Highly-rated Chan Shih-chang of Chinese Taipei hopes to savour success on home soil when he tees up at the 14th ADT Chang Hwa Open on Thursday.
The 27-year-old enjoyed a career high when he won his maiden Asian Development Tour (ADT) title in Malaysia in August. He also secured a fourth place finish at the Yeangder Tournament Players Championship (TPC) on the Asian Tour a week after his win in Malaysia.

Chan, who is in the hunt for a second ADT victory, will be brimming in confidence when he heads to the Chang Hwa Golf Club for the US$120,000 event, which is the richest event on the ADT this season.

“I am quite happy with my form right now. Winning my first ADT title two months ago and finishing fourth at the Yeangder TPC really build up my confidence level, especially since I’ve struggled to play well at the start of the season,” said Chan, who is currently ranked 10th on the ADT Order of Merit.

“My wood play has not been good when I last played in Macau. I’ve made some adjustments since and it is starting to show some improvements. I should be able to play well if I maintain this. I really hope I can win in my home country this week,” added Chan.

When asked about his thoughts on the 14th ADT Chang Hwa Open joining the fledging ADT schedule this season, Chan said: “It’s great to see a local event going on board the ADT. It definitely helps in the development of golf in Chinese Taipei as players get more opportunities to earn Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points.”

Highest-ranked Malaysian, Nicholas Fung hopes his experience from playing in last week’s CIMB Classic will come in handy as he takes aim at strengthening his position in the top three on the ADT Order of Merit so as to secure his Asian Tour card for 2014.

“It was a good experience for me last week. It is my first time playing with players from the US PGA Tour and I learned a few things from them. I need to improve more on my putting and also gain more distance,” said Fung, who fired a two-under 70 on the final day to finish 63rd at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club on Sunday.

"It has been an enjoyable week and I’m glad I had the chance to talk to some of the players from the PGA Tour. My next target will be to ensure I finish in the top three of the Asian Development Tour at the end of the season so as to secure my Asian Tour card," added the 23-year-old Sabahan.

The top three players on the ADT Order of Merit at the end of the season will secure playing rights on the Asian Tour in 2014.
All ADT events receive Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points starting this year. Winners on the ADT will receive a minimum of six world ranking points while the top six players and ties will earn points based on a sliding scale.

The ADT was launched in 2010 with five tournaments before growing to eight in 2011 and 13 last year. It has proven to be a successful platform for upcoming players to gain entry into the region’s premier Tour, which is celebrating its milestone 10th season in 2013.

A total of 15 tournaments have been confirmed this season, which is a record for the ADT since its inauguration in 2010.