Thailand’s Ekpharit Wu delivered a poised closing-round performance on Sunday, Nov. 16, to claim the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open and secure his first Asian Tour victory in his rookie campaign. The 26-year-old posted a five-under-par finish at Taifong Golf Club to pull ahead after a tense back-nine duel with local standout Hung Chien-yao.

Wu entered the day trailing by a shot but erased the deficit early, matching Hung’s pace until the closing stretch shifted decisively in his favor. His steady approach on the final holes held up as Hung faltered, allowing the Thai newcomer to seal the win at 20-under.

Hung fades late as Wu rises to the moment

Hung kept the pressure high across most of the round, but his bid unraveled with consecutive bogeys on the 15th and 16th. The miscues left him chasing on the final two par-five holes, where cautious play and difficult lies stalled any attempt at a comeback.

Wu kept his focus throughout, relying on controlled swings and timely birdies to stay in contention before capitalizing when the opportunity opened. With his wife Pam on the bag, the rookie leaned on calm decision-making, reminding himself to trust each shot as the tournament tightened.

Strong finishes shift the Order of Merit

The victory lifted Wu from 73rd to 28th on the Asian Tour Order of Merit and secured a slot in next week’s US$5 million PIF Saudi International in Riyadh. Hung still managed a significant leap to 57th, keeping his long-standing Tour presence intact as he eyes a 12th straight season.

Guatemala’s Jose Toledo surged with a final-round 65 to tie for third alongside Sweden’s Charlie Lindh at 12-under. Pakistan’s Ahmad Baig settled for solo fifth after a closing bogey on the 18th, while the Korean duo of Heemin Chang and Wooyoung Cho shared sixth with Thailand’s Poosit Supupramai. More movement is expected as the Asian Tour shifts to Riyadh for its next stop.