Chinese Taipeiâs star Lin Wen-tang is ready to challenge for home honours at the US$300,000 Yeangder Heritage, the Asian Tourâs newest tournament, later this month.
The six-time Asian Tour winner is excited to tee it up in the inaugural tournament at the highly regarded National Golf Country Club, located about a two-hour drive from Taipei.
He will be joined by a strong line-up of stars including two-time Asian Tour number one Thaworn Wiratchant of Thailand, Rashid Khan of India and new Tour champion Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand
Bangladeshi ace Siddikur Rahman, Nicholas Fung of Malaysia and Prom Meesawat of Thailand, who won his second Asian Tour title at the 2014 Yeangder Tournament Players Championship (TPC), will also headline the Yeangder Heritage.
Lin, 42, hopes to repay the faith of the Yeangder Group, who also title sponsors the Yeangder TPC on the Asian Tour in October.
He believes the homegrown golfers have benefited immensely through the support of the Yeangder Group as evident in Chan Shih-changâs rapid rise where he enjoyed a stellar 2016 season by winning twice on the Asian Tour.
âThis is the second Asian Tour event sponsored by the Yeangder Group. It is a very meaningful event because of the title sponsor. It is an event which gives the upcoming stars a platform to shine,â said Lin, who is regarded amongst the golf greats of Chinese Taipei.
âYeangder Group has always been a great sponsor not only to players but also towards the development of golf in Chinese Taipei and Asia. They definitely helped in Chanâs career because when players do not have to think about matters like hotels and airfares, they can focus on their game and concentrate on playing well,â he added.
The Yeangder Heritage is the first tournament to be upgraded to Asian Tour status from the Asian Development Tour (ADT) and Lin is excited to return to the National Golf course, a venue where he has enjoyed some solid finishes.
âI like playing at that golf course even though I havenât won there before. I think Iâve always finished inside the top-three in the ADT and local events. It is not a very long course and long hitters will have an advantage but it can get very windy up there,â said Lin.
After playing in only two Asian Tour events in 2017, he hopes to produce his best form and better last yearâs performance where he enjoyed three top-10s including a runner-up result in Thailand where he lost to countryman Chan.
âI took a break during and after the Lunar New Year but Iâm back working on my game now. Iâm an old man on the Asian Tour so I donât set any goals. I want to keep things simple and just do my best and enjoy the game,â Lin smiled.
