Taiwan’s Pan Cheng-tsung claimed his first Professional Golfers’ Association Tour title at the RBC Heritage April 21 in South Carolina.
Pan finished the tournament 12 under par, one stroke ahead of runner-up Matt Kuchar of the U.S. The 27-year-old demonstrated considerable poise in a thrilling final round, grabbing the lead with a birdie on the 16th before holding his nerve to register pars on the next two holes and secure victory.
Speaking after the win, Pan said that his near-miss at the PGA Wyndham Championship last year—in which he lost out on the title with a double bogey on the 18th—changed his approach to the concluding holes. The key was focusing on the small details and staying in the present, he added.
Pan also took the opportunity to offer his congratulations to Taiwan teenager Lu Hsin-yu, who won the girls’ division at the April 18-21 C. T. Pan Junior Championship co-organized by the golfer and the American Junior Golf Association in Houston. Lu was among 10 Taiwan competitors that Pan brought over to the U.S. for the event.
Inspiring the next generation of Taiwan golfers is a major focus for Pan. “This is one of the best weekends I’ve ever had,” he said.
Victory earned Pan US$1.242 million in prize money and moves him up to No. 55 from No. 113 in the Official World Golf Ranking. He is now expected to earn an invitation to the Augusta National next year, and is in line to make Ernie Els’ international team for the Dec. 9-15 Presidents Cup.
Born in northern Taiwan’s Miaoli County, Pan claimed silver at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, and was ranked No. 1 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking in 2013. He debuted as a professional at the U.S. Open in 2015, bagging two PGA Tour Canada events the same year and finishing as runner-up at two PGA Tour events, in 2017 and 2018, respectively.
Pan is now the second Taiwan player to have won a PGA Tour title following Chen Tze-chung’s victory at the Los Angeles Open in 1987. (CPY-E)
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