Murakami, Australia’s Brett Rankin, India’s Yuvraj Singh Sandhu and Thailand’s Poom Saksansin also finished on 70.

Chen Yi-tong of of Chinese Taipei. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

Tabuena, seventh in the Asian Tour Order of Merit last year and 28th this season, is looking for his first win since the 2023 DGC Open in India. He has also finished as a runner-up in Taiwan on four occasions and is looking to go one step better this year.

“It was tricky. It wasn’t the easiest considering the winds were a bit gusty. It’s nice to post a score like that again after a long time. I know the game is there. I just haven’t been able to have the reps of tournament. And it’s nice that it’s coming along in time for what will be a very busy schedule,” said the three-time Asian Tour champ.

“I have been coming here since 2011, so I feel pretty familiar with these tough conditions in Taiwan. Probably, that is why I felt a bit comfortable out there. The greens are also a bit trickier this year, so it will be a case of whoever is the most patient at the end of the week. It won’t be an easy week, and you just have to grind it out.

“I’ve had a handful of second, third place finishes here, and I hope that is to my advantage. But the Asian Tour is getting stronger and stronger, and it’s always nice to have your best game against these players in this long stretch of events.”

Hsieh, Cheng-wei of Chinese Taipei. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

Chen started his round from the 10th tee and finished it in some style.

One-over at the turn, he rolled in a 30-footer for eagle on the par-5 first hole to get into the red numbers and then closed with a holed second shot from 138 yards on the par-4 ninth.

Hsieh, 17, is playing only his fifth professional tournament, but showed once again that he can mix with the big boys. A bogey late in the round was his only blemish in a round that included three birdies.

Taking time out from his school studies this week, Hsieh said: “I was surprised to be the youngest player to make the cut on the Asian Tour a few years back. I thought it was a very good experience for me, but I did not think that was the only time I would make the cut here!

“I think I’ve become a better player now. With my current distances, I feel like I’m able to compete with the big boys. Last time, my technique wasn’t as good as the rest. I think I can compete out here. I just need to show it in the tournament.”

After a poor start to the season, Suteepat Prateeptienchai [main picture] was back to his best at the end of last month – claiming the Mandiri Indonesia Open.

It was a timely return to form ahead of the Thai star’s trip back to his very own promised land this week: Chinese-Taipei.

Suteepat is the defending champion at the Yeangder TPC, which starts Thursday at Linkou International Golf & Country Club, New Taipei City, and all eyes are on a player who has a special affinity to the island state like no other.

Victory last year was one of two in the country as he claimed the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open a few months after. He also won the Taifong event a year earlier and was runner-up the year before.

His love affair with Chinese-Taipei, which has such a strong golfing tradition, is well known, and he has also enjoyed success on the local circuit there.

“I know I have chance when we play in Taiwan,” said the 32-year-old.

Suteepat Prateeptienchai (right).

However, that was probably not what he was thinking after he missed five out of the first six cuts this season.

A change in equipment, just before his victory in Indonesia, was key to getting back on track.

“I changed my equipment sponsor and just changed my irons before Indonesia, like a month ago. But now I’m just more confident with the new irons, wedges and ball and everything, so I feel better now,” he explained.

“I am not back to playing as well as last year, but I am playing much better than the first half of this year. I got some confidence in Indonesia after I won it. Last week I would say was not too good, but I still made the cut. So, I think I have chance to defend my title this week.”

His success in Indonesia was his fourth on the Asian Tour but first outside of Chinese-Taipei. Having a lot of friends here has been a big factor in his success he says, while he also always feels he has a head start.

“I have played Linkou quite a few times when I’m in Taiwan, so yeah, I think that gives me an advantage compared to other foreigners,” said Suteepat.

He revealed a healthy diet has also played an important part in his success – all thanks to his girlfriend.

Suteepat Prateeptienchai. 

He said: “My girlfriend studies sports nutrition and helps me with my diet. It’s important this time of year when there are so many events and you need energy. I eat bread and nuts when I play. It makes me make feel like I have more power on the course all day.”

Suteepat is now in 15^th place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit and with 10 more events to go this year – including another title defence at the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open – he has an outside chance to win the Merit title.

He says: “I haven’t really thought about that, because I wasn’t playing very well earlier this year. I’ll just play the best for me this year. We’ll see more next year. I have a lot of plans to improve my fitness and everything.”

He has been paired in the first two rounds with Chinese-Taipei’s Lee Chieh-po, fresh from his first season playing the LIV Golf League, and Kazuki Higa from Japan – winner of last week’s Shinhan Donghae Open, in Korea.

Pictures by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

The Asian Tour makes its first visit of the year to Chinese-Taipei this week for the Yeangder TPC.

Thailand’s Suteepat Prateeptienchai is the defending champion and has a monopoly on titles in Chinese-Taipei having triumphed three times there in the past two years.

The Yeangder TPC is one of the jewels in the crown of tournament golf in Chinese-Taipei and has always been an important event on the Asian Tour schedule.

Thailand’s Thaworn Wiratchant had the distinction of winning the inaugural edition 15 years ago and is the first and only player to have lifted the trophy more than once. He is part of an impressive list of past champions that includes last year’s Asian Tour Order of Merit champion John Catlin. The American was triumphant in 2018. He is in the field this week.

Chinese-Taipei’s Lee Chieh-po, also competing, and Lu Wei-chih are the only local players to have their names inscribed on the trophy – in 2021 and 2011 respectively.

For the second season in-a-row the tournament will boast prizemoney of US$1 million – the joint most lucrative in the nation.

Suteepat Prateeptienchai. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

Tournament Information

• Tournament: Yeangder Tournament Players Championship
• Date: 18th – 21th September
• Venue: Linkou International Golf & Country Club
• Par/Yards: 72 / 7,108 yards
• Purse: US$1million (US$180,000)
• Defending champion: Suteepat Prateeptienchai (THA)
• Asian Tour leg: 11th
• Edition of tournament: 15th
• Total number of players: 144
• Format: Stroke play tournament over four rounds of 18 holes with a cut after 36 holes to leading 65 pros plus ties.
• Social media hashtags: #TimeToRise #YeangderTPC

Field Breakdown

• Order of Merit winners: John Catlin (USA), Sihwan Kim (2022), Jazz Janewattananond (2019), Scott Hend (2016)
• Nationalities: 25
• Top contenders: Kazuki Higa (JPN), Suteepat Prateeptienchai (THA), Taichi Kho (HKG), Chieh-po Lee (TPE), Danthai Boonma (THA)
• Highest ranked player on OWGR: Kazuki Higa #155
• Highest ranked player on 2025 Asian Tour Order of Merit: Kazuki Higa (JPN) #2
• Number of amateurs: 2
• Number of Chinese Taipei players in the field: 44

Lee Chieh-po. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

Tournament Notes

• Last week’s winner Kazuki Higa from Japan got off to a great start in his 2025 Asian Tour campaign strong, going T8, T5 and T2 in the Smart Infinity Philippine Open, International Series India Presented by DLF and New Zealand Open presented by Sky Sports respectively, before finally getting his hands on a trophy at the Shinhan Donghae Open in Korea last Sunday. He is currently second on the Order of Merit and the highest ranked player in the field going into this week. On the Japan Tour he has recorded six top 10’s this season, including wins at last week’s tri-sanctioned Shinhan Donghae Open and at the ISPS HANDA Explosion in the Summer in mid-August.
• Thailand’s Suteepat Prateeptienchai is the defending champion, and he recently won his fourth Asian Tour title at the Mandiri Indonesia Open three weeks ago. Although not happy with his game in Korea last week, Suteepat is always one of the favourites in Chinese Taipei having won three of his four titles here.
• Currently in sixth on the Order of Merit, Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho is coming off back-to-back top-four finishes after a second in the Mandiri Indonesia Open three weeks ago and a T4 at last week’s Shinhan Donghae Open. In addition to those top results, he has also posted a T4 at the Kolon Korean Open, a T6 at the International Series Macau presented by Wynn and a T10 at the International Series Morocco. The winner of the 2023 World City Championship presented by Hong Kong Golf Club looks good to continue his great run of form.
• Danthai Boonma from Thailand is the third highest ranked player on the Order of Merit in seventh place, after a T4 last week in Korea, a runner-up at the International Series Morocco in July and a T8 at the season opening Smart Infinity Philippine Open in January. He also recorded a win on All Thailand Tour’s Singha Championship in early August as well as a runner up on the same tour two weeks earlier.
• Local hero Lee Chieh-po has been playing in the LIV Golf League all season, after earning his spot at the LIV Golf Promotions in Saudi Arabia last December. His best results on LIV this year have been a T12 in Hong Kong and a T13 in Chicago. Lee won the International Series Thailand last year during a stretch of events where he finished in the top-10 seven out of eight events. He won the 2021 edition of this tournament when it was only held on the local tour because of Covid, finished second in 2022 when it returned to the Asian Tour schedule, and came in fourth last year. The number four on the 2024 Asian Tour Order of Merit will be playing in his first Asian Tour event this season.
• Australian Travis Smyth, who won this tournament in 2022 and was runner-up in 2023, is entering the tournament in good form after a T8 in last week’s Shinhan Donghae Open and a T3 in the Mandiri Indonesian Open two weeks earlier. He has so far this season recorded four top-10s, as in addition to the before mentioned events he posted T10s in the International Series India presented by DLF and International Series Macau presented by Wynn.
• Thaworn Wiratchant is the only player to win the tournament more than once, in 2010 and 2013, but the legendary Thai player is not in the field this week.

Japanese star Kazuki Higa mastered the greens to win the tri-sanctioned Shinhan Donghae Open at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea last week. It was his second victory in the tournament after also having taken the title in 2022 when it was played in Japan.

The Asian Tour member led the field with 1.566 Putts per Greens in Regulation (GIR), and he was fourth in Putts per Round with 26.75. His performance on the greens resulted in 23 birdies for the week – the joint second most with Korean Seonghyeon Kim, and behind Danthai Boonma from Thailand on 25.

Higa, who now sits in second place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, also produced solid stats across the other major categories: ranking 11^th in Scrambling (73.68%), 13^th in Driving Distance (293.1 yards), T14 in Fairways Hit (85.71%) and T24 in GIR (73.61%).

Scott Vincent from Zimbabwe, the Asian Tour Order of Merit leader, tied second with Canadian Richard T. Lee helped by strong approach play that saw him ranked T7 in GIR with 77.78%. He only made three bogies for the week and his a Scrambling percentage of 93.75% topped this category. His other stats for the week were impressively consistent: Driving Distance T11 (293.3 yards), Putts per Round T15 (28), Putts per GIR 22nd (1.714), and Fairways Hit T38 (80.36%).

Scott Vincent. Picture supplied by the Korean PGA Tour.

Lee’s short game stood out in his stats, ranking second in Scrambling with 89.47% which enabled him to top the Fewest Bogies or Worse category with only two bogies during the 72 holes. His putting also ranked highly with 27 Putts per Round (5^th) and 1.679 Putts per GIR (T11). Except for a wayward drive on the 72^nd hole of the tournament Lee also drove it well. He was eighth in Driving Distance with 296.3 yards while hitting 85.71% of the Fairways (T14).

Statistics Categories leaders at the 41^st Shinhan Donghae Open (of players making the cut):

• Putts per Round – Hideto Tanihara (JPN): 25.5
• Putts per GIR – Kazuki Higa (JPN): 1.566
• GIR – Younghan Song (KOR): 84.72%
• Fairways Hit – Younghan Song (KOR), Poom Saksansin (THA): 94.64%
• Driving Distance – Riki Kawamoto (JPN): 314 yards
• Most Eagles – Sarit Suwannarut (THA): 2
• Most Birdies – Danthai Boonma (THA): 25
• Fewest Bogies or Worse – Richard T. Lee (CAN): 2
• Scrambling – Scott Vincent (ZIM): 93.75%

Lee Chieh-po competes in the Yeangder TPC this week on home soil, saying he is a much stronger player after playing on the LIV Golf League this season.

He’s the first player from Chinese-Taipei to play on the multi-million dollar franchise and despite not performing well enough to keep his playing privileges for next year the experience has clearly been priceless.

“It’s been a very good challenge for me,” said the 30-year-old, “playing alongside many top players in the world at so many great courses over the season. I would say it has helped honed my skills, both technically and mentally.”

He finished in 47^th place on the LIV Rankings – excelling in Hong Kong and Chicago, tying for 12^th and 13^th respectively.

“I think I’m a better player now. I loved the challenge to be honest. After this season, I think I’ve grown a lot for sure. I hope I can do better next year.”

Lee Chieh-po. Picture by Graham Uden/ Asian Tour.

After a globetrotting 2025 playing LIV, this week marks his first appearance on the Asian Tour this season.

“At the start of the LIV season, I was trying my best to get used to the different conditions we play as the golf courses are very different from what we play in Asia. The pin positions are tough too,” he said.

“I came back to Taiwan to make some changes to my clubs, just to tackle the fast greens and to create more spin which will allow me to attack the pins better.

“After every two events, I’ll do a reflection on my performance and make some adjustments accordingly. I think I’ve improved a lot over the last six months. Most of the golf courses on LIV are difficult for me. But I got used to it eventually and managed to find some momentum towards the end which was good.”

Lee won this week’s event back in 2021 during the global pandemic when it was played as a domestic tournament.

He explained: “I specifically picked this week for my comeback on Tour as this is a special event to me, playing at a venue where I’m very familiar. I look forward to playing this week, as well as the remainder of the season, with the new techniques I’ve learnt.

“My game is feeling great right now. After LIV season ended, I took three weeks off to do some physical training to prepare myself for the remainder of the Asian Tour this year.”

He won twice last year, first the International Series Thailand for his maiden title on the Asian Tour and then the LIV Golf Promotions event at the end of season – which earned him a place on the League.

This week we will see just how far his game has progressed and if he can add more trophies to a cabinet that will no doubt be filled with silverware over the coming seasons.

When Thailand’s Suteepat Prateeptienchai proclaims his love for Taiwan, it comes straight from the heart and is backed by results. Story from the 2024 Yearbook.

The 31-year-old produced a masterclass of frontrunning at the Linkou International Golf and Country Club and secured a two-shot, wire-to-wire win at the Yeangder TPC.

It was his second Asian Tour win on the island in less than a year, as 10 months earlier he had claimed the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open – some 180 kilometres south, in dominating fashion by four shots.

Remarkably, a few months after winning the Yeangder event he would return to successfully defend his Taiwan Glass Taifong Open crown, completing a rare hat-trick of titles in the same country.

However, the Yeangder TPC was by far the biggest win for the Thai star. This time, apart from the omnipresent Taiwanese wind, he also had to battle John Catlin – the in-form American leading the Asian Tour Order of Merit with two early wins in the season.

Suteepat Prateeptienchai. Picture by Vachira Kalong/Asian Tour.

Catlin promised to spoil Suteepat’s party with five successive birdies in his first five holes – and six in his first seven holes – on Sunday.

In that stretch of seven holes, Suteepat made just one birdie – on the par-four third hole – but that was enough to keep his nose ahead of the charging Catlin, who had started the final round six shots behind the leader.

Miguel Tabuena, at 16-under, was his closest rival after the first three rounds, and even though the Filipino made three birdies in his first 11 holes, Suteepat maintained the two-shot advantage with three birdies of his own at that stage.

Tabuena’s (70) challenge fizzled out with bogeys on the 11th and 14th holes. Catlin (65) could only find a couple of birdies and a bogey after the hot start, which just eased the pressure on Suteepat (69), who could afford to make two bogeys coming in. He did close with a birdie on the par-five 18th hole, where he almost chipped in for an eagle for a grandstand finish.

Suteepat, who also plays on the local tour in Taiwan and had three top-10s in four starts during their season, said: “I love Taiwan! I have a lot of friends who have graduated from the Asian Development Tour to the Asian Tour. I am comfortable here and it is great fun.

“It was tough today, because of the wind and good players following me. I saw Catlin’s score and then got nervous. Got into trouble on the 15th, where I went over the green and then found a greenside bunker on the 16th. But I kept thinking I was still the leader, and I must hold on.

“This means a lot… an exemption for two years is amazing!”

The weather over the weekend was tough with wind and rain, and Catlin, who recorded his first win on the Asian Tour in April 2017 at the same tournament, felt he handled the conditions well.

“I just kept having fun and enjoying playing golf. It was windy, it was difficult, it was rainy… I think we pretty much saw every possible weather out there. I handled it pretty well. I guess my years in Europe paid off,” said Catlin, who opened up a huge lead of 1,146.83 points on the Merit list with the finish.

“I hit the ball much better today than I did on Saturday and that gave me a lot more chances. I was able to convert a couple of them and I hit a couple stone dead, which always helps.”

The 29-year-old Tabuena, who was looking for his fourth win on the Asian Tour, revealed he played the tournament with pain in his left thumb.

The in-form golfer, who came into the tournament with three top 10s in his last five starts, said: “It was good, but I was fighting a bit of pain on my left thumb again. It started on Wednesday, so I was just trying to take care of it.

“Golf is a funny sport and if you don’t focus on your actual game, you can do great things sometimes. I am happy with the way I played.”

Chinese Taipei’s Lee Chieh-po (67) was the best finisher from the home country with a solo fourth.

Korea’s latest star Yubin Jang, who was handpicked by Iron Heads GC captain Kevin Na to join his LIV Golf League team later in the year and has three wins in his home country, showed a glimpse of his massive talent when he aced the par-three eighth with an eight iron from 185 yards on Saturday.

The 22-year-old Jang eventually finished tied 20th after a disappointing double bogey on the last on Sunday.

Kazuki Higa won the Shinhan Donghae Open today, drawing on every ounce of his experience to fend off a strong chasing pack to claim the title for the second time in his career.

The diminutive Japanese star shot a final round four-under-par 68 for a tournament total of 18-under and a one-stroke victory over Canadian Richard T. Lee and Scott Vincent from Zimbabwe.

Lee closed with a 67 and Vincent, the Asian Tour Order of Merit leader, a 68 – at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club, Incheon.

Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho and Danthai Boonma from Thailand tied for fourth, one stroke back, after both returned 68s.

Higa, who won this event in 2022, when it was played in Japan, started the day with a one-shot lead, but with a strong Asian Tour cohort in hot pursuit.

It looked like he was going to run away with the title by making birdies on the first four holes, and he was three ahead at the turn from playing partners Vincent and Lee

Kazuki Higa.

However, the narrative changed on the homeward stretch when the gap closed and drama unfolded on the par-five 18th.

Higa did well to avoid a three-shot swing on the par-four 10^th. His second shot rolled off the green and he faced a difficult chip shot to an elevated green. The best he could do was get it to eight feet while Lee faced a makeable birdie putt. However, Higa showed why he is a proven winner by draining his putt before Lee holed his to go two behind.

Soon after, Higa missed a 15 footer for par on the par-three 13^th, meaning he was one ahead of Lee. That margin remained until the last, with Vincent two back.

With the last hole reachable in two the tournament was still wide open but when Lee found water off the tee on the right and Vincent landed in a fairway bunker on the left Higa’s work was made that much easier. That was especially the case when Higa found the fairway safely and laid up in two.

There was a long delay of about 30 minutes, when officials tried to determine where Lee could drop from. Line of entry was confirmed to be almost all the way back to the tee, but remarkably Lee went on to make par by holing a 15 foot putt from just off the green. Higa had pitched off the back of the green with his third, meaning there was much work to be done following Lee’s brilliant save – which was accompanied by a huge roar from the large gallery. He needed to get up and down for the win which he calmly did thanks to a deft chip to two feet.

“Very relieved to win,” said Higa, one of the shortest players in the field, at 158cm, but keeper of one of the biggest all-round games.

Richard T. Lee.

“It got a little tough. There were a few missed shots and a lot of pressure on the back nine. I am glad my game held up. It’s the first time I have won an event twice.”

With this week’s event tri-sanctioned by the Asian, Korean and Japan Tours it means he is now an eight-time winner on the Japan Golf Tour.

Four of those came in 2022, when his Shinhan Donghae win helped him secure the Japan Tour money list.

Remarkably, nearly all of his wins have come from leading from the front.

He said: “There is a fighter in me I guess but it is hard for me to say. I have always led in events I have won but always think about the other players, and pressure they are under. It’s a company secret, stop asking.”

The 30-year-old explained he has been working hard on hitting the ball further since winning in 2022 – and now hits just over 10 yards longer.

“The past two years I have been training and changed clubs to be able to hit longer. There has been a lot of testing, a lot of trial and error. No swing change, hard to put into words. I have focused on speed and a strong mentality to realise my potential,” he said.

Lee was disappointed to miss out but philosophical, in defeat.

Scott Vincent.

“I mean, I didn’t really have many mistakes except for that last tee shot on 18,” said the Canadian. “And, you know, if I just made birdie on the last hole, I think I would have had a chance to at least force a play-off. But then again, I think I made a good run today to catch up to Higa and yeah, no regrets.”

Vincent birdied the final two holes to consolidate his Merit list lead.

“Of course, you are hoping and hoping for the win,” he commented.

“I was trying to get one or two more birdies early but to finish the way I did was just the icing on the cake. To come within one just shows you how small the margins are. It is an awesome week. I played great. Just have to build from this and keep going.”

The Asian Tour heads to Chinese-Taipei next week for the Yeangder TPC. It starts on Thursday at Linkou International Golf & Country Club.

Suteepat Prateeptienchai is the defending champion, and heads to the event in fine form having won the Mandiri Indonesia Open two weeks ago. He finished in a tie for 42nd this week.

Pictures courtesy Korean PGA.

Japan’s Kazuki Higa took the third-round lead at the Shinhan Donghae Open in Korea today – one of a host of Asian Tour players to make the most of moving day.

The Japanese golfer, winner of this event in 2022, set the course alight on the back nine making four birdies in a row from the 14th enroute to a seven-under-par 65 and a one-shot lead at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club. He is 14-under for an event tri-sanctioned by the Asian, Korean and Japan Tours.

Asian Tour Order of Merit leader Scott Vincent from Zimbabwe is solo second after also shooting 65.

Canada’s Richard T. Lee, after another 65, is a stroke further back along with Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho, plus Thailand’s Sarit Suwannarut and Danthai Boonma – who all fired 66s.

Higa won this event when, for the one and only time, it was played in Japan and tomorrow will attempt to become only the fifth player to claim the title more than once.

“I think today was pretty much a perfect round,” said Higa.

Scott Vincent.

“I had one bogey, but that was because my drive went left and ended up right next to a tree root—it was unplayable. Even then, I managed to give myself a par chance, so overall, it was a stress-free round.”

At 158 cm tall he is one of the shortest players, but the stocky golfer packs a mighty punch as he demonstrated over the closing stages today.

He was one of the few leaders to make a bogey today but masked that with eight birdies, including five on the homeward half.

“I’ll try not to force anything tomorrow and focus on how the others in my group are playing. Since the leaderboard is tight, a lot of players will have a shot at winning. I just want to manage my game well and avoid any mistakes that could cost me the lead,” he added.

“I think tomorrow will require a different kind of strategy, there will likely be a lot of situations where going at the pin brings risk, especially with tricky short sides.”

When he won this event three years ago he triumphed four times that season and claimed the Japan Tour Money List.

Vincent’s year continues to get better and better and he looks every bit the golfer who won The International Series Rankings in 2022 before playing on the LIV Golf League for two years.

Richard T. Lee.

He won the International Series Morocco in July for his second title on the Asian Tour and win number three is probably just around the corner.

“Awesome, just really, really awesome,” said Vincent, about his best round of the week  made up of seven birdies

“Tee to green was strong and great, and just gave myself a lot of chances. And, you know, made a few of those. Didn’t really put myself in any spots that caused too much stress.

“But yeah, all in all, it’s just it’s that challenge when you are playing well, just to keep going and not get caught up in the score and thinking, I need to hole this. And the battle of trying to play freely, so that was more the challenge for me today. And just trying to not let that get in the way, and keep swinging. And, you know, we still got lots of golf left. So just, yeah, it was great, all in all.

Lee is another former winner of the event. He triumphed in 2017 and like Vincent moved into contention making seven birdies and not dropping a shot.

On today’s low scoring, he said: “I think it was a lot softer today. I think it brought in a lot of rain yesterday, and the greens were a lot slower. But then again, I took advantage of it and stuck my shots pretty close and made my putts today.”

Lee won the Indonesian Masters last year on the Asian Tour, his third on the Asian Tour but first in seven years. That has been the catalyst for a fine season so far on the Korean PGA Tour this year. He has won once and finished runner-up twice to lie in second place on the rankings

Taichi Kho.

“I think if I just finish it off with a five or six under, I think that might do it,” he added.

Adding to an impressive leaderboard and setting the stage for a thrilling finish tomorrow is Kho.

He birdied four out of the last five to put himself on the threshold of a second victory on the Asian Tour.

Said the Hong Kong number one: “I think if I focus well tomorrow, be out there and embrace the adrenaline well, I think anything can happen. And I know my golf is good at a really high level, so I trust myself to do that and looking forward to it.”

He was second in the Mandiri Indonesia Open two weeks ago, for his second best result on the Asian Tour, after his win in the 2023 World City Championship, and is currently fifth place on the Order of Merit and climbing.

Pictures courtesy Korean PGA.

Sweden’s Bjorn Hellgren took the outright lead at the halfway point of the Shinhan Donghae Open today by firing a phenomenal eight-under-par 64 at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club – a performance that bare the mark of the Golden Bear himself.

His bogey-free round placed him one ahead of Koreans Taehoon OK (65) and Sanghee Lee (66), plus Japan’s Ryutaro Nagano (67) and Taiki Yoshida (68).

Hellgren, the 34-year-old looking for his first win on the Asian Tour, made an eagle and six birdies for one of the finest rounds of his 12-year professional career.

Playing in the penultimate group of the day, and having started on 10, he stormed through in fading light with three birdies in-a-row from the third and an eagle on the par-five seventh.

“Well, starting off we knew the rain was coming, so we knew we had to bag a few birdies early,” said Hellgren.

“We didn’t do it yesterday, so… then kind of the rain didn’t come in as hard as we thought, so then we thought maybe we’d take advantage of that. The greens started rolling pretty good, and we just hit it where we wanted all the time. So good teamwork and, yeah, pretty strong finish, so I’m happy with it.”

Taehoon OK.

The Swede hit it close all day and capitalised on every opportunity,

“Yeah, we were lucky there, we had a few. Had a couple that were like inside three feet, so I guess good numbers from the caddie,” he added.

On his eagle on seven he explained: “Oh, it was just perfect. We knew if we hit a soft driver we’re not reaching that one trap and it was in the middle of the fairway. And then we had a new Callaway seven wood, and we knew that it’s a perfect number for the front edge, and it just pitched there and it released a little. I made, I don’t know, a seven-metre putt probably. I got pulled off as something disturbed me, so I walked off, and then I came back to it. It was getting hard to see. It was downhill, and it was just lucky.”

OK, the number one ranked player on the Korean PGA Tour, moved into contention saying mental strength has been at the heart of his return to form this year.

Three years ago he hit the registered the biggest win of his career by claiming the inaugural International Series Korea on Jeju Island.

However, he has had to wait until this year for more success to materialise. He’s won twice in Korea and had five other top-fives. On the Asian Tour he has not featured much but that looks set to change this week.

“This year, I think I’ve my mentality has been great, so that’s been my strength,” he said, following a round built on an eagle and five birdies.

“Actually, I did a great job with putter and short game today, and I had some good par saves.”

His eagle also came on the par-five seventh.

“It felt great,” he said of the eagle. “The second shot was like 230 metres away with a bit of tail wind. My second shot was perfect, and I made a great putt.”

Younghan Song.

After the sunshine on the opening day, the weather closed in today with grey skies expected to be followed by poorer weather over the weekend.

Added Ok: “I know that it’s gonna rain until 10 in the morning tomorrow, and as you know this course is very tough. I think I have to be really calm, and try to create opportunities for myself. I believe that I’m gonna make a great result.”

Korean Younghan Song is a shot further back, following a 69, along with Japan’s Kazuki Higa, in with a 67.

Song, who is a member of both the Korean and Japan Tours, has surprisingly yet to win on home soil since turning professional 12 years ago.

He’s best-known for his victory in the Singapore Open in 2016, when he defeated American Jordan Spieth, who at the time was ranked number one in the world, by one shot following a Monday finish. He is a two winner in Japan having claimed the Sansan KBC Augusta in 2023, while the Singapore Open was joint sanctioned with Japan when he won.

Despite his lack of titles in Korea he has been a regular contender as looks like being the case this week.

He said: “Actually, I’m not really happy about my performance today, but definitely I want to win this tournament. I think some of my putts were not great, but I think I finished quite well so I should be well prepared for the next round.

“You know, this course is very challenging, especially with the wind and the rain. I think the conditions will be very difficult over next few days.”

Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent, the Asian Tour Order of Merit leader, returned a 67 and is next best placed in a group of players that includes Thailand’s Danthai Boonma, the joint first-round leader – who shot a 71, and Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho after a 69.

Taehoon OK, the number one ranked player on the Korean PGA Tour, took a share of the clubhouse lead today at the Shinhan Donghae Open – saying mental strength has been at the heart of his return to form.

The Korean shot a second-round seven-under-par 65, the best round of the week so far, here at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Incheon to reach eight-under-par – along with Japan’s Ryutaro Nagano and Taiki Yoshida.

Nagano shot a 67 and Yoshida a 68, to move in front halfway through day two in an event tri-sanctioned by the Asian, Korean, and Japan Tours.

Korean Younghan Song is one behind, following a 69, while Thailand’s Danthai Boonma, the joint first-round leader, is another stroke back in a group of players after a 71.

Three years ago OK hit the bigtime with the biggest win of his career by claiming the inaugural International Series Korea on Jeju Island.

Taehoon OK.

However, more success did not materialise, until this year. He’s won twice in Korea and had five other top-fives. On the Asian Tour he has not featured much but that looks set to change this week.

“This year, I think my mentality has been great, so that’s been my strength,” he said, following a round built on an eagle and five birdies.

“Actually, I did a great job with my putter and short game today, and I had some good par saves.”

His eagle came on the par-five seventh.

“It felt great,” he said of the eagle. “The second shot was like 230 metres away with a bit of tail wind. My second shot was perfect, and I made a great putt.”

After the sunshine on the opening day, the weather closed in today with grey skies expected to be followed by poorer weather over the weekend.

Added Ok: “I know that it’s gonna rain until 10 in the morning tomorrow, and as you know this course is very tough. I think I have to be really calm, and try to create opportunities for myself. I believe that I’m gonna make a great result.”

Younghan Song.

Song, who is a member of both the Korean and Japan Tours, has surprisingly yet to win on home soil since turning professional 12 years ago.

He’s best-known for his victory in the Singapore Open in 2016, when he defeated American Jordan Spieth, who at the time was ranked number one in the world, by one shot following a Monday finish. He is a two winner in Japan having claimed the Sansan KBC Augusta in 2023, while the Singapore Open was joint sanctioned with Japan when he won.

Despite his lack of titles in Korea he has been a regular contender as looks like being the case this week.

He said: “Actually, I’m not really happy about my performance today, but definitely I want to win this tournament. I think some of my putts were not great, but I think I finished quite well so I should be well prepared for the next round.

“You know, this course is very challenging, especially with the wind and the rain. I think the conditions will be very difficult over the next few days.”