New dad Cheung ‘riding happiness’ as he snatches lead in Taiwan
May 8: Two weeks after missing his “best cut ever” Hong Kong’s Matthew Cheung (main picture) shot a brilliant eight-under par 64 and soared to the top of the leaderboard after the morning session’s play in the second round of the US$500,000 Taiwan Glass Taifong Open.
Cheung went back to Hong Kong after missing the cut in the Singapore Open presented by Business Times. Within an hour of reaching home, his wife Kaitlin, had to be rushed to the hospital, where she gave birth to Annalise, their first daughter.
The 30-year-old showed on Friday that Annalise has been good for his golf game as well, as he fired nine birdies after opening with a bogey. The 64, added to his 69 in Thursday’s opening round, gave him an 11-under par total at the halfway stage of the tournament.
At the par-72 Taifong Golf Club, Cheung enjoyed a one-shot lead over American Shotaro Ban, who made four birdies and a double bogey in his last six holes for a second straight 67.
South Africa’s Ian Snyman, who made an albatross on the 17th hole during his practice round on Tuesday, was bogey-free in a round of 67 that took him to nine-under par.
Overnight leader, Thailand’s Tawit Polthai, was playing in the afternoon session.
Shotaro Ban of the USA. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.
“I am so very happy right now, and I am just riding that happiness, said Cheung, who was a member of the Hong Kong national team that won the Asian Games gold in Hangzhou.
“The Singapore week was unforgettable. My wife was pregnant, and then I missed the cut, and changed my flight to leave Saturday afternoon. I got home at like 9pm, and my wife started having contractions an hour later. We went to the hospital that night, and Annalise was born Sunday morning.
“I was planning to pull out of this week, but Kaitlin’s been super supportive with everything I’ve ever done in terms of my golfing career, and she actually pushed me to come here and play. I would not be here without her.”
Cheung recalled a 25-foot downhill putt on the fourth hole as the best shot of his day and added: “I hit a lot of good shots out there. On the first hole, that was just a tough second shot, and it left me in a bad position. But overall, very happy with how I played today. I gave myself a lot of opportunities and made a lot of good putts.”
Ban, who shifted his residence to Chinese Taipei in 2023, unfortunately lost his ball in the rough on the par-4 16th hole and had to settle for a double bogey, but bounced back well to close with birdies on the two par-5 closing holes of Taifong Golf Club.
It was a morning of perfect tee shots, with two holes-in-one recorded.
Australian Brett Rankin’s came on the eighth hole with an 8-iron from 181 yards. It helped him finish with a 70, but that wasn’t enough to make it to the weekend at 4-over 148.
The other ace belonged to Italian Gabriela De Barba, who got his on Hole 12 with a 6-iron from 188 yards. De Barba had started the day with two bogeys in the first three holes, but finished with a 68 to be inside the cutline at -4.
The Taiwan Glass Taifong Open is usually played in November, but has been brought forward this year to May at the request of the Tour.
May 7: After a decade-long wait to get on to the Asian Tour, Thailand’s Tawit Polthai (main image) is eager to show he belongs on the big stage.
In Thursday’s opening round of the US$500,000 Taiwan Glass Taifong Open, Tawit, who turned pro in 2016 and played mostly on the Asian Development Tour before graduating this season as the Order of Merit champion, shot a seven-birdie round in his six-under par 66 effort that secured a one-shot lead over three players and by two shots over a group of eight players.
With rounds of 67, Thailand’s in-form Charng-Tai Sudsom, New Zealand’s Nick Voke, and American Shotaro Ban were tied second. Local favourites Tse-yu Chang and Yung-hua Liu were among those tied for fifth at 68, alongside an eclectic group that included Singapore’s Ryan Ang, Wales’ David Boote, England’s Steve Lewton, South African Ian Snyman and China’s Sampson Zheng.
The 31-year-old Tawit won the PKNS Selangor Masters early in the season and held on to his lead with five other top-10s to finish as the No1 player on the ADT. It hasn’t been the best start to 2026 for the Bangkok-based professional, but a solid tied 33rd finish at the Singapore Open presented by Business Times helped boost his confidence.
Charng-tai Sudsom of Thailand. Picture courtesy: Taiwan PGA.
Tawit dropped a long 27-footer for birdie on the 12th hole before making his only mistake on the 13th hole. He had made three birdies on the front nine. Most players said the greens were playing much firmer than the end-of-year dates for the tournament, but the leader made the most of his early start.
“Singapore Open was pretty solid and that helped my confidence. I don’t want to think about goals for the year, or what I want to do here this week. I just want to play good golf and enjoy my time on the Asian Tour,” said Tawit.
Charng-Tai is coming off a win on the All Thailand Golf Tour last week, but said he was struggling with his game after making an early bogey. His nerves finally settled down and back-to-back birdies on the par-5 17th and 18th holes put him in a good mood for his back nine (front nine of the course), where he made birdies on the third and eighth holes, and an eagle on fifth.
The 32-year-old from Chonburi, who won by nine shots last week, is trying to make up for a frustrating 2025 when he finished 66th in the Asian Tour Order of Merit and lost his card by the narrowest of margins.
“Winning last week in Thailand was good. And I love playing in Taiwan. My father is from here,” said Charng-Tai. “I did not hit too many drivers today. I just wanted to keep it in play. The highlight was definitely the eagle on the fifth hole, where I chipped in from about 35 yards.”
The 31-year-old Voke is looking for his best finish on the Asian Tour since finishing third in the Shinhan Donghae Open in his rookie year in 2018.
Nick Voke of New Zealand. Picture courtesy: Taiwan PGA.
Apart from a rather disappointing tied 53rd place at his home New Zealand Open presented by Hillbrook Resort, Voke has not finished outside 26th in 10 starts this year, and is intent on improving on that form at the Taifong Golf Club.
“I got off to a hot start early, made birdies on one, two and five… but nothing crazy, to be honest. Like the holes you should birdie, I birdied. And the holes you should par, I got up and down for my pars. Nothing crazy, but really happy with my day,” said Voke.
“I’ve been playing well for a while now. It’s kind of nice, because I’ve been on the other side of it. Golf can be a really hard game. It can beat us up. Fortunately, the last couple of years, it has treated me really well. I’ve learned a few things, and there are a few more things that I now understand in life. Hopefully, keep it going.”
Ban, whose mother’s side of the family is from Chinese Taipei and he has been living in the country since 2023, gave his fans plenty to cheer on the back nine after starting from the 10th tee and making the turn at even-par despite an eagle on the par-5 17th hole. He then made birdies on the first, second, fourth, fifth and the seventh holes.
Suradit made a triple bogey seven in his round, but bounced back nicely to finish with four birdies. He opened with three birdies in his first five holes, before hitting his tee shot out of bounds on the par-4 sixth, and three-putting for the triple.
“It was hard to make the triple after such a good start. I just told my caddie on the seventh tee, let’s pretend that we haven’t made any birdies so far and let’s go and get some from this hole onwards,” said Suradit, who finished second in Mercuries Taiwan Masters down the road last year.
The Taiwan Glass Taifong Open is usually played in November, but has been brought forward this year to May at the request of the Tour.
May 7: Validating Asian Development Tour as a true pathway to the Asian Tour, Thailand’s Tawit Polthai (main image) showed his winning the Order of Merit last year was no flash in the pan as he grabbed an early lead in the US$500,000 Taiwan Glass Taifong Open on Thursday.
The 31-year-old Tawit won the PKNS Selangor Masters early in the season and held on to his lead with five other top-10s to finish as the No1 player on the ADT. It hasn’t been the best start to 2026 for the Bangkok-based professional, but a solid tied 33rd place at the Singapore Open presented by Business Times helped boost his confidence and it led to a seven-birdie round at Taifong Golf Club.
Tawit, who has played on the ADT since 2016 but graduated to a full season on the Asian Tour for the first time, made a solitary bogey on the 13th hole in his round of six-under par 66, to be one ahead of Thai compatriot Charng-Tai Sudsom (67).
Another Thai star, Suradit Yongcharoenchai, made a triple bogey seven in his round, but bounced back to finish tied third in the clubhouse with a 68. He was joined there by local favourite Tse-yu Chang, Singapore’s Ryan Ang, and Wales’ David Boote.
Charng-Tai Sudsom of Thailand. Picture by Jason Butler/Asian Tour
Tawit, who dropped a long 27-footer for birdie on the 12th hole before making his only mistake on the 13th, had started with three birdies on the front nine. Most players said the greens were playing much firmer than at the end of the year for the tournament, but the leader made the most of his early start.
“Singapore was pretty solid and that helped my confidence. I don’t want to think about goals for the year, or what I want to do here this week. I just want to play good golf and enjoy my time on the Asian Tour,” said Tawit.
Charng-Tai is coming off a win on the All Thailand Golf Tour last week, but said he was struggling with his game after making an early bogey. His nerves finally settled down and back-to-back birdies on the 17th and 18th put him in a good mood for his back nine (front nine of the course), where he made birdies on the third and eighth holes, and an eagle on fifth.
The 32-year-old from Chonburi, who won by nine shots last week, is trying to make up for a frustrating 2025 when he finished 66th in the Asian Tour Order of Merit and lost his card by the narrowest of margins.
“Winning last week in Thailand was good. And I love playing in Taiwan. My father is from here,” said Charng-Tai.
“I did not hit too many drivers today. I just wanted to keep it in play. The highlight was definitely the eagle on the fifth hole, where I chipped in from about 35 yards.”
Suradit, who opened with three birdies in his first five holes, hit his tee shot out of bounds on the par-4 sixth, and then three-putted for a triple bogey.
“It was hard to make the triple after such a good start. I just told my caddie on the seventh tee, let’s pretend that we haven’t made any birdies soi far and let’s go and get some from this hole onwards,” said Suradit, who finished second in Mercuries Taiwan Masters down the road last year.
The Taiwan Glass Taifong Open is usually played in November, but has been brought forward this year to May at the request of the Tour.
Ekpharit Wu [main picture] defends his Taiwan Glass Taifong Open title this week, attempting to make it a hattrick of wins for Thai players in the tournament.
His countryman Suteepat Prateeptienchai was triumphant here at Taifong Golf Club, on the west coast of Chinese Taipei, in 2023 and 2024 – having finished second in 2022, when it was part of the Asian Development Tour
Wu is getting the chance to defend much earlier than expected as the event was played in November last year and he is upbeat ahead of tomorrow’s first round.
He said: “It is very special to be a defending champion on the Asian Tour. I will try and do my best. To be honest, I want to be a champion again, that’s what I want. I try to beat the other players in every tournament.”
His victory last year was his first on the Asian Tour, in his rookie season, having negotiated the 2025 Qualifying School at the end of 2024.
He finished 17th at the School but was in danger of losing his card until everything came together at the right time in Taifong.
Ekpharit Wu with his father and wife, Pam, last year. Pictures courtesy Taiwan PGA.
He shot a five-under par 67 round on Sunday to win by two shots from Chinese-Taipei’s Hung Chien-yao, who bogeyed 15 and 16 to leave the door open for the rising Thai star.
Ekpharit jump from 73rd to 28th in the Asian Tour Order of Merit, and with a new found confidence went on to tie for third in the Bharath Classic later in the month. He finished 24th on the final Merit list and was beaten to Rookie of the Year Award by American Olle Schniederjans, who ended in 13th place.
Last year’s success here was particularly special as Epkpharit’s wife, Pam, was caddying for him, while his father is a Chinese Taipei native.
“I was lucky because my dad was there that week, so he came to cheer me on,” said 26-year-old, who turned professional in 2020 and is a two-time winner on the All Thailand Golf Tour, having won back-to-back titles in 2024.
“I hit a lot of a good shots that week and had a hole in one. I made birdies from a lot of good putting, so on that week I was very confident.”
He aced the par-three eighth on day three helping him to finish one shot behind Hung heading into the final round.
He said: “Last year had everything for me, like it was amazing for me. Normally my dad doesn’t go to watch me, although my wife always carries my bag. It had a lot there, so yep, I was very happy for that.”
Hung is also back this week. He won this tournament in 2020, capitalising on the absence of foreign players due to travel restrictions caused by the global pandemic.
His compatriot Chan Shih-chang will be bidding for a fourth title, having claimed the event a record three times, in 2010, 2014 and 2018.
Overview
The Taiwan Glass Taifong Open has traditionally been held in the latter part of the season but the venue and organiser, Taifong Golf Club, assisted the Asian Tour with a request for an earlier date.
Mr Lin Po-shih, Chairman of Taifong Golf Club, helped facilitate this move allowing the Tour to build up the early part of the season in the Spring of North Asia – a beautiful time to play golf in the region.
The tournament continues to mature on the Asian Tour, having successfully made the transition from the Asian Development Tour (ADT) in 2022.
For the past three seasons it has made an important contribution to the Tour’s narrative, especially with Thailand’s Suteepat Prateeptienchai winning in 2023 and 2024 and his young compatriot Ekpharit Wu last year.
The success of the event is the result of a flourishing partnership between the host venue, Taiwan Glass and the Taiwan PGA – the local sanctioning partner.
The event was played on the ADT from 2014 to 2022 and was one of its most lucrative and popular tournaments.
It was first played in 2005, when Chinese-Taipei’s Yeh Weh-tze, winner of the Malaysian Open in 2000, triumphed. His countryman Chan Shih-chang has won the event a record three times in 2010, 2014 and 2018.
Taifong Golf Club has been the event’s permanent home since its inception.
The Club is located in Changhua City on the west coast of Chinese-Taipei – once an expansive agricultural landscape, now a thriving business hub.
The course was designed by Japanese architect Hiroshi Watanabe in 1977, and commands stunning views – nestling in a mountainous region it is famous for.
The club is one of the investment projects of Lin Yu-chia – the former president of Taiwan Glass.
Mr Lin Po-shih, Chairman of Taifong Golf Club, pictured with the players last year.
Tournament Information
- Tournament: Taiwan Glass Taifong Open
- Date: 7-10 May
- Venue: Taifong Golf Club, Changhua, Chinese Taipei
- Par/Yards: 72 / 7,302 yards
- Purse: US$500,000
- Asian Tour leg: Sixth
- Edition of tournament: Fourth on the Asian Tour, 17th in total. It was first played in 2005, when Chinese-Taipei’s Yeh Weh-tze triumphed. It was played on the local tour until 2014 when it was also sanctioned by the Asian Development Tour (ADT) eight years.
- Previous winner: Ekpharit Wu (THA)
- Winning score in 2025: 268 (-20)
- Total number of players: 144
- Format: Stroke play tournament over four rounds of 18 holes with a cut after 36 holes to leading 65 players (including amateurs) plus ties.
Field Breakdown
- Order of Merit winners: John Catlin (2024), Jazz Janewattananond (2019), Scott Hend (2016)
- Nationalities: 27
- Top contenders: Cameron John (AUS), Ekpharit Wu (THA), Pavit Tangkamolprasert (THA), Jazz Janewattananond (THA), Ian Snyman (RSA)
- Highest ranked player on OWGR: Cameron John (AUS) #222
- Highest ranked player on the Order of Merit: Pavit Tangkamolprasert (THA) #3
- Number of amateurs in the field: No amateurs
- Number of Chinese Taipei players in the field: 46
Chan Shih-chang.
Tournament Notes
- Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert, currently in third place on the Order of Merit, started 2026 with excellent results after a runner-up at the season opening Philippine Golf Championship and a T2 in the International Series Japan. He also had an early season T2 on the All Thailand Tour after a play-off loss to compatriot Danthai Boonma.
- Australian Cameron John has been playing great golf lately, with a runner-up finish at the Singapore Open and a T7 at International Series Japan. The result in Singapore also meant that he punched his ticket to The Open at Royal Birkdale this summer via the Open Qualifying Series. He also won two tournaments on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia earlier in 2026 to finish second to compatriot Travis Smyth on their 2025/26 Order of Merit.
- South African Ian Snyman is coming off a great tournament in Korea, finishing T3 at the notoriously difficult Namseoul Country Club at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open last week. He also started off the year well with a T5 at the season opening Philippine Golf Championship.
- Ekpharit Wu from Thailand won this title by two shots over Chinese Taipei’s Hung Chien-yao for his first Asian Tour win last November, and quickly followed it up with a T3 in India two weeks later. In 2026 he has made the cut in all four Asian Tour events, and his best results have been T29’s at the Philippine Golf Championship and International Series Japan.
- Fellow Thai Jazz Janewattananond had a good result at the Singapore Open two weeks ago finishing T3, as well as a runner-up on the Asian Development Tour in late March. The 2019 Order of Merit champion is currently tied for ninth in all-time Asian Tour wins with seven, the last one coming at the 2022 International Series Morocco.
- The five-time Asian Tour winner Chan Shih-chang from Chinese Taipei won this tournament twice when it was part of the ADT in 2014 and 2018, and also in 2010 when it was part of the local tour. He holds the record with most wins.
- Lee Chieh-po, also from the host nation, is back on the Asian Tour after a season on the LIV Golf League. He won this tournament in 2021 when it was only played as a local event due to the global pandemic.
- Another local, Hung Chien-yao, has been victorious in the tournament twice, the first time in 2020 when it was played on the local tour and also in 2022 when it was part of the ADT. He was runner up in the tournament last year to secure his card for the 2026 season.
- Thailand’s Suteepat Prateeptienchai won the tournament in back-to-back years in 2023 and 2024, after having finished T2 in the 2022 edition of the tournament. He is a four-time winner on the Asian Tour and three of his victories have come in Chinese Taipei. In addition to his two wins in this event, he also grabbed the title at the 2024 Yeangder TPC.
Main picture: Ekpharit Wu pictured celebrating last year.
What they said at last week’s GS Caltex Maekyung Open, where Korea’s Minhyuk Song defeated his compatriot Mingyu Cho in a compelling sudden-death play-off.
First Round
First-round leader Taehee Lee from Korea on his eagle on the par-four 18th hole:
- “My tee shot went right down the middle of the fairway. The pin was front-right, and I wanted to hit a high shot, but I couldn’t because of a divot. I had 130 yards left, but considering the uphill slope and the wind, I aimed to send it about 155 yards and hit an 8 iron. Because it was uphill, I couldn’t see the green, but the gallery started clapping. When I got there, the ball was in the hole. It’s my first eagle on the 18th hole!”
On his success at this tournament, and being the only player to win in back-to-back years (2019-2020) he said:
- “I’ve played in the GS Caltex Maekyung Open nearly 20 times, I think the most important thing is being myself. Being able to play my own game in any situation is key. Belief in myself and confidence are the most important factors. I know the dangerous areas better than other players on this course, so in that sense, I feel more comfortable.”
Thailand’s Poom Saksansin after his 67 (-4) in the first round:
“I’m not really expecting that here, I planned not to come here this year, to be honest”
Asked how he managed to get the better of the course this time after a string of missed cuts in 2023, 2024, and 2025 he said:
- “I don’t know. Normally, I just cannot hit from the fairway here – it’s just like I cannot control the ball. The second shot is very important here. You have to be precise, due to the pin location. You cannot go over the pin. Also, I just scored well on the par threes today. I made three under on them. So, that’s why I scored well. And I found good places to make to up and downs.”
Fellow Thai Pavit Tangkamolprasert, who already has two runners-up this season, after his 66 (-5):
- “I never played good here, but honestly, this year after the first four events, I feel more confident about my game. Everything I think is about mindset. Everything felt smooth today and continued my momentum. It was a little bit of a colourful score card. It’s like I am always attacking. I’m very, very happy with how I play today. I came out strong mentally. That’s why I am playing well.”
Minhyuk Song.
Second Round
New Zealander Nick Voke after his second round 66 (-5):
- “Very pleased with it. You know, as you said, challenging golf course, but challenging conditions as well. This wind is tricky, it’s strong, it’s coming from all sorts of directions. So, one of the better ball striking rounds for me. I think I hit 17 greens, a lot of two putts from 20 feet, and a couple of them went in. So it was a good day. You can get in trouble out here at Namseoul when you’re… Legit, you’d rather have 15 feet up the hill than an eight-foot coming down, like it’s crazy. So you’ll be really precise with your numbers into the greens. I put it in the right spots, had a lot of looks, and it was pretty stress free.”
Asked if it was helpful to play with Julien Sale (72-66) and Mingyu Cho (66-70) who also played well the first two days:
- “Yeah, we were feeding off each other. You know, when the cameras came around, we’re like, oh, it’s our time to shine now, boys. You know, Julian played sensational, Mingyu really well yesterday. Yeah, just feeding off each other, a lot of fist pumps, lot of good putts, good shots. It was cool.”
On his strategy to score well at Namseoul Country Club:
- “Yeah, there’s only one thing, and that’s to keep it under the hole. Like you find your front number and the pin is your back number, hit in between that and you’ll do well.”
Julien Sale from France after his 66 (-5) that included two eagles on his last nine holes:
- “Made a good birdie on one, and then holed on two, for eagle. I think I had like, 130 metres. Had a pitching wedge. I actually didn’t see it go in, because I was a bit below, but yeah, my caddy was just on top of the hill looking at it, and he’s like saying it’s looking good, looking good, and it went in. At first I didn’t believe him, but I heard the crowd cheering. And then after that, on the par five, hit a good tee shot, with a three wood. The wind was helping, and then a nice seven iron that rolled to like five metres and made the putt.”
Joint leader Yubin Jang on how a year on the LIV Golf League in 2025 has made him a better player:
- “Having played on LIV Golf across a variety of courses and conditions, I found it relatively easy to adapt to the windy conditions today. That experience has been a great help. Even in situations where I might normally take a more aggressive club, I’m now trying to play more steadily. I do feel that I’ve grown as a player.”
On what this tournament, one of Korea’s Majors, means to him:
- “Since my days on the national team, the tournaments I’ve most wanted to win are the GS Caltex Maekyung Open and the Kolon Korea Open. I was in contention in both 2023 and 2024, but it was disappointing not to win. Those missed opportunities have stayed with me, so I’ll do my best to play without any regrets.”
Mingyu Cho.
Third Round
Co-leader Mingyu Cho from Korea after his third-round 67 (-4):
- “There weren’t any major crises or big opportunities on the front nine, I made pars throughout. I knew I had lost the lead, but I didn’t dwell on it. I just kept playing, believing chances would come naturally. I started playing golf in 1999 and have been on tour for over 20 years. From experience, you shouldn’t attack the course recklessly – especially not this one. It’s important to stay patient and play within yourself.”
On what a win at home would mean after over 20 years winless on Korean soil, but with two victories on the Japan Golf Tour:
- “A new opportunity presents itself. If I win in Korea, it feels like all the pieces will finally come together. And my son was born on Monday, so I want to draw strength from that and give it my best as a father.”
Compatriot Minhyuk Song also shared the lead after three rounds following a 66 (-5):
- “Namseoul Country Club is a course where I’ve had some of my best results. I especial love the huge galleries. I tried to be myself today, just as I did in the first and second rounds. Rather than thinking about protecting my position in the third round, I focused on moving up the leaderboard. I think that mindset helped me get into a share of the lead. There were a lot of leaderboards out on the course, so I checked them frequently. I kept track of where I stood and played accordingly.”
South African Ian Snyman after his third round 67 (-4) on having his brother Ryno on the bag and other family members in the gallery this week:
- “It’s been quite special having, let’s say half of the full family here. I nearly shed a tear before the round, because my sister, she came and she saw my brother, and she started crying, and it’s just been a whole special feeling. And it was a big thing for me to make the cut. This is always a week where it’s tough, and to make it with him, it’s just extra special. And to have a fun day like today, where I could see he was excited with every putt made. It was a moment that I’ll cherish for a long time, and hopefully we can make some more memories tomorrow.”
Final Round
The champion Minhyuk Song from Korea after securing his first professional victory in a playoff against compatriot Minguy Cho after a final round 70 (-1):
- “I really wanted to win, but I also told myself that even if I stumbled, as long as I had the strength to get back up, I could become a player capable of winning. I’m just very happy that such a great opportunity came sooner than I expected. I thought I might cry after my first win, but in the moment, I just felt overwhelming joy and couldn’t stop smiling. Up until last year, my father caddied for me, but this year I’m working with a professional caddie. My dream was to win with my father on the bag and bow to him as a celebration. Although I couldn’t fulfil that this time, my caddie did an amazing job and really helped me perform well.”
Pictures courtesy Korea Golf Association.
Korea’s rising star Minhyuk Song overcame compatriot Mingyu Cho on the first hole of a sudden-death play-off to win the GS Caltex Maekyung Open today – on one of the most dramatic Sunday’s the tournament has ever seen.
Song, aged 22, secured his first victory in the professional game by parring the first extra hole at Namseoul Country Club, after Cho made bogey.
It was an incredible turn of events as Cho looked to be on course for the win leading by two playing the last. However, he missed a three-foot bogey putt and made double bogey to fall back into a tie with playing-partner Song.
Adding to the drama, Korean Inhoi Hur looked set to join the play-off but after signing his scorecard he was penalised two shots for an incident that took place yesterday.
All three had finished tied on 11 under, with Song and Cho, the joint leaders at the start of the day, both shooting 70 and Hur a 64.
Minhyuk Song.
Hur’s tournament total was subsequently changed to nine under and he finished joint third with South African Ian Snyman and Korea’s Taehee Lee. Snyman returned a 67 and Lee 69.
Song trailed Cho the whole of the back nine before he made a solid par on the 18th to keep his hopes alive. Cho had pushed his tee shot right, punched back into the fairway and ended up three putting.
“I really wanted to win,” he said, “but I also told myself that even if I stumbled, as long as I had the strength to get back up, I could become a player capable of winning. I’m just very happy that such a great opportunity came sooner than I expected.”
He had a bogey free front nine and made birdies on three and four to stay level with Cho. He dropped his first shot of the day on 11, where a tiddler horse shoed the hole, recovered with a birdie on the next before dropping a shot on 16.
He added: “I thought I might cry after my first win, but in the moment, I just felt overwhelming joy and couldn’t stop smiling. Up until last year, my father caddied for me, but this year I’m working with a professional caddie. My dream was to win with my father on the bag and bow to him as a celebration. Although I couldn’t fulfil that this time, my caddie did an amazing job and really helped me perform well.”
It was a case of coming full circle as he finished second here as an amateur in 2023, before turning professional at the end of that year.
Mingyu Cho.
In the play-off Cho hit another poor drive but on this occasion down the left. He found the greenside trap with his second and splashed out to eight feet. Song two putted from the back of the green for par, while Cho missed his attempt.
It was once again a bitter pill to swallow for Cho. He was looking for his first win on Korean soil in 16 years as a professional.
The 37-year-old also came close to winning this event in 2022 when he finished in second place, two behind his countryman Bio Kim. On that occasion he held the lead on the front nine but suffered a huge set back on the ninth when he was penalised two shots for playing his third off a temporary green.
For Hur it was also a case of what might have been. He made a brave run at the title with three birdies on the trot from the 11th. The 2021 champion parred home from there before being informed of a two-shot deduction following a review by the rules committee.
He had been assessed a stroke and distance penalty on hole seven in the third round, where he made a par four after having played a provisional.
Officials determined that his original tee shot was out of bounds and his provisional ball became ball in play thus his score was corrected from four to six.
Inhoi Hur.
The Asian Tour heads to Chinese-Taipei next week for the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open. The tournament tees off on Thursday at Taifong Golf Club. Thailand’s Ekpharit Wu starts as the defending champion.
Pictures courtesy Korea Golf Association.
It is proving to be a big week for Ian Snyman at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open with a lot of inspiration, on and off the golf course.
Most importantly he is in hot pursuit of the leaders after a fine third-round four-under-par 67 yesterday. He is five-under and just five behind the leaders heading into today’s final round, at Namseoul Country Club.
It means that once again he has a chance to win for the first time on the Asian Tour, something he has been consistently close to since he started playing full time in the region in 2022.
His performance so far this week could not have come at a more opportune time as his brother, Ryno, is on the bag and his sister, Liezl, who lives in Korea, came to watch. Their sister was unaware that Ryno was here, with his wife Mariette, and got a wonderful surprise when she thought she came to watch just one sibling in action at the start of the second round on Friday.
“It’s been quite special having, let’s say half of the full family here,” said Snyman, after the third round.
“I nearly shed a tear before the round, because my sister, she came and she saw my brother, and she started crying, and it’s just been a whole special feeling.
“And it was a big thing for me to make the cut. This is always a week where it’s tough, and to make it with him, it’s just extra special. And to have a fun day like today, where I could see he was excited with every putt made. It was a moment that I’ll cherish for a long time, and hopefully we can make some more memories tomorrow.”
From left to right: Jihwan Bach, Liezl, Ian, Ian, Hay-Leigh, Mariette, and Ryno.
His sister, Liezl, moved to Korea 15 years ago to teach English, and married a Korean gentleman, Jihwan Bach. They have two children, Hay-Leigh and Ian – named after his uncle.
“I usually get to see Liezl a few times a year, which is nice, when I am playing events here. And then my parents can come every few years, but it’s an expensive trip, so my brothers haven’t been able to come. This year, I told them, well, why don’t you come carry for me, and we can surprise them. And that was kind of the whole idea behind it, and nobody knew a thing.
“My parents in South Africa didn’t know. We video called them yesterday, it was so funny, and everyone was just ecstatic and so happy that we can all be together. And my sister needs it. She’s got an amazing family over here but she misses home as well, and this is very special. And that’s how golf connects, I guess, the whole family to the world.”
There’s also a lot more happening this week.
He is using new clubs for only the second week, having first used them last week in Singapore. Despite the concern of changing to new equipment he says the Titleist clubs are working extremely well.
It could all lead to big celebrations later today should he win or go close in what is one of Korea’s premier events, known as Korea’s Masters as the winner dons a Green Jacket.
He has been hindered by one thing this week though: a bad back.
His exceptional golf has masked an unpleasant pain halfway up his back. It started last week in Singapore, and he is noticeably struggling with his movement. He is still to determine what the issue is, with a lot of treatment helping to get him through.
It’s very much a case of beware the injured golfer as he attempts to become the first westerner to win on this course since New Zealand’s Eddie Lee was back in 2002.
Korean Mingyu Cho [main picture] will seek restitution in the final round of the GS Caltex Maekyung Open tomorrow after taking a share of the third-round lead.
He shot a four-under-par 67 today for a three-day total of 10-under, along with his young compatriot Minhyuk Song, who carded a 66.
Korean Taehee Lee, the back-to-back champion here in 2019 and the following year, returned a 70 and is three behind in solo second, while his countrymen Minjun Kim (68), Doyeob Mun (69), the defending champion, and Minkyu Kim (70) are all another stroke behind.
Cho finished in second place here at Namseoul Country Club in 2022, two shots behind the winner: fellow Korean Bio Kim.
It was bitter sweet as on the ninth hole he played his third off a secondary green and was quickly told he should have taken a drop. He was subsequently penalised two strokes. It remains his best finish in a tournament that he has unfinished business.
He was rock solid today, shooting all four of his birdies on the back nine and not dropping any shots.
Minhyuk Song.
“There weren’t any major crises or big opportunities on the front nine, I made pars throughout,” said Cho.
“I knew I had lost the lead, but I didn’t dwell on it. I just kept playing, believing chances would come naturally. I started playing golf in 1999 and have been on tour for over 20 years. From experience, you shouldn’t attack the course recklessly – especially not this one. It’s important to stay patient and play within yourself.”
He said he played in the final group with Korean Kyungtae Kim when he won in 2011. “He was incredible at the time, and playing alongside him helped me understand how to approach Namseoul Country Club,” he said.
The 37-year-old is a two-winner in Japan but surprisingly he has not won in Korea. In 2022 when he frustratingly lost this week’s event he was second in the Kolon Korea Open and Shinhan Donghae Open, another of the country’s biggest events.
Victory tomorrow would also be especially significant with a new arrival in the Cho family.
He said: “A new opportunity presents itself. If I win in Korea, it feels like all the pieces will finally come together. And my son was born on Monday, so I want to draw strength from that and give it my best as a father.”
All the big guns of Korean golf are hot on his heels, including the next generation.
Song is just two 22 and has been a professional for two years. He hit the headlines in 2023 when he tied second in the GS Caltex Maekyung Open, when he was an amateur.
“Namseoul Country Club is a course where I’ve had some of my best results. I especial love the huge galleries,” he said, who is knocking on the door of a first win in the pro game with four top fives on home soil last year.
“I tried to be myself today, just as I did in the first and second rounds. Rather than thinking about protecting my position in the third round, I focused on moving up the leaderboard. I think that mindset helped me get into a share of the lead. There were a lot of leaderboards out on the course, so I checked them frequently. I kept track of where I stood and played accordingly.”
Taehee Lee.
South African Ian Snyman (67), plus Koreans Jinho Choi (69), Daihan Lee (70) and Seonghyeon Kim (71) are next best placed, five behind the leaders.
Overnight leader Yubin Jang from Korea suffered a poor day carding an uncharacteristic 78 to tumbledown the leaderboard into joint 45th on one over.
Pictures courtesy Korean Golf Association.
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