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.