Lu Wei-chih holed out from the rough for eagle at the first playoff hole to defeat fellow Chinese Taipei players Wang Wei-hsuan and Shapiyate Mako and capture the US$120,000 HCT ADT Open after a thrilling finish at Hsin Feng Golf Country Club on Friday.

The three players finished tied on 15-under-par 273 after Wang posted the clubhouse lead with a brilliant seven-under-par 65, before Lu and Mako both birdied the 72nd hole to force extra holes.

Returning to the par-five 18th for the playoff, Mako’s approach came up short of the green before he chipped close with his third shot. Wang reached the green in three and faced a birdie putt from around seven feet.

Lu, meanwhile, missed the green to the right with his approach, leaving himself about 24 yards away in the rough. He then produced the defining moment of the tournament, pitching the ball onto the green and watching it roll straight into the cup for a remarkable walk-off eagle and the title.

“I was just trying to make birdies and play shot by shot. I kept it very simple,” Lu said.

“That eagle chip-in in the playoff was a surprise. It’s not an easy shot because it’s difficult to stop the ball on these greens. I was only trying to get it close. I didn’t expect it to go in.”

Lu celebrated the victory with his son, who has been carrying his bag throughout the week.

“We couldn’t believe it went in,” he said. “I don’t think I could do it again if you asked me to play that shot a hundred times.”

The victory completed a dramatic turnaround after Lu appeared to have surrendered control of the tournament during the final round.

Beginning the day with a four-shot advantage, the overnight leader stumbled early with a costly double bogey at the par-five fifth as the chasing pack closed in.

“I didn’t actually start well today and a lot of players were really chasing me,” he said. “The double bogey was costly and my mindset changed from there. I knew I might not be leading anymore.”

Rather than becoming defensive, Lu said he decided to attack.

“I told myself to play more aggressively and commit to the shots,” he said. “I’m glad I made the playoff and gave myself another chance.”

Wang looked destined to lift the trophy after producing the day’s best round of seven-under-par 65.

Playing in the 15th group, he birdied four of his opening five holes and turned in five-under-par 31. Despite a costly double bogey at the par-three 15th, he birdied the closing hole to post the clubhouse target at 15-under.

“I didn’t look at the leaderboard at all,” Wang said. “I just focused on every shot.”

Mako, who had struggled with dizziness during Thursday’s third round, recovered with a composed bogey-free 68. Playing alongside Lu in the final group, he birdied the 18th to earn his place in the playoff before narrowly missing out on the title.

Lu Wei-chih of Chinese Taipei with wife Zhuang Hui Jun and son Lu I-hsien pictured with the winner’s trophy following his victory in the HCT ADT Open at Hsin Feng Golf Country Club in Hsinchu, Chinese Taipei. The US$120,000 Asian Development Tour event is being played from July 21-24, 2026

Lu said the victory carried special significance after battling back from serious illness.

“This win gives me a new direction on how to move forward in my career,” he said. “It’s been quite a long journey since I fell sick, but I’ve come to accept it and face it. I worked my way back to the golf course.”

He said the unwavering support of his sponsors helped him through the toughest period of his career.

“I have no reason to give up. My sponsors never gave up on me, so I had no reason to give up on myself.”

Lu said rebuilding his strength had taken time, particularly with the demands of playing in hot conditions.

“It took a lot of effort to get my body back to where it should be,” he said. “I knew I had to work on my stamina. It’s very important when you play in weather like this.”

He also paid tribute to his wife for helping him return to professional golf.

“She has always been considerate and caring about my health and has supported our family,” he said. “Without her, I wouldn’t have been able to come back and play golf.”

Despite claiming one of the most memorable victories of his career, Lu said he remains focused on taking his career one step at a time as he attempts to regain his Asian Tour card after losing it four years ago.

“I haven’t been able to keep my Asian Tour card over the last four years,” he said. “This is my first ADT win and I hope I can play my way back to the Asian Tour.”

“I’ll play the rest of the ADT events this season and hopefully earn my card for next year so I don’t have to go back to Qualifying School.”

“I just want to get a little bit better every day, even if it’s only a small step,” he said.

Chan Chia-han finished fourth on 14-under-par 274 after closing with a six-under-par 66, while Hsieh Ting-wei was fifth on 13-under following another 66.

Another highlight came from Korea’s Jaeil Kim, who recorded the tournament’s third hole-in-one when he aced the 173-yard par-three 12th with a six-iron during his final-round 70.