Taiwanese eyes redemption vs PGTA aces

MANILA, Philippines — Taiwan’s No. 6 Song Mengyu sets out for the second Philippine Golf Tour Asia event at home not only to erase the stigma of a previous meltdown but also avert another unsettling setback for the hosts when the Nan Pao TPGA (PGA of Taiwan) Open fires off tomorrow in Tainan City.

Mengyu squandered a big lead in the final round of the Daan TPGA Open and lost by two to Wisut Artjanawat of Thailand in the first-ever PGT Asia event held overseas in Taichung City last May.

But Mengyu and the rest of the 85-player strong local contingent, including five others in the Top 12 of the current TPGA Order of Merit rankings, are making sure not to play gracious hosts for the PGTA bets this week as they try to cash in on their local knowledge of the tree-lined, hazard-laden layout and redeem themselves.

The PGTA aces are also coming into the $100,000 championship sponsored by ICTSI brimming with confidence, including Artjanawat along with 15 other Thais, among them Namchok Tantipokhakul, who is also gunning for a second leg win in the third season of the region’s emerging circuit after ruling the kickoff leg at Luisita last April.

Backing Mengyu are No. 7 Xie Donghong, ninth-ranked Yu Yuchen, No. 10 Lin Wenke, 11th ranked Wang Congjie and No. 12 Huang Wei, who tied for fifth and seventh, respectively, in Daan Open.

The Thais dominated the previous PGTA event with six finishing among the Top 12.