Chinese Taipei's Tsai Chi-huang grabbed his second successive Omega China Tour victory, and an early birthday present, with a one-stroke victory over teenager Su Dong at the RMB 800,000 Tianjin golf championship, the penultimate event of the season.

Tsai became only the third player to win back-to-back events on the Omega China Tour, following Zhang Lianwei and Li Chao, who both achieved the feat last year.

On a nervy final day at the Yangliuqing Golf Club, Tsai, who turns 40 on Monday, closed with a one-over-par 73 for a one-over total of 289, while the 18-year-old Su shot a 76.

Hsu Mong-nan, also from Chinese Taipei, birdied the last hole for a 73 to finish third on four-over and rack up his fourth top-five result in his five Omega China Tour events this year, including victory in May's Shanghai Championship.

Tsai, a former Asian Tour regular, started the day two strokes behind but drew level at the turn after Su had racked up a bogey and a double on holes eight and nine at the tricky 7,345-yard, tree-lined championship layout.

"Earlier this month, I had my Chinese Lunar Calendar birthday on the final day of the Luxehills Golf Championship in Chengdu, which I celebrated with a trophy. Now I have an early present ahead of my 40th birthday," said the Shanghai-based Tsai, who picked up another check for RMB 150,000.

"The game all changed at the end of the front nine, when Su dropped three shots in two holes. However, his birdie on 10 showed that he's a fighter and it was still 'game on'. I think I won because I stayed with my philosophy of playing one shot at a time and being patient," he added.

At Luxehills, Tsai played all four days with 21-year-old amateur Zhang Xinjun, the halfway leader in Chengdu, and is now doubly convinced Chinese golf has a bright future. Zhang finished sixth in Tianjin on nine-over, one behind Zhou Jun and Yuan Tian.

"Both these young players are really good. Su Dong is more aggressive and Zhang is more conservative and very thoughtful, choosing when to attack. When these guys turn pro, it will be a big boost to China's professional scene," said Tsai.

The Canadian-educated Su had led after each of the first three rounds in Tianjin and started the last day two clear of Tsai, but agreed that the momentum shifted at the end of the front nine.

"It was mainly down to holes eight and nine. I birdied 10 but I fell behind again when I bogeyed 12 and 13," said Su, who only arrived in Tianjin on Wednesday after confirming his entry that day.

"Still, I'm happy because I beat all the mainland players and one of the Chinese Taipei invites. At the end of the day, I was one stroke from winning and I can tell myself that I can beat the best in China. Now, I'm looking forward to playing even better in the Omega Championship in Beijing."

Since finishing school last year, Su has split his time between Beijing and Vancouver, and this year has played all but one of the seven Omega China Tour events.

He finished third at the Kunming Championship and memorably at May's Sofitel Golf Championship in Nanjing, when he missed a short putt to join playing partners Liao Guiming and Zhang Lianwei in a play-off.

This week's event marked the Omega China Tour's first stop in Tianjin and the city's first major professional golf event since the 2004 Tianjin TEDA Open on the Asian Tour.