Last-minute visa, first-class execution as Chang Wei-lun grabs share of the lead in Saudi

In a dramatic twist, Chinese-Taipei’s Chang Wei-lun transformed a race-against-time visa approval into a career-defining opportunity at the $5 million Asian Tour finale in Riyadh.

Securing his Saudi visa just hours before his arrival on Monday, Chang not only made it to the starting line but also surged ahead to claim a share of the lead after the first round in the $5 million PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers.

Wei-lun fired a bogey-free seven under-par 64 at Riyadh Golf Club, along with Sadom Kaewkanjana from Thailand, to make the best possible start in the star-studded season-ending event on both the Asian Tour and The International Series featuring a 120-player field.

Korea’s Yubin Jang and Chilean Joaquin Niemann are next best placed after 65’s, while American Peter Uihlein, who currently leads The International Series Rankings, is in a group of 11 players who carded 66.

“I only got my Visa for Saudi on Monday, which was the day I arrived,” said a delighted Chang.

“It is a really big event, probably the biggest I have played in, so I am a little nervous.”

Four birdies on the front and three on the back saw him upstage a field that includes 42 players from the LIV Golf League.

The 31 year-old is clearly still on a high after finishing joint second in the BNI Indonesian Masters last month on the Asian Tour, which helped secure his playing rights for next season.

Sadom, a two-time winner on the Asian Tour, dropped his only shot of the day on 17 but birdied the last, like Chang.

Niemann is here after finishing joint fifth in the Australian Open week and despite the lengthy trip showed no signs of tiredness.

Promising young Saudi golfer Khalid Attieh, who recently turned professional, achieved a significant milestone earlier this year at the International Series – Oman where he became the first Saudi amateur to make the cut in a professional tournament.

Continuing to showcase his potential, Attieh carded a solid 67 on Wednesday, while compatriot Saud Al Sharif posted an impressive 68. These performances highlight the rapid progress of golf in Saudi Arabia and the emergence of homegrown talent on the international stage.

Attieh, who had five birdies and a single bogey in a four-under-par 67, said: “It’s not a lot of weeks that you get home support. You spend a lot of weeks travelling around Asia and it can get lonely sometimes. Having this home support certainly acts as a motivation.

“It’s a great opportunity for us, some great players are here and so we’re learning a lot. They have a lot more experience than us and it’s nice to see how they conduct themselves both on and off the course.

"I would like to thank Golf Saudi and the Saudi Golf Federation for supporting us through this journey,” he added.

“Knowing how the greens react on a few holes, that definitely helps but they’ve done a lot of changes on the course so it’s still a case of us getting used to it as well,” concluded Attieh.

Among the UAE-connected golfers, Gaganjeet Bhullar (Ind) delivered the best performance of the day with a one-under-par 70. Anirban Lahiri (Ind) and Adrian Meronk (Pol) both carded 73s, with Meronk teeing off in the morning session. Joshua Grenville-Wood (UAE) also joined the competition, showcasing the region's growing representation on the international stage.

Amateur Adam Bretsnu, a 20-year-old Moroccan golfer currently on a Golf University Scholarship in Texas, USA, showcased his talent at the recent Pan Arab Golf Championships held at Al Zorah, Ajman, UAE. Bretsnu secured the Men’s Individual title and contributed to Morocco’s victory in the Team Championship.

Continuing his strong form, he fired an impressive five-under-par 67, placing him prominently on the leaderboard.

John Catlin from the United States, who wrapped up the Asian Tour Order of Merit title last week, also returned a 68. He is in second place on the rankings and one of a wealth of players who can take that title and secure a place on next year’s LIV Golf League as the winner this week will earn 1,000 points.

Defending champion Abraham Ancer from Mexico was another to shoot 68.

Leading Round One Scores

(7,411 Yards, Par 71)

C. Wei-Lun (Chinese Taipei) 64.

S. Kaewkanjana (Thai) 64.

Y. Jang (Korea) 65.

J. Niemann (Chile) 65.

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