Chang Wei-lun gave local fans something to cheer about today after taking the lead in the Mercuries Taiwan Masters, at Taiwan Golf & Country Club.
The Chinese-Taipei golfer shot a second-round four-under-par 68 to finish six-under.
He is one ahead of compatriot Hung Chien-yao, full of confidence after finishing third in the Yeangder TPC last week, who carded a 67 – the joint best round of the week so far – plus Malaysia’s Gavin Green, the champion here in 2017, and Suteepat Prateeptienchai from Thailand.
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Green continued his fine comeback after an injury plagued year to shoot a 71 while Suteepat, a Chinese-Taipei specialist with three wins here in the last three years, fired a 69.
Australian Kevin Yuan, whose 67 yesterday gave him the first-round lead, is in fifth place, one stroke further back after a 73. He is joined by Chinese-Taipei’s Chang Shih-chang and Shen Wei-cheng, who came in with rounds of 67 and 71 respectively.
Chang, who has one Asian Development Tour win to his name from 2017, has put himself in a great position to mount a serious challenge for one of the tournaments Chinese-Taipei players want to win the most.
Paired with Yuan, he gave no indication of what was about to come when he made a bogey on the third. However, three birdies in a row from the sixth and two more on 10 and 13 saw him storm through to the top.
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“Really very happy to play well in such a big tournament,” said the 33-year-old, who tied for fifth here two years ago for one of seven top five finishes since joining the Asian Tour in 2015.
“We all know how challenging the course is, so we come here prepared. It’s tough but at the same time the greens are just so good to play on. Course familiarity is key here. I’m using a local caddie, and he was able to read the greens well so that helped.”
Hung is enjoying a strong season. As well as last week’s result, which was one of his best finishes on the Asian Tour, he also tied for fifth at the season-opening Philippine Golf Championship and won the Ambassador ADT Open on home soil in July – for his third win on the Asian Development Tour.
Like Chang he made his one and only bogey of the day early on, on the first hole. And like the leader he climbed into contention helped by three birdies on the trot from the sixth. He made six birdies in total.
“I was playing nine holes on Monday with my wife [his caddie], and then I just feel like this is one of the toughest courses,” he said.
“I mean, tougher than Linkou last week, because of the rough. I know that it’s gonna get windy. And you know, the green is fast and firm. It’s fast, so I know it’s playing a lot tougher than last week.
“But because we play tournaments out here, like four, five tournaments in a year, I kind of know the course. You just gotta stay with it, just have to play smart. You don’t have to really attack.”
A pep talk from his wife after his bogey also did the trick.
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He said: “She said to me ‘You know, this is one of the courses where that’s going to happen. So just stay with it, go to the next hole, play the next shot, and just do well.”
Green, who won the Asian Tour Order of Merit title the year he claimed this week’s event, has been suffering from tennis elbow for much of the year.
Having made the turn in two over he was well off the pace but produced the kind of golf he is known on the second half, making five birdies, although a double on his 14th, the fifth as he started on 10, cost him the outright lead.
Asked about his elbow, he said: “It’s not 100%. It’s not. I’m still running a little bit on Ibuprofen and just trying to calm it down a little bit. And then you know, in the room, in the mornings and nights, I still have to stretch it out and try to loosen it as much as I can. So, yeah, just managing it really.”
Suteepat’s arrival at the top of the leaderboard will surprise no one. He won the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open in 2023 and 2024, as well as the Yeangder TPC in 2024.
He joked: “It’s the last event of the year for us in Chinese-Taipei, so it’s my last chance!”
Yuan, like Chang and Hung, is looking for his first win on the Asian Tour.
“I was happy with how I hit it, but it’s just one of those ones where you’re gonna get some flyers. It’s just gonna not go your way sometimes,” he said
“Yeah, I’m happy, like still being in the hunt. I’m really happy with how I’m like putting it. Obviously, the greens are always nice here at this golf course, and definitely made a few big par putts, which has helped me keep in this because I do feel like they didn’t really go my way this today. I’m looking forward to the weekend.”
