Chinese Taipei’s Hung Chien-yao holed a 20-foot birdie putt on the final green to win the Mercuries Taiwan Masters on Sunday, his first Asian Tour title.
Hung shot a one-under-par 71 at Taiwan Golf & Country Club to finish on eight under and beat Australia’s Wade Ormsby by a shot. He had been cruising before bogeys on the 16th and 17th let Ormsby back in.
Ormsby’s 67 was the joint lowest round of the day. Korea’s Wang Jeunghun (71), Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond (71) and Suteepat Prateeptienchai (72), and Malaysia’s Gavin Green (73), the 2017 champion here, tied for third, three behind.
Two late bogeys, then the putt
Hung started the day one shot clear and birdied the first. He was two ahead of Ormsby at the turn.
Ormsby, five groups ahead, cut the gap to one with a birdie on 13 after Hung dropped a shot on 10. The Australian, chasing a sixth Asian Tour win, then parred his way in.
A birdie on 14 put Hung two ahead again. He missed from 10 feet on 16 and from six feet on 17, and a sudden-death play-off looked likely until his uphill putt on the last dropped.
“It was actually 20 feet, uphill putt, I thought I had the line. I know it’s not gonna do much, so I’m just gonna go straight at it, and I just need to have good speed. I hit a good putt and then finally the ball went in, so I’m very, very happy. And I think my wife was really happy, she was crying, so thanks to her too,” said Hung, whose wife Nikki was on the bag.
“I’m very excited and very, very happy. I think my whole body is still shaking,” he said. “I have to apologise to the spectators because I made people nervous because of my bogeys on 16 and 17. But on the last putt I made it, and I’m very happy with the final result.”
A 21-year wait ends
The 34-year-old played his first Asian Tour event at this same tournament in 2005, as an amateur. A member since 2012, he had finished second once, at last year’s Taiwan Glass Taifong Open, third four times and fourth four times.
He came in on form, having finished third at last week’s Yeangder TPC and won the Ambassador ADT Open in July, his third Asian Development Tour title. The US$240,000 winner’s cheque moves him to sixth on the Order of Merit, and he heads to the Asian Games in Japan next week.
Ormsby was content with his week. “I played well yesterday, but I didn’t finish it off, so I was really determined to kind of knuckle down on that back nine, which I found pretty tough all week. I think it’s tough for everyone. I made a good save on the last there, so it always leaves a good taste in the mouth,” he said.
Order of Merit race and what comes next
Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert, who won the Yeangder TPC last week, shot 69 to tie for seventh and stays top of the Order of Merit with four events left. This year’s Merit winner earns a DP World Tour card for next season.
Ratchanon ‘TK’ Chantananuwat, 19, carded a 70 to finish three under and inside the top 10 in only his second event as a professional, a week after missing the cut on debut. Defending champion Rattanon Wannasrichan closed with a 70 to tie for 31st on two over.
The Asian Tour now takes a two-week break before the SJM Macao Open at Macau Golf & Country Club from October 15-18 and the Link Hong Kong Open at the Hong Kong Golf Club from October 22-25.
