The Fubon Senior Open, a major event on the Taiwan Senior Tour, will be held at the Taiwan Golf & Country Club from October 29 to 31. This year's tournament features 118 players from both domestic and international fields competing for NT$6.8 million in total prize money—the highest purse for senior golfers in Taiwan.
Before the main competition, organizers hosted a Youth Heritage Camp on October 27. Tony Hsieh led the camp with participation from defending champion Thammanoon Sriroj of Thailand, Lu Wen-teh, and members of the "Fubon Dream Team," including C. T. Pan and Lu Chien-soon. The camp was aimed at passing down golfing experience and advice to amateur junior golfers.
The Fubon Senior Open was established in 2002 by Fubon Group Chairman Daniel M. Tsai and Tony Hsieh. The event has maintained its focus on both competitive golf among seniors and mentorship for younger players.
Fubon Financial Holding has supported various sports initiatives in Taiwan, including sponsoring professional baseball and basketball teams as well as other international competitions. Recently, it announced the formation of the "Fubon Dream Team," which includes athletes from weightlifting, gymnastics, triathlon, and over ten professional and amateur golfers such as C. T. Pan and Lu Chien-soon.
At the Youth Heritage Camp's pro-am event, six professionals played alongside 18 amateurs selected by the Tony Hsieh Golf Foundation. Juniors received direct coaching on techniques as well as injury prevention and course management strategies.
Tony Hsieh told young players: “Mort importantly, don’t be ‘glued’ to your phone and practice more.” Thammanoon Sriroj advised juniors to adapt to different golf courses for better preparation.
Lu Wen-teh emphasized injury prevention through proper fitness training: “the most important thing for juniors is to find a good fitness coach and prevent injuries.” Lu Chien-soon noted that players who have faced challenges are more likely to succeed: “golfers who have experienced ups and downs are more likely to win than those who have been sailing smoothly.”
C. T. Pan suggested aspiring PGA Tour golfers improve their English early: “If your financial situation allows, you can go to the U.S. at around 15 like I did. Otherwise, you can come after graduating from senior high school, as many American colleges offer substantial scholarships to outstanding golfers,” said Pan.
Six amateur players—Zhuo Yu-de, Hsieh Ping-hua, Wang Yu-chun, Kuo Shi-chi, Liu Yi-yi and Yang Hao-cyuan—have been invited to participate in this year’s official tournament.
According to organizers, a pro-am will precede three days of regular seniors' stroke play starting October 29; all top-30 players from last season’s order of merit will compete alongside notable entrants such as Prayad Marksaeng (2024 runner-up) and Thaworn Wiratchant (2023 winner). Super seniors (65+) will begin their two-round contest on October 30.
Admission is free for fans attending at TGCC or following via live stream on Fubon's official YouTube channel (https://pse.is/6kkeze). Updates are also available on the Taiwan Senior Professional Golf Association Facebook page (https://pse.is/6kkg9z).
“Mort importantly, don’t be ‘glued’ to your phone and practice more,” said Tony Hsieh during his remarks at the camp.
“If your financial situation allows, you can go to the U.S. at around 15 like I did. Otherwise, you can come after graduating from senior high school, as many American colleges offer substantial scholarships to outstanding golfers,” said C.T. Pan.