2026 CHAU-SHI Series Chang Wah Open Final Round 2026/3/29 The final round of the opening event of the 2026 TPGA Taiwan Tour season, the CHAU-SHI Series – Chang Wah Open, was held today (28th) at Hsin Yi Golf Club in Kaohsiung. The competition was extremely intense, with the overnight leader unable to maintain the lead. Ian Peng, who started four shots behind, delivered a stunning round of one eagle, six birdies, and no bogeys for an 8-under 64. He came from behind to claim the title with a four-round total of 16-under 272, winning by one stroke and earning NT$500,000. This marks the first victory of his three-year professional career, as well as his first win in his first event after earning full playing rights through the Taiwan Tour Qualifying School. Chan Chia-han, who began the day six shots back, fired a 9-under 63 to tie the course record. With a four-round total of 15-under 273, he finished tied for second alongside Thailand’s Warun Ieamgaew, who started the day with a one-shot lead and shot a 69. Both players earned NT$205,000. American player Shotaro Ban posted a 64 to finish third with a total score of 276. Tsai Shang-kai (68), Yu Sung-po (69), and Lee Chieh-po (70) all finished tied for fourth with four-round totals of 277. The only amateur to make the cut, 16-year-old Tantikorn Klinpeng of Thailand, shot a 70 today for a four-round total of 288. He claimed the amateur title and finished tied for 39th among professionals. Ian Peng displayed consistent performance across all aspects of his game today, recording one eagle, six birdies, and no bogeys. He finished the front nine at 6-under 30, including an eagle on Hole 5 with a chip-in from about 10 yards. He moved from four shots behind to one shot ahead and maintained that lead. On the back nine, he added two more birdies for a 34, ultimately securing victory by one stroke. After the round, he said he completed two consecutive rounds without a bogey and did not pay attention to whether he was leading or trailing. Instead, he focused on executing each shot and planning the next one. Overall, his chipping and putting were solid throughout the week, and the rest of his game was steady. After birdieing Hole 15 to maintain a one-shot lead, Hole 16 (a par 4) became one of the key moments, where he missed the green with his second shot from about 20 yards out but managed to save par with two putts. On the final hole, the par-5 18th, his second shot reached the green, leaving a 16-foot putt, and he secured birdie with two putts, finishing at 16-under and preserving his one-shot lead. Warun Ieamgaew, who started the day with a one-shot lead, made one bogey on the front nine for a 35 and fell one stroke behind. On the back nine, he birdied Holes 15 and 16 and was just one shot behind Peng after Hole 17. He had a chance to birdie the par-5 18th to force a playoff, but his tee shot struck the treetops and went slightly left. Unable to reach the green in two, his third shot also failed to find the green and landed in the rough to the left. After chipping onto the green and making par, he finished tied for second, one stroke short. Ian Peng, 26, from Changhua, began playing golf at age 7 under the influence of his golf-loving parents. He initially played soccer in elementary school but switched to golf after suffering a dental injury. After junior high, he moved to the United States for high school, college, and graduate studies. He turned professional in 2023 and competed on the MLGT (Minor League Golf Tour) and PGA Tour Americas in 2024, with limited success. After completing four months of military service in Taiwan in 2025, he returned to competition, finishing tied for ninth at the Wealthy Family Open and third at the ThreeBond Advanced Challenge Tour. This year, he earned full playing rights through the Taiwan Tour Qualifying School. After securing his first title, he expressed gratitude to the title sponsor, organizers, and co-organizers, and gave special thanks to his sponsors—3A Marketing, Heng Long Biotech, Jian Zhang Concrete, Jiang You Izakaya, and Grandma’s Private Kitchen—as well as his parents, brother, and his supportive girlfriend. This tournament is the opening event of the 2026 TPGA Taiwan Tour season, with a total prize purse of NT$3 million. At the awards ceremony, Chang Wah Group Chairman Hung Chuan-cheng stated that the tournament becomes more exciting each year, with increasingly intense competition. He noted that today’s top finishers differed from yesterday’s leading group and expressed hope that players will continue striving next year, marking the sixth consecutive edition of the event. The tour is title-sponsored by Mr. Wong Chau-shi, Honorary Chairman of Mercuries Group. Chang Wah Group serves as the title sponsor for this event for the fifth consecutive year. The tournament is organized by TPGA and co-organized by Hsin Yi Golf Club, which also hosts the season-opening event for the fifth consecutive year. Chang Wah Group, including Chang Wah Electromaterials Inc., Chang Wah Technology Co., Ltd., and E&R Engineering Corp., are all publicly listed companies. Chang Wah Electromaterials specializes in semiconductor packaging materials distribution, Chang Wah Technology manufactures lead frames, and E&R Engineering focuses on tape-based high-end flip-chip IC substrates. Founded over 30 years ago, Chang Wah Group has long supported domestic sports and upholds the corporate value of giving back to society by leveraging its resources to promote golf, social welfare, and corporate social responsibility. Since 2021, due to the pandemic’s impact on the number of events and total prize money on the Taiwan Tour, Mr. Wong Chau-shi has personally served as the title sponsor of the CHAU-SHI Series, funding six events annually with NT$2 million per event, totaling NT$12 million. This established a stable foundation for the tour. In recent years, the number of events has gradually increased, and this year the same sponsorship model continues, expanding to eight events. The CHAU-SHI Series also features a special Order of Merit bonus. The top money winner across the eight events will receive an additional NT$250,000 bonus sponsored by Mr. Lin Guo-er, Chairman of HONLIN CONSTRUCTION CO., LTD, along with entry into the Mercuries Taiwan Masters the following year. In response to global sustainability trends, TPGA has officially launched the “Green Swing Initiative” this year to promote environmental protection. This year’s events have fully eliminated single-use bottled water, replacing them with reusable bottles provided to each player to reduce plastic waste at the source. The final two rounds will be broadcast as highlight recordings on April 7 and April 8 at 4:00 p.m. Platforms include TPGA Facebook, YouTube, Yahoo Sports, LINE (Golfourit), TPGA official website, Videoland Sports, and Line Today.
