Chinese-Taipei’s Hung Chien-yao captured his maiden Asian Tour title at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters on Sunday, sinking a clutch 20-foot birdie putt on the final hole to defeat Australia’s Wade Ormsby by one stroke after nearly surrendering a commanding lead.
Hung carded a one-under-par 71 at Taiwan Golf & Country Club to finish at eight-under 280, earning US$240,000 for his breakthrough victory. His triumph came after a tense closing stretch in which consecutive bogeys on the 16th and 17th holes threatened to force a playoff.
Ormsby mounted a strong challenge with a four-under-par 67, the joint-lowest round of the day, but Hung held his nerve when it mattered most. The Australian finished one shot behind, while Korea’s Wang Jeunghun, Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond and Suteepat Prateeptienchai, and Malaysia’s Gavin Green, the 2017 champion, shared third place at five-under.
“I’m very excited and very, very happy. I think my whole body is still shaking,” said Hung, whose wife Nikki served as his caddie. “On the last putt I made it, and I’m very happy with the final result.”
Starting the final round with a one-shot advantage, Hung quickly established control with a birdie on the first hole. He reached the turn two shots ahead of Ormsby, who had begun his round five groups earlier and continued applying pressure on the back nine. Ormsby closed the gap to one with a birdie on the 13th, while Hung dropped a shot on the 10th.
Hung appeared to have restored his cushion with a birdie on the 14th, but missed a 10-foot putt on the 16th before failing to convert a six-footer on the 17th. With the lead suddenly reduced, the possibility of a playoff loomed until he delivered the decisive birdie on the 18th.
“It was actually 20 feet, uphill putt. I thought I had the line,” Hung said. “I just need to have good speed. I hit a good putt and then finally the ball went in.”
The victory represents the culmination of a 21-year journey on the Asian Tour. Hung first competed in the Mercuries Taiwan Masters in 2005 as an amateur, and since becoming a tour member in 2012, had recorded one runner-up finish, four third-place results and four fourth-place finishes without securing a title.
His breakthrough follows a third-place finish at last week’s Yeangder TPC and a victory at the Ambassador ADT Open in July, his third career title on the Asian Development Tour. Hung now rises to sixth in the Asian Tour Order of Merit, while the victory also provides momentum ahead of next week’s Asian Games in Japan.
Ormsby, meanwhile, was left to reflect on a strong performance that ultimately fell just short of a sixth Asian Tour victory.
“I did think I had a chance today,” he said. “There’s just so many guys there, so I tried not to look at scoreboards all day. I guess you do think about it, but you kind of just try to keep doing your job.”
Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert continued his consistent run with a 69 to share seventh place. The Yeangder TPC winner retained the lead in the Order of Merit with four tournaments remaining, with the season-long champion set to earn a DP World Tour card through the Asian Tour’s partnership with the DP World Tour and PGA TOUR.
Fellow Thai Ratchanon “TK” Chantananuwat also made an impression, finishing tied for 10th at three-under after a closing 70 in only his second tournament as a professional. Defending champion Rattanon Wannasrichan carded a 70 to finish tied for 31st at two-over.
The Asian Tour now takes a two-week break before returning with two of its established tournaments: the SJM Macao Open, scheduled for October 15 to 18 at Macau Golf & Country Club, and the Link Hong Kong Open, set for October 22 to 25 at Hong Kong Golf Club.
