Singapore: An international mix of players from over 19 countries will showcase their talents when they tee off at the 14th ADT Chang Hwa Open in Chinese Taipei next week.
The 14th ADT Chang Hwa Open, which was previously staged on the local circuit, will join the fledging Asian Development Tour (ADT) schedule this season.
American James Bowen alongside Malaysia’s Iain Steel and Nicholas Fung, who currently sit in the top-three on the ADT Order of Merit, will headline the US$120,000 event, which is the 14th leg on the ADT.
ADT champions Grant Jackson of England, Japan’s Mitsuhiko Hashizume and Thailand’s Jakraphan Premsirigorn will also be amongst the strong line-up challenging for honours at the Chang Hwa Golf Club from October 31 to November 3.
Local heroes, Lin Wen-tang, Chan Yih-shin and Lu Wei-chih will spearhead the local challenge alongside title holder Hung Chien-yao and Chan Shih-chang.
Chan, who claimed his maiden ADT title in Malaysia last month, will be in the hunt for a second ADT victory. He has enjoyed a solid season so far where he finished fourth at the Yeangder Tournament Players Championship on the Asian Tour a week after his win in Malaysia.
“I’m really happy to secure my first win on the ADT in Malaysia last month. That gave me a great confidence boost. Hopefully I can win on home soil next week,” said the 27-year-old Chan.
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.
