2025 CHAU SHI Series Chang Wah Open

Round 3

March 28, 2025

In the third round of the 2025 TPGA Tour season opener — the Chang Wah Open of the CHAU SHI Series — held today (March 28) at Hsin Yi Golf Club in Kaohsiung, Shen Wei-cheng carded a four-under 68 and Hsieh Min-hsuan posted a 69. Both players now share the lead at 11-under-par 205 through three rounds, each looking to claim their first career TPGA title in tomorrow’s final round.

The final round begins at 6:30 AM with the first group teeing off, and the final group starting at 8:05 AM. The tournament is expected to conclude around 1:00 PM, followed by the trophy presentation ceremony.

Defending champion Chang Wei-lun of Taiwan and Shotaro Ban of the United States both shot 68 today, while Grant Godfrey (USA) and Kenta Endo (Japan) carded 70s. All four players sit at nine-under-par 207, two shots off the lead and tied for third.

Five players are tied for seventh at 208, just three strokes behind the leaders: Tseng Tzu-hao, Wang Wei-hsuan, Su Chin-hung, Yeh Yu-chen, and the Philippines’ Aidric Jose Chan. All remain within striking distance of the title heading into Sunday.

This is the first TPGA Tour event to award Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points following the tour’s inclusion in the system on January 5 — a historic milestone for the TPGA. The CHAU SHI Series, added to the tour schedule in 2021, has expanded from 8 to 10 events this season. The total purse is NT$3 million, with NT$500,000 awarded to the champion.

The CHAU SHI Series is personally sponsored by Mr. Wong Chau-shi, Honorary Chairman of the Mercuries Group. The Chang Wah Group is the title sponsor of this season opener for the fourth consecutive year. The tournament is organized by TPGA and co-hosted by Hsin Yi Golf Club.

Second-round leader Hung Chien-yao struggled on the back nine with his putter and posted a 74. He sits at 209, four shots off the lead and tied for 12th place.

Shen Wei-cheng recorded five birdies and one bogey. Though he missed several makeable birdie putts between 3 and 9 feet on the front nine, his putting rebounded on the back side with four birdies, including three on par-5s. His standout moment came on the par-3 17th, where he nearly holed out from the tee, leaving just a one-foot tap-in. He hit 29 putts for the round and showed strong consistency with both driver and irons.

Looking ahead to the final round, Shen said, “I won’t overthink. I’ve been in the final group a few times before but never won. Tomorrow, I’ll give it my best shot.”

Hsieh Min-hsuan made six birdies and three bogeys. He noted that the heat has been intense for the past two days, and yesterday he felt slightly overheated. Today, his energy and focus waned as the round went on, leading to mistakes. He made four birdies and two bogeys on the front nine, followed by birdies on holes 10 and 11 and another bogey on the back. His longest birdie came via a 23-foot putt on the 9th. He hit 13 greens in regulation, continuing to show solid iron play.

“This is my first time in a leading group at a TPGA event,” Hsieh said. “Even though it’s just the third round, the nerves were real. I’ll be in the final group again tomorrow. All I can do is focus on my own game and leave the rest to fate.”

Defending champion Chang Wei-lun had five birdies and one bogey. His iron play was sharp, missing only one green and generating plenty of birdie chances, though tricky greens prevented him from capitalizing on all of them. He three-putted the 12th for his lone bogey. “Reading putts here is tough — you need both precision and luck,” he said. He added that this year’s greens are more challenging, with tougher pin placements. Last year, he was already 17-under through three rounds and went on to win at 22-under. This year’s overall scores are notably lower.

Shotaro Ban, who finished tied for third last year, relied on his excellent putting today — needing only 23 putts, the fewest of the round. Though his driving was off, he holed a chip from 25 yards on the 12th and drained a 45-foot bomb on the 13th that bounced off the flag and in. His iron shots on the par-3 6th and 17th set up short birdie putts.

American Grant Godfrey had a tale of two nines — a front-nine 32 with one eagle, three birdies, and a bogey, followed by a back-nine 38 with one birdie and three bogeys. He birdied the 1st and holed out for eagle on the 2nd with a 70-yard approach that one-hopped into the cup. He followed up with long birdie putts of 40 and 30 feet on the 7th and 10th, but faltered with three bogeys over the closing holes. He totaled 25 putts.

Japan’s Kenta Endo shot 70. He struggled on the front nine with short missed putts, making only one birdie and two bogeys. However, his back-nine putting caught fire. He chipped in from 5 meters on the 10th and drained long birdies from 25 and 20 feet on the 13th and 16th. He now sits tied for third and vowed to take an aggressive approach in tomorrow’s final round.

The tournament features 144 players — 131 professionals and 13 amateurs — from seven countries, including 29 from Japan, 6 from Thailand, 2 from the U.S., and one each from Italy, Australia, and the Philippines, as well as 104 professionals from Taiwan.

The Chang Wah Group — comprising Chang Wah Electromaterials, Chang Wah Technology, and JMC Electronics — are all publicly listed companies. Their business areas include semiconductor packaging materials distribution, lead frame manufacturing, and high-end flip-chip tape substrate production.

With a history of over 30 years, Chang Wah Group has been a long-time supporter of domestic sports and actively backs golf through its commitment to corporate social responsibility and the philosophy of giving back to society.

The CHAU SHI Series has expanded from 8 to 10 events this year, increasing the total number of TPGA events to 20. Along with the 9 ThreeBond Challenge Tour tournaments, the 2025 season includes 29 events — the most in the TPGA’s 32-year history since its founding in 1993.

The CHAU SHI Series also features a special Order of Merit award. This year’s top earner will receive an additional NT$200,000 from Honlin Construction Chairman Lin Kuo-er, along with a guaranteed entry into the next Mercuries Taiwan Masters.

Hsin Yi Golf Club, stretching 7,459 yards, gives an advantage to long hitters. The greens and surrounding areas provide tough challenges, and the course has been meticulously prepared for top performance during this season opener.

Special Prizes:

• Hole-in-One Prizes:

  1. Holes 3, 6, 13, and 17 — NT$20,000 and related gifts from Hsin Yi Golf Club.

  2. Hole 17 — A Bell & Ross watch worth NT$168,000, sponsored by Tung Hui Watch, awarded to the first professional to make an ace during the four official rounds.

  3. Any hole, unlimited winners — Da An Group offers a one-night stay in the Presidential Suite at Lishan Guesthouse, valid on any day.

• Course Record Bonus:

• Breaking the course record of 63 (held by Chen Chi-chun) earns a NT$20,000 bonus, courtesy of Hsin Yi Golf Club.

Both-well Group and Cheng Guan Yuan Golf Range are sponsoring free unlimited practice for all players during the tournament (March 25–28).

An Athlete Care Station will be available during the final rounds, providing free physiotherapy, protective treatment, and muscle relief massages for players.

Spectators are welcome to attend. Entry requires a NT$30 insurance fee and registration to receive a spectator pass. Visitors must stay on designated cart paths, and there is no shuttle service between holes. For safety, children under six and pets are not advised to enter the course.

Highlights from the final two rounds will be broadcast on April 8 and 9 at 4:00 PM. Platforms include TPGA’s official Facebook page, YouTube, Yahoo Sports, LINE’s Golfourit platform, TPGA’s official website, ELTA Sports, Line Today, and Golf Media’s nationwide golf course digital signage network covering 20 clubs across Taiwan.