Hsu Chi-san

{{Infobox golfer

| name = Hsu Chi-san

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| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1938|01|17|df=y}}

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| nationality = {{TWN}}

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| status = Professional

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| extour = Asia Golf Circuit

| prowins = 14

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| asiawins = 3 (Asia Golf Circuit)

| otherwins = 11

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| masters = DNP

| usopen = DNP

| open = T21: 1976

| pga = DNP

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Hsu Chi-san (born 17 January 1938){{Cite web |title=Hsu Chi-san – player information |url=http://www.asianseniormasters.com/playerprofile.asp?sortby=NationalityAsc&offset=200&PlayerID=77 |website=Asian Senior Masters |access-date=2020-05-12}} is a Taiwanese professional golfer. During his career he won many tournaments in the Asia-Pacific region, including the Philippine, Taiwan and Singapore national opens on the Asia Golf Circuit.

Professional career

Hsu's first notable performances were at his national open, the Taiwan Open. He won the event in 1965. He attempted to defend his championship the following year and was successful early, holding a share of the lead after the first round.{{Cite news |date=1966-04-01 |title=Thomson Behind |page=26 |newspaper=The Canberra Times |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article128650741 |access-date=2020-05-12}} However, he ultimately lost the title to countryman Lu Liang-Huan.

In the mid-1960s, Hsu also started playing on the Asia Golf Circuit. He shot an opening round 68 (−4) at the 1967 Thailand Open to take a two shot.{{Cite news |date=1967-03-17 |title=Hsu leads Thailand Open golf |page=18 |newspaper=The Canberra Times |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article107032419 |access-date=2020-05-12}}{{Cite news |title=Formosan Chi San in the lead |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19670317-1.2.127.5?ST=1&AT=search&k=hsu+chi+san&P=2&Display=0&filterS=0&QT=hsu,chi,san&oref=article |newspaper=The Straits Times |location=Singapore |via=National Library Board |date=17 March 1967 |page=18 |access-date=2020-05-15}} He ultimately finished in a tie for fourth place, five behind the champion Tomoo Ishii and one shot behind runner-up finishers Kuo Chie-Hsiung and Tony Jacklin.{{Cite web |title=Ishii wins by four strokes |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19670320-1.2.126.4 |newspaper=The Straits Times |date=20 March 1967 |page=21 |access-date=2020-06-24 |via=National Library Board}} His first win on the Asian circuit came the following year at the 1968 Philippine Open, where he opened 72−69−68 to hold a four shot lead after three rounds. He extended that lead in the final round, birdieing 4 of the first 8 holes on Sunday to build a 10-shot lead. He shot a final round 69 (−3) to finish eight shots ahead of Japan's Shigeru Uchida.{{cite news |date=26 February 1968 |title=Hsu wins by 8 strokes |page=4 |newspaper=The Straits Times |location=Singapore |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Page/straitstimes19680226-1.1.24 |accessdate=13 March 2020 |via=National Library Board}} The following April, he came close to winning the Taiwan Open again. Having tied competitor Hideyo Sugimoto at the end of regulation play, Hsu made a bogey at the first playoff hole to finish second.{{Cite news |date=1969-04-07 |title='Sudden death' golf to Japanese |page=8 |newspaper=The Canberra Times |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article107087335 |access-date=2020-05-12}}

These performances would help Hsu qualify for Taiwan's 1969 World Cup team. Taiwan's team was among the favorites to win the cup.{{Cite news |date=1969-09-25 |title=World, Cup bid by Asian golfers |page=28 |newspaper=The Canberra Times |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article107894382 |access-date=2020-05-14}} Hsu and teammate Hsieh Yung-yo led the way after the first 36 holes with a 277 total,{{Cite news |date=1969-10-04 |title=Taiwan golfers lead in cup |page=32 |newspaper=The Canberra Times |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article107896070 |access-date=2020-05-12}} and eventually finished in a tie for fourth.

Hsu went several years without winning a tournament or receiving substantial media coverage. He started to have some success again, however, in the mid-1970s. He held the lead after the first round of the 1973 Thailand Open with Walter Godfrey and Japan's Akio Toyoda.{{Cite news |title=Godfrey, Toyoda and Hsu share lead |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19730330-1.2.123.9?ST=1&AT=search&k=hsu%20chi%20san&QT=hsu,chi,san&oref=article |newspaper=The Straits Times |location=Singapore |via=National Library Board |date=30 March 1973 |page=30 |access-date=2020-05-15}} The following year he finished the 1974 Indonesia Open tied in regulation with Australian Graham Marsh and Filipino Ben Arda. Arda won the event on the first playoff hole.{{Cite news |date=1974-03-19 |title=Golf |page=18 |newspaper=The Canberra Times |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110767261 |access-date=2020-05-12}} In 1975, he held the lead with John Sullivan after the first round of the Malaysian Dunlop Masters.{{Cite news |title=Hsu and Sullivan share Dunlop Masters lead |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19750328-1.2.125?ST=1&AT=search&k=hsu+chi+san&P=9&Display=0&filterS=0&QT=hsu,chi,san&oref=article |newspaper=The Straits Times |location=Singapore |via=National Library Board |date=28 March 1975 |page=28 |access-date=2020-05-15}} In the next round, he broke the record at the Subang National, shooting a 69 (−3) to take the solo lead.{{Cite news |title=Hsu pulls away to clear lead with record 69 |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19750329-1.2.93.4?ST=1&AT=search&k=hsu%20chi%20san&QT=hsu,chi,san&oref=article |newspaper=The Straits Times |location=Singapore |via=National Library Board |date=29 March 1975 |page=21 |access-date=2020-05-15}} He went on to win the event by three.{{Cite news |date=31 March 1975 |title=Hsu cards a 79 but it's still good for title |page=23 |newspaper=The Straits Times |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19750331-1.2.95.2}} One year later, he played excellently at the 1976 Taiwan Open, taking the second round lead.{{Cite news |title=11 behind |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/newnation19760228-1.2.79?ST=1&AT=search&k=hsu%20chi%20san&QT=hsu,chi,san&oref=article |newspaper=New Nation |via=National Library Board |date=28 February 1976 |page=15 |access-date=2020-05-15}} He went on to win. He took the lead in the Asia Golf Circuit's Order of Merit standing with the win.{{cite news |date=2 March 1976 |title=Hsu takes lead in Asia Circuit |page=25 |newspaper=The Straits Times|location=Singapore |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19760302-1.2.113.2 |accessdate=3 March 2020|via=National Library Board}} Later in the year he would play in his first major championship, the 1976 Open Championship. Hsu shot an 81 (+9) in the first round to put himself outside of the cut line. However, he shot a second round 69 to make the cut by two shots. He finished 71−72 over the final two days.{{Cite news |title=Miller turns it into a runaway |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=yKtVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3uADAAAAIBAJ&pg=6211,2395714 |date=July 11, 1976 |newspaper=Eugene Register-Guardian |agency=Associated Press |page=1B |via=Google News Archive |access-date=2020-06-24 }} He finished in a tie for 21st.{{Cite web |publisher=Golf Major Championships |title=Hsu Chi San |url=http://www.golfmajorchampionships.com/players?player=2726 |access-date=2020-06-24}} His performance over the final three days was better than all players except Johnny Miller, Jack Nicklaus, Raymond Floyd, and Vicente Fernández.

The 1977 year would also be successful. That March he played excellently at the Singapore Open. Staving off challengers Ben Arda, Mya Aye, and Tomoni Suzuki, the veteran Hsu would play "steady" golf amidst the "tense" environment and win by one shot.{{Cite news |date=28 March 1977 |title=Hsu wins with his cool golf... |page=27 |newspaper=The Straits Times |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19770328-1.2.123}} Later in the year, he again played in the British Open with some success. At the 1977 Open Championship he opened with an even-par 70 to place in the top ten.{{Cite news |title=Longshot U.K. open leader blasts "star" system |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=b5cuAAAAIBAJ&sjid=iaEFAAAAIBAJ&pg=864,1355771 |via=Google News Archive |date=July 7, 1977 |newspaper=The Gazette |location=-Montreal, Canada |page=23 |access-date=2020-06-24}} In the second round he again shot 70. He remained in the top-10 and was only three shots back of Roger Maltbie's lead.{{Cite news |date=July 8, 1977 |title=An All-American drive for Open |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=P5BAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7aQMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3817,1766792 |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |first=Raymond |last=Jacobs |access-date=2020-06-24 |via=Google News Archive}} He then shot a third round 77 to fall out of contention. However, he would make the third round cut easily, by five shots.{{cite news|last=Jacobs|first=Raymond|date=9 July 1977|title=Nicklaus, Watson in a two-man tussle|page=16|work=Glasgow Herald|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QJBAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7aQMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3787%2C1951920}} In the final round he would shoot a very disappointing 81 and finish at 298 (+18), in a tie for 58th.{{Cite web|title=Previous Opens - 106th Open Turnberry 1977 - The Open|url=https://www.theopen.com/previous-opens/106th-open-turnberry-1977/#leaderboard|access-date=2020-06-26|website=www.theopen.com}}

In the late 1970s he would again have some success in Asia. In 1978 he played excellently at the Asia Golf Circuit's unofficial opener, the Philippine Masters, shooting two-under in "high winds" to win by one.{{Cite news |date=1978-02-13 |title=Philippines golf |page=13 |newspaper=The Canberra Times |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article131715611 |access-date=2020-05-12}} The following year, he would seriously compete at the Hong Kong Open. He was in second place after the first round, one behind Australian Graham Marsh.{{Cite news |title=Marsh and Hsu share Hongkong lead |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19790223-1.2.127.6?ST=1&AT=search&k=hsu+chi+san&P=9&Display=0&filterS=0&QT=hsu,chi,san&oref=article |newspaper=The Straits Times |location=Singapore |via=National Library Board |date=23 February 1979 |page=28 |access-date=2020-05-15}} He continued to play well and was tied for the third round lead with Lu Hsi-chuen. However, both he and Lu shot 74 (+4) in the 4th round and were usurped by Greg Norman. Hsu finished joint runner-up with Lu and fellow Taiwanese Chen Tze-ming, three back of Norman.{{cite news|date=26 February 1979|title=Norman ends the Taiwanese run|page=26|newspaper=The Straits Times|location=Singapore|url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19790226-1.2.106.2|accessdate=4 March 2020|via=National Library Board}}

In the early 1980s he played well at two events on the Singapore circuit. In 1980 he won the Singapore PGA Championship. The following year he held the midway lead at the 1981 Rolex Masters.{{Cite news |title=Scores after second round |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19810314-1.2.109.3?ST=1&AT=search&k=hsu+chi+san&P=3&Display=0&filterS=0&QT=hsu,chi,san&oref=article |newspaper=The Straits Times |location=Singapore |via=National Library Board |date=14 March 1981 |page=38 |access-date=2020-05-15}} He went on to win the event.{{cite news |date=6 March 1989 |title=The Rolex world of Golf and The Rolex Masters '89 |pages=12, 13 |newspaper=Business Times |location=Singapore |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Page/biztimes19890306-1.1.13 |via=National Library Board}} A month later, he recorded one of his final high finishes on the Asia Golf Circuit, finishing runner-up to Payne Stewart at the Indonesia Open.{{Cite news |date=1981-04-07 |title=Stewart wins Indonesian Open in play-off |page=21 |newspaper=The Canberra Times |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article126832237 |access-date=2020-05-14}}

Very late in his regular career, he had some highlights. He finished joint runner-up at the 1986 PGA of Singapore championship, six behind Mario Siodina.{{Cite web |title=Cool Filipino Wins Golf Tourney |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19861012-1.2.10.2.3?ST=1&AT=search&k=hsu%20chi%20san&QT=hsu,chi,san&oref=article |newspaper=The Straits Times |location=Singapore |via=National Library Board |date=12 October 1986 |page=2 |access-date=2020-05-15}} He also took the first round lead at that year's Singapore PGA Championship.{{Cite web |title=Chi San takes one-stroke lead in S'pore PGA event |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/biztimes19861009-1.2.24.3?ST=1&AT=search&k=hsu+chi+san&P=5&Display=0&filterS=0&QT=hsu,chi,san&oref=article |newspaper=Business Times |via=National Library Board |date=9 October 1986 |page=9 |access-date=2020-05-15}} In 1988, he turned 50 and was eligible for the senior circuit. He won three senior events in Japan in the late 1980s and finished runner-up in four tournaments in 1993. More recently he has played on the Asian Senior Masters and Taiwan PGA Tour.