Asian Tour Release – 30 September 2018: Adilson Da Silva of Brazil claimed a long-awaited victory on the Asian Tour after closing with a third consecutive two-under-par 70 to win by one shot at the storied Mercuries Taiwan Masters on Sunday. Shiv Kapur produced his best round of the week on Sunday, scoring a 70 to secure sixth place. He made four birdies and a couple of bogeys in the final round.
Jeev Milkha Singh enjoyed one of his best weeks in recent memory. He found symmetry in scores of 72-73-72-73 and some good form to finish in T18. After a mid-week dip in scores, Gaganjeet Bhullar ended the week on even terms, making 72 in the final round, in T26.
SSP Chawrasia also played well through the week. But a final round 76 forced him down the order, finishing in T29. Arjun Award winner Shubhankar Sharma traveled late, wanting to ensure his presence for the award ceremony at the Rashtrapathi Bhawan. Playing without a single round of practice, Shubhankar finished a creditable T48, with a 78 on Sunday.
The 46-year-old Da Silva, who held a one-shot lead heading into the final round, fired three birdies on the third, seventh and 13th holes before dropping a shot on the last for a winning total of seven-under-par 281 in the US$850,000 event.
Da Silva, who started playing on Tour after coming through the Qualifying School in 2011, earned a career-biggest prize purse of US$170,000 thanks to his victory. He also became the first Brazilian to win on the region’s premier Tour since it was inaugurated in 2004.
Local hero Lin Wen-tang signed for a 70 to share second place with American Berry Henson, who posted a 69, at the fabled Taiwan Golf and Country Club, which is celebrating its centennial year in 2018.
Qualifying school graduate Heungchol Joo of Korea marked his best result so far this season after battling to a 72 to sit in fourth place alongside South African Justin Harding, who closed with a 72, in what is the longest running full-field event on the Asian Tour.
Despite missing out on his third win of the season, Harding took pride in his commendable result which moved him up two spots to sixth place on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings, led by India’s Shubhankar Sharma, who finished in tied-42nd place.
The top 10 and top four players (not otherwise exempt) on the Habitat for Humanity standings, as of October 7, will qualify for the US$7 million CIMB Classic and US$10 million WGC-HSBC Champions staged in Malaysia and China respectively.
- Adilson Da Silva became the first Brazilian to win on the Asian Tour following his victory. He also takes home a career-biggest prize purse of US$170,000 thanks to his win.
- Da Silva has an impeccable track record at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters. He has not finished outside top-three in his last three starts in the storied event. In his debut appearance in 2012, he also enjoyed a tied-ninth place finish.
- Prior to this week, Da Silva has made only three cuts in 11 starts this season. He started the season with six consecutive missed cuts before claiming a tied-ninth place result in Japan last week.
- Last year, Da Silva came in joint runner-up after finishing two shots back of winner Gavin Green of Malaysia. He used back the same local caddy this week.
- Da Silva welcomed his twin daughters, Sienna and Amelia, three months ago.
- Da Silva enjoyed a career high in 2016 when he was given the honour of striking the first tee shot at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro when golf made a return into the programme after 112 years.
- Da Silva has won multiple times on the Sunshine Tour. He started playing extensively in Zimbabwe from between 1996 to 2003, winning more than 30 titles and five Zimbabwean Order of Merit crowns. Played in the British Open in 2000 and 2007.
- Lin Wen-tang is one of Chinese Taipei’s most successful golfers. He holds a total of six victories on the Asian Tour, including the Mercuries Taiwan Masters which he won in 2009. Lin has also won twice on home soil on the Asian Development Tour (ADT).
- Berry Henson, a one-time Asian Tour winner, made an amazing return from a career-threatening wrist injury by notching three consecutive top-10 finishes earlier in the season.
- The 39-year-old Henson, who claimed his breakthrough in his rookie year on the Asian Tour in 2011, marked his best result this season with his joint runner-up finish this week.
Adilson Da Silva (Bra) – Final round 70 (-2), Total 281 (-7)
This means so much to me. I really like playing in Asia and it’s so special to win here. The whole atmosphere here is great. The sponsors are great here as well. Mr George Wong, Chairman of the Mercuries Group, has been here the whole week, talking to players every now and then.
You don’t see that anywhere else. I think it’s just great to see. I had a number to make on my mind today. I told myself not to worry about other people’s scores and just focus shot by shot. I think that helped me a lot.
I ignored everything else and managed to do my thing out there. I hit my tee shots very good. I kept giving myself chances in approach shots. If you missed the fairways, it’s very difficult to stop the ball on the greens. But I gave myself a lot of chances by keeping it in play.
My wife Althea and I just welcomed our twin girls three months ago, Sienna and Amelia. My son is nearly five years old now. I guess they just pushed me to do better. I want to do better for them and I did it. They say newborns give you luck. I guess that’s true!
Scores after round 4 of the Mercuries Taiwan Masters being played at the par 72, 6923 Yards Tamsui Course course (am – denotes amateur):
281 – Adilson DA SILVA (BRA) 71-70-70-70.
282 – Berry HENSON (USA) 71-73-69-69, LIN Wen-tang (TPE) 70-72-70-70.
284 – Justin HARDING (RSA) 68-73-71-72, Heungchol JOO (KOR) 75-71-66-72.
285 – Shiv KAPUR (IND) 71-73-71-70.
286 – HSIEH Tung-hung (TPE) 75-71-69-71, Scott VINCENT (ZIM) 73-71-69-73.
