It didn’t feel like a formal event when the Taiwan 2026 New Year’s Golf Tournament got underway at Orchard Golf & Country Club. It felt more like friends getting together — some serious about their swings, others just happy to be back on the fairways.

That easygoing mood was set early by Ambassador Wallace Minn-Gan Chow, who delivered the welcome remarks with warmth and familiarity. A regular golfer himself, the Taiwanese envoy looked right at home among the players, many of whom he’s met not in meeting rooms, but on courses like this one.

The tournament has been around since 1983, long before it became an annual fixture of the calendar. In its early days, it was organized by a small group of Taiwanese businessmen who simply wanted to stay connected. Today, it’s handled by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO), but the spirit remains largely unchanged.

This year, 158 golfers participated, about a third of whom were Taiwanese. The shotgun start sent everyone off at once, and soon the course echoed with clean hits, light teasing, and the occasional laugh after a ball landed somewhere unexpected. Thankfully, moving the tournament from October to January — a change made last year because of bad weather — once again paid off. The skies stayed clear, and no one had to rush for cover.

Between holes, conversations flowed easily. Some talked business, others compared notes on golf gear or weekend plans. It was the kind of setting Ambassador Chow often points to when he talks about building real connections.

Now 62 and a career diplomat with overseas postings including New York, he has been in the Philippines for about two and a half years and often says Filipinos and Taiwanese get along naturally — both being friendly, hardworking, and optimistic.

While he plays golf two or three times a month, Ambassador Chow admits he’s more of a tennis person. Still, he values golf for what it offers: time, space, and unforced conversation. Those casual moments reflect his broader work promoting Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy, which sees the Philippines as a key partner in trade, agriculture, education, and people-to-people exchanges. He also often highlights the Filipino workers in Taiwan as a living link between the two societies.

As the afternoon wound down, attention shifted to the raffle table. With around 100 prizes — from cash to golf bags and equipment — cheers went up with every winning number, sometimes louder than reactions to birdies and pars.