Sep 26, 2018: Promising talent Viraj Madappa of India hopes to make it a week to remember when he tees up for his debut appearance at the US$850,000 Mercuries Taiwan Masters, which starts on Thursday.
The 20-year-old Madappa, who came through the Qualifying School in January, made the headlines when he claimed his maiden victory on home soil last month. He is looking to ride on that winning form when he makes his first professional start in Chinese Taipei this week.
Madappa will spearhead the talented 123-man field alongside two-time Asian Tour winners Danny Chia of Malaysia and Thailand’s Prom Meesawat in the storied event, which is celebrating its 32nd edition at the fabled Taiwan Golf and Country Club this week.
This year’s Mercuries Taiwan Masters will mark a significant milestone as the regular host venue, the Taiwan Golf and Country Club celebrates its centennial year in 2018 as the oldest club in the country.
Chia will aim to bounce back from an uncharacteristic lackluster season by putting up another good showing at the venue which saw him end a 13-year title drought for his second Asian Tour victory in 2015.
Placed 16th on the current Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings thanks to two top-10 finishes in Australia and Thailand, Prom is eyeing a strong performance this week to break into top-10 to qualify for the lucrative CIMB Classic in Malaysia in November.
Players will be vying to boost their Merit rankings as the top 10 and top four players (not otherwise exempt) on the Habitat for Humanity standings will qualify for the US$7 million CIMB Classic and US$10 million WGC-HSBC Champions staged in Malaysia and China respectively.
The Mercuries Taiwan Masters will be the penultimate event for players to try and boost their rankings on the Habitat for Humanity Standings before the cut-off date on October 7.
Asian Tour Release
