September 27: Rattanon Wannasrichan and Atiruj Winaicharoenchai led a leaderboard crowded by Thai players after the third round of the US$1million Mercuries Taiwan Masters on Saturday.

Rattanon (70) found just four fairways off the tee but still managed to score well and limit the damage to just one bogey at Taiwan Golf & Country Club, while Atiruj (73), leader by two at the start of the round, endured a late double bogey in an otherwise solid outing.

The Thai duo is at six-under par 210 heading into Sunday’s final round, leading by three shots over three of their compatriots – Jazz Janewattananond (70), Nitithorn Thippong (70), and Suradit Yongcharoenchai (74).

The first non-Thai players on the leaderboard were Pakistan’s Ahmad Baig (71) and veteran Australian Scott Hend (75), who were tied sixth at two-under, while American MJ Maguire (69) and Korea’s Jeunghun Wang (74) were tied eighth one stroke further behind.

Atiruj Winaicharoenchai of Thailand. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

Rattanon, winner of the 2017 Thailand Open, needed almost seven years for his second Asian Tour title at last year’s SJM Macao Open, but put himself in a position where he might not have to endure that long a wait for his third. The 30-year-old from Bangkok may not have had a good day with his tee shots, but his highly-rated short game was on song.

After making a great start, when he almost holed his tee shot on the 161-yard, par-three second hole, he added two more birdies and a bogey on the 11th hole.

“It was very tough for me, because I hit the driver so badly. I had maybe just four fairways today,” said Rattanon, currently ranked 20th in the Asian Tour Order of Merit.

“Also, the greens were a little bit firmer and faster than the first two rounds. It’s very difficult to hit the greens. But my short game was good. I made at least four or five putts for par from about 10 feet.

Nitithorn Thippong of Thailand. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

“I was just trying to keep calm throughout the round and play my own game. And that is what I want to do tomorrow – not think about what everyone else is doing on the course.”

Atiruj, who is hoping to win his first title on the Asian Tour, did not have the best start and lost some ground to his chasers on the first hole itself with a bogey. However, he made birdies on two of the four par-fives, before the double on the par-four 16th pushed him back.

“I did not make any putts today like I did in my opening round. And I was also struggling with my tee shots. I had to make many ups and downs, and most of them were for pars and not for birdies,” said the promising 25-year-old from Bangkok.

“Even for my two birdies, I had to chip and putt. And then there was the 16th hole, where I missed my tee shot to the right, from where you have no angle to the green. I had a 35-feet putt downhill putt for par, but three-putted.

“I just kept my focus on the next shot. I was trying to make some birdies because I know on this golf course, you are going to lose some shots.

“Yeah, big day tomorrow, but I am not thinking about my first Asian Tour win at all. If it happens, it’s OK, and if it doesn’t, it’s OK too.”

Wang Wei-hsuan of Chinese Taipei. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

The local challenge was led by birthday boy, Wang Wei-hsuan, who shot a two-under 70 and climbed to tied 10th place at even-par. It could have been a lot better finish, but Wang closed with doubles on the 14th and 17th holes after being five-under through 14 holes.

“I putted really well on the front nine, and everything seemed to be going in. I was able to execute the shots I wanted to hit. However, made a couple of errant drives on the back nine, got too aggressive there, which resulted in double-bogeys and then I three-putted the 17th,” said Wang, who turned 25 on Saturday, a week after finishing tied second in Yeangder TPC.

“But all’s good. At least I had made enough on the front to lose on the back. The game is still feeling good, so I am excited about tomorrow. I’m actually feeling more relaxed compared to last week.”

This is the 39th edition of the tournament, which has been a part of the Asian Tour schedule since 2000.

September 26: Atiruj Winaicharoenchai made three birdies in his last four holes, including on the tough par-4 ninth of the Taiwan Golf & Country Club, to increase his lead to two shots at the halfway stage of the US$1million Mercuries Taiwan Masters.

The bounceback came after a double-bogey six on the third hole – his 12th – and helped him shoot a two-under-par 70. That gave him a two-round total of seven-under 137.

Thailand’s Suradit Yongcharoenchai and Australia’s Scott Hend, who is looking to become the oldest player to win on the Asian Tour, both shot 68s to reach 5-under total, while another Thai star, Rattanon Wannasrichan also shot a 68 and moved to solo fourth place at -4. Korea’s Jeunghun Wang (69) rounded up the top-5 at three-under.

Italy’s Gabriele De Barba (71), a recent champion on the Asian Development Tour in Chinese Taipei; Thai duo of Nitithorn Thippong (70) and Jazz Janewattananond (75); Chen Yi-tong (71), the best placed among the local players and Pakistan’s Ahmad Baig (68) were tied sixth at one-under.

Scott Hend of Australia. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

Atiruj, a 25-year-old from Bangkok, has never won on the Asian Tour and his career-best finish is a tied fifth place at this year’s International Series Japan presented by Moutai.

“I have once led an Asian Tour event after 54 holes, but this is the first time I have the halfway lead. I don’t care too much about lead as long as I am in contention,” said Atiruj.

“I had a few opportunities on the first nine, which is the back nine of the golf course. Made a big mistake on the third hole. Hit it in the jungle, hit the second over the green into the bunker, and then hit it over the green again. So, I was four-on and two-putted.

“On the last hole, I just wanted to make a par. I would have been happy with that and just head to tomorrow’s round. But I hit a good drive and then hit a second shot to six feet and made the putt. If it had not gone in, it would still have been a good finish for me.”

Speaking on the playing conditions, Arituj added: “It wasn’t as windy as yesterday, but the pins were very tough. Most of them were tucked. You really had to hit some good shots to have a birdie chance.”

Suradit Yongcharoenchai of Thailand. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

Hend, who turned 52 on August 15 and is currently leading the Order of Merit on the European Legends Tour, showed that age was just a number as he matched the day’s lowest round of 68.

Winner of the tournament in 2013, if the Aussie wins again this week, he will set the new record of the oldest player to win on the Asian Tour. It is currently in the name of India’s Mukesh Kumar, who triumphed at the 2016 Panasonic Open India at the age of 51 years and 126 days.

After winning Jose Maria Olazabal’s seniors’ tournament in Spain, Hend flew to Chinese-Taipei and was on top of the leaderboard after nine holes of Yeangder TPC before making five bogeys and a quintuple on his last hole. But the 2016 Order of Merit champion showed it was nothing more than a minor blip.

“I was jet-lagged coming from Spain. I’d never seen the golf course before, and then I did not realise until I got there that I actually had the wrong golf ball. So, it just didn’t add up to a good week. But look, you can’t win every week. I won the week before. I just had a rough week last week that I’d put down to not sleeping well, and I am pleased to feel a bit more rested this week,” said Hend, who started with back-to-back bogeys on the 10th and 11th holes.

Rattanon Wannasrichan of Thailand. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

“I played the same as yesterday. Just had a little less wind today. Bogey-bogey is never a good way to start a round, but I have played this course so many times. You have to be patient here.

“I enjoy playing here on the Asian Tour. I want to win more here. It’s hard for me to come and play here as much as before. I’m trying to play three Tours at the moment. It is very difficult. But let’s see what the weekend holds.”

Playing in the afternoon, when the winds had calmed down a lot, Suradit made five birdies and a solitary bogey on the 11th hole. That included a chip-in birdie on the par-3 17th hole, after he sprayed his tee shot.

“I just felt lucky when I came in the morning to see there was not that much wind,” said the 2019 champion. “I felt good about the game and I really like this golf course. Overall, a good day.”

This is the 39th edition of the tournament, which has been a part of the Asian Tour schedule since 2000.

September 26: Christopher Hickman, an Asian Tour rookie, made a determined move up the leaderboard with a four-under-par 68 round – the best score in Friday’s morning session – as windy conditions at Taiwan Golf & Country Club continued to torment players in the US$1million Mercuries Taiwan Masters.

The southpaw American, who turned 32 earlier this month (September 10), has played in development tour all over the world, but showed he is ready for the big time with a round that included five birdies and a solitary bogey. It helped him jump to tied eighth place after the morning group of players finished, up 58 places from Thursday’s tied 66th after a four-over 76.

The next best score of the morning was by Australia’s Ryan Peake (69), winner earlier this year at the 104th New Zealand Open presented by Sky Sport.

However, with Thailand’s Jazz Janewattanond slipping with a second-round 75, overnight leader Atiruj Winaicharoenchai increased his lead at the top to three without playing any shots. Atiruj, who shot a 67 in Thursday’s opening round, is scheduled to tee off in the afternoon session.

Ryan Peake of Australia. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

At one-under total, Jazz was joined by compatriot Nitithorn Thippong (70), Italian Gabriele De Barba (71) and Chinese-Taipei’s Chen Yi-tong (71), the best-placed player among the local hopefuls.

Hickman, who turned professional in 2018, said he learned a lot from his opening round on Thursday. The highlight of his second round was a birdie on the 16th hole, where his drove under a tree, but punched out to 20 feet and made the putt.

“It felt pretty good. I kept the ball in front of me mostly and to make just one bogey on this golf course is good. I putted well and thought I scrambled well. Learned a lot from my mistakes in the first round,” said Hickman, who birdied three of the four par-fives on the golf course.

“It wasn’t as windy as yesterday, but on this course, if you get out of play, you need to be defensive and I did a good job of it whenever I was in the rough.”

Gabriele de Barba of Italy. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

De Barba’s round included a double bogey and two bogeys, but he also made five birdies. The Taiwan PGA Tour player, a winner earlier this year in an Asian Development Tour event in the country, was relishing the opportunity he now has in an Asian Tour event over the weekend.

The 29-year-old scored his first professional win following a dramatic four-hole play-off with local star Chan Shih-chang in Ambassador ADT in May.

“I made one big mistake on the 14th hole and ended up making a double there. Apart from that, I thought my tee shots were good and putting was decent,” said the Japan-based player.

“I don’t like this golf course that much because I missed cuts in two previous events on the Taiwan PGA here. But I have learned a lot from playing in TPGA and the ADT, so hopefully, I can keep going.”

This is the 39th edition of the tournament, which has been a part of the Asian Tour schedule since 2000.

September 25: Atiruj Winaicharoenchai was rock-steady in typically blustery conditions at Taiwan Golf & Country Club as the Thai youngster shot a solid five-under-par 67 for a one-shot lead over compatriot Jazz Janewattanond on opening day Thursday of the US$1million Mercuries Taiwan Masters.

The 25-year-old from Bangkok closed with a bogey on the final 18th hole, but that could not wipe the smile off his face after a round that included five birdies and an eagle.

Jazz, the 2019 Asian Tour Order of Merit winner, made a late bogey on the par-three 17th that denied him from joining Atiruj at the top, but his 68 was still two shots better than American George Kneiser, playing in his rookie year on the Asian Tour, and Japan’s Yuta Yoshikuwa.

Scott Hend, the 2016 Order of Merit champion, was among four players tied for the fifth place at 71 as only eight players managed to break par on a demanding course with the wind gusts reaching 40kmph at times. Also on 71 were Thailand’s Suradit Yongcharoenchai and Itthipat Buranatanyarat, and France’s Joel Stalter.

Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

In its 39-year history, the Mercuries Taiwan Masters has produced very few champions with double-digit sub-par winning scores, but Atiruj was on his way after a round in which he found a way to battle the elements – protect his short putts against the gusting winds that affected the ball flight, as well as its roll on the greens.

After finishing his round that featured four back-to-back birdies from the fifth to the eighth holes, Atiruj said: “It was a day when I easily made a birdie whenever I had the opportunity to do so, and I still could save pars when I was in danger of dropping shots.

“The key was that I took advantage of all four par-fives on the golf course. The eagle on the 15th was a lucky one because I was looking to two-putt a downhill putt, but it went in luckily.

“The wind picked up as we progressed with the round. I just picked my moments. Especially on the short two-three footers, I waited for the right time because the gusts were so strong.”

Yuta Yoshikuwa of Japan. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

Jazz, 29 and also from Bangkok, made an early bogey on the par-four third hole, but knuckled down after that and made six birdies, including four in a six-hole stretch from the 11th to 16th.

Runner-up earlier this year at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf in Korea, said he surprised himself with the round.

“The game was not feeling so good (before coming to Taiwan). I’ve had a few top-10s, and a few missed cuts in a row. So, the game has been on a roller-coaster. I really don’t know where I am at, but I am delighted with the start,” said the six-time winner on the Asian Tour.

“I surprised myself with the way I played today. The golf course is playing really tough because of the wind. I don’t know how I did that, but I am pretty happy with a 68 start.

“I did not hit play too bad. I hit some good shots and I hit some bad shots, but I somehow managed to put it together. There was nothing special, nothing that stood out. I just wanted to shoot under-par today, and I succeeded in doing that.”

George Kneiser of the USA. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

Kneiser, who hails from Milwaukee in Wisconsin and qualified for the US Open earlier this year, said the conditions were extremely difficult and he would have been happy with a par round.

“Extremely tough. I thought par would be a good score, so to come away with a couple under is a great feeling,” said the 27-year-old, who has previously played on the Korn Ferry Tour, as well as PGA Tour Canada and Latin America before securing his card on the Asian Tour through the Q School.

“The highlight of the round was definitely the two chip-ins I had – on hole 12 and the 18th (both for birdies). This is my first time in Taiwan and I had heard about this golf course last week. I knew the green complexes were challenging and that they were faster and firmer.

“The season so far has been up-and-down. I have made a bunch of cuts, but need to finish better. We are now into the busy part of the season, but I haven’t set any result-oriented goals for myself. I just want to play some good golf.”

This is the 39th edition of the tournament, which has been a part of the Asian Tour schedule since 2000.

Jbe Kruger says he is playing really bad golf.

Ahead of his defence of the Mercuries Taiwan Masters, this week, he says his game is far from where it should be.

Speaking from Taiwan Golf & Country Club, the famous venue that has been the home of the tournament since 1987, he says: “I think it is the worst golf I have ever played, to be brutally honest.”

However, there is method to the madness. When he won here last year he was in a similar state – as he was before nearly all of his wins in the professional game.

“In my life it has been a funny road,” says the 39-year-old South African.

“All my victories have come when I am not playing well. I think there was one victory when I have actually played well, thinking I can actually win this week. All the other ones have come from hardship.”

In an extraordinary finish 12 months ago, when the tournament was battered by Typhoon Krathon and reduced to 54 holes, he won the tournament by two shots from Korean Jeunghun Wang and Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert.

Jbe Kruger. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

He was tied with Wang playing the last but holed a six-foot birdie put while Wang made bogey.  It was a superhuman effort as all 54 holes were played over the weekend, with no play possible on the first two days because of the storm.

“Golf is a funny game in that way. You never know when it is going to come together and when it is not, when there is a going to be a typhoon, and when there is not. Someone said this week is the Typhoon Masters – not the Taiwan Masters. Every year is the same thing,” explained Kruger, whose wife Denise caddied for him last year, and is on the bag this year.

His victory last year was his third on the Asian Tour but first in five years. Remarkably, despite recurring trepidation he has also won five times at home on the Sunshine Tour and is two-time champion in Japan.

“It was quite brutal last year,” he says. “We as juniors grew up playing 36 holes a day but as you get older, and when you turn professional, you only play 18 holes a day. It wasn’t something we were not used to.

“It was actually hardest for Denise having to carry, but then luckily, they said they can use the buggies for the caddies, and it made my life easier not to worry about her. And then it was simply about keeping your energy up. We are not 21 or 22 anymore, and when you get a bit older, it’s difficult to concentrate over the last few holes.”

Jbe Kruger pictured with his wife Denise. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

He ranks his win here last year in the top three of his victories.

He adds: “Henrik Buhrmann, my good friend, who played in Asia for many years, says this event is one of the top three hardest events. He would say if you can make the cut here, you can make it anywhere.”

The Mercuries Taiwan Masters starts tomorrow and with Typhoon Ragasa skirting the country, beware of Jbe Kruger – he is not playing well.

That they would face high winds in Taiwan is a gimme for Asian Tour players. But to be battered by Typhoon Krathon was something else. The deadly storm barrelled through Taiwan packing winds in excess of 130kmph and dumping over 65 inches of rain in two days during the Mercuries Taiwan Masters week. Story from the 2024 Yearbook.

However, the fact that the players still managed to play 54 holes and South African Jbe Kruger was crowned the champion, was a testament to the exceptionally hard work put in by the ground staff of Taiwan Golf and Country Club, and the innovation and determination shown by the tournament officials.

With the first two days abandoned and enough lakes forming on the golf course, most players expected no more than 27 holes over the weekend. In the end, three rounds were held with shotgun starts in two days, including two full-field rounds, with the cut falling after 36 holes as per usual.

It became a two-man battle between the 38-year-old Kruger and Korea’s Jeunghun Wang. The South African was looking for his first win on the Asian Tour in over five years, while the 2016 AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open champion Wang was looking for his first professional win since returning from National Service two years ago.

Jbe Kruger celebrates with his wife and caddie Denise last year. Picture by Mercuries Taiwan Masters.

Kruger, with his wife Denise on the bag, closed with a three-under-par 69 to finish on eight-under-par aggregate. That included a crucial birdie from six feet on the 18th hole that broke the deadlock against Wang (73), who unfortunately made a bogey after a wayward tee shot to fall back for a tied second place with Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert at six-under-par total.

Kruger had started the third and final round two shots behind Wang and made five birdies, three of them coming in the last five holes. Wang made two birdies in his first eight holes to stay ahead but dropped three shots in his last 10 holes.

India’s Yuvraj Singh Sandhu, who got into the tournament at the last minute after being the sixth reserve on Monday, made full use of the opportunity to record his first top-five overseas on the Asian Tour. At five-under-par total, he was tied fourth alongside the Thai duo Chonlatit Chuenboonngam (70) and Rattanon Wannasrichan (71).

Three-time Asian Tour winner Kruger, who had come into the tournament placed 69th in the Order of Merit before jumping to 10th place, said: “It means the world. I did not come here with any form. I have not been playing great, so it’s unbelievable. It’s been glory to God, with the typhoon and everything that has been happening.

“I probably made it as hard as I could on myself. I could not get it on the fairway, I could not get it on the green, I was trying to make birdies, and then, on the last hole, I hit it in the fairway finally.”

Mercuries Group Chairman, George Wong with the champion Jbe Kruger.

Sandhu, the 27-year-old from Chandigarh who won on the Asian Development Tour in 2023, summed up the week for the players and paid rich tribute to everyone who made the tournament happen.

“Mercuries Taiwan Masters was an unforgettable week for me, not just because it was my first top-five on the Asian Tour, but also because of what we had to face as players. It really was a scary couple of days as we were locked up in our rooms because of the typhoon, not knowing whether we’d play or not,” said Sandhu.

“In a way, when we got the news that the tournament will start on Saturday, I somehow had a perfect mindset. I told my caddie that we don’t know how many holes we will get to play, so let’s just focus on trying to make as many birdies as possible. I was not thinking about my own golf before the tournament, just how Taiwan had to cope with such a disaster. Golf is a funny game, and when you don’t have expectations, it tends to deliver.

“Honestly, I was not expecting the golf course to be in such good shape. The greens, the drainage, the work put on by the maintenance staff… everything was top-class. The clubhouse staff did a phenomenal job because they accommodated almost the full field at times. And for the Asian Tour staff to manage 54 holes was just incredible.”