Wang Seeks to Settle an Old Score at Sentosa

Singapore: Chinese Taipei’s Wang Wei-hsuan has a score to settle when he tees-off at Sentosa Golf Club is this week’s Singapore Open presented by The Business Times.

It was in 2018 that Wang suffered the anguish of missing the half-way cut by one shot in the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC), held at Sentosa’s Tanjong Course.

Following returns of 71 and 76 he failed to progress to the final two rounds by the narrowest of margins, forced to watch the weekend action from the sidelines as Takumi Kanaya emerged triumphant, repelling the challenge of fellow-Japanese standout Keita Nakajima, Thai Sadom Kaewkanjana and Australian Min Woo Lee, among others.

Now aged 26 and an established professional, Wang returns to Sentosa this week, aiming for his breakthrough Asian Tour victory and inspired by the prospect of playing at the club’s Serapong Course, a venue he has aspired to play since his amateur days.

“Ever since I was an amateur, I’ve seen other Taiwanese players compete here, so I was already familiar with the course and always dreamed of experiencing it myself,” said Wang, who recorded runner-up finishes at the SJM Macao Open and Yeangder TPC last year as well as a third-place finish at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters.

“It’s great to finally be here. The course is in excellent condition, especially the greens and fairways; they’re incredible. The wind can be quite tricky at times, so it’s important to manage that well,” he added.

Building on last season’s momentum, Wang has set his sights firmly on taking the next step in his career, with a focus on The International Series as a pathway to the highest level of the game. 

He said: “Last year, my short game felt really good, so I’m trying to bring that same level into this season. At the same time, my coaches and I have been working on my iron play to make my game more complete.” 

Having already shown flashes of his potential on The International Series, including a second-round 66 at the Singapore Open last year, Wang is now targeting greater consistency and a breakthrough victory. 

He said: “I want to keep improving and aim to finish strongly, hopefully to win. I’m focusing especially on The International Series events this year, as my end goal is the LIV Golf League.” 

That ambition has been further fuelled by the success of a close friend and fellow Asian Tour star Miguel Tabuena, who delivered a career-defining breakthrough with victory at International Series Philippines presented by BingoPlus last year to earn full-time status on LIV Golf this year, a journey that has provided a clear blueprint.

Wang said: “Miguel’s story is very inspiring for me. I’d like to follow a similar path and do well on The International Series.”  

With two coveted places into The 154th Open available this week, Wang approaches the tournament with a sense of opportunity rather than pressure. 

He said: “Not really pressure, more motivation. I really like Singapore, so I just want to enjoy the game and play my best.”