Hong Kong Golf Executives to do Battle on Fairways

Hong Kong, 15 Dec 2009 -

Golf-loving business executives are being given the chance to represent their company – and Hong Kong – on the world stage.

The territory is to host a leg of the World Corporate Golf Challenge – the prestigious inter-companies tournament that each year sees thousands of businessmen around the globe transfer their boardroom battles to the fairways.

The prize on offer to the winners of the Hong Kong event is an all-expenses paid trip to play in the World Final in South Africa next May.

Twenty teams – comprising four players who each have a maximum handicap of 24 – will contest the WCGC Hong Kong on Friday, 5 March 2010 at the Discovery Bay Golf Club on Lantau Island.

“Corporate golfers in Hong Kong have been crying out for a meaningful and high-profile tournament that carries a real incentive to play well,” said Simon Wait, project director of event organisers Two Up Front.

“This goes way beyond your typical corporate golf event. As well as enjoying an ultra-competitive tournament at one of the most picturesque courses in Asia, the teams will be playing for a fantastic prize – the chance to represent Hong Kong in a world tournament at an exotic location.

“Initial interest from the corporate sector is very strong and we are expecting a rush of entries from companies keen to claim bragging rights on the golf course.

“Moreover, this will be an annual event for the Hong Kong business community to look forward to and, as word spreads, we expect it to become even more popular, especially as the World Final is regularly moved to a new location.”

Previous World Finals have been held in Jamaica, Mauritius, Malaysia and Spain. The 2010 World Final – featuring teams from more than 20 countries and territories – will take place at the beautiful Fancourt and Oubaai Golf Clubs in South Africa's spectacular Garden Route region from 3-8 May.

Hong Kong-based sports PR and publishing specialists Two Up Front have secured a long-term licence to host the Hong Kong leg from the WCGC's parent company in Spain.

They are co-organising the tournament with event management company Laxton Marketing Consultants, who have offices in Hong Kong, Singapore and Dubai. The two firms have previously worked together on other high profile sporting events, including the HKFC IP Global International Soccer Sevens and the Hong Kong Tens rugby tournament.

Records Tumble in Hong Kong

From ESPNstar.com

Eight more golds were decided in the pool and seven competition records fell as China enjoyed a profitable sixth day at the East Asian Games in Hong Kong.

Li Zhesi won the 50m women's freestyle in a Games record of 24.68 seconds, Cai Li took the men's version with a best mark of 22.56 seconds and Sun Yang triumphed in the men's 400m freestyle in a record time of three minutes, 46.16 seconds.

China set a new mark in the 4x100m women's medley relay as they came home in 3:58.51 while Wang Xinyu claimed the 800m women's freestyle.

Taiwan's Cheng Wang-jun finished first in the women's 400m individual medley and set a new Games record of four minutes 40.21secs while Japan picked up two golds in the shape of Ryusuke Sakata in the men's 200m butterfly (GR 1:55.23secs) and in the 4x100m men's medley relay (GR 3:31.71secs).

China also cleaned up on the track and field as athletics made its first appearance. Of the 10 gold medals on offer, China took seven with Japan claiming two and South Korea one.

Yu Wei and Li Yanfei triumphed in the men's and women's 20km walk respectively, while Li Ling won the women's shot putt and Li Jinzhe the men's long jump.

Jiang Lan took gold in the women's 200m and Liu Qing in the 800m, while Qin Qiang won the men's javelin.

Japan's Kenji Fujimitsu captured the men's 200m crown while compatriot Ryosuke Awazu claimed the 800m and Korean Lim Eun-ji won the women's pole vault.

Taiwan picked up three more golds on the tennis court with victories in the women's singles and doubles and also the mixed doubles.

Chang Kai-chen came from a set down to beat China's Zhang Shuai in the women's singles 4-6 7-6 6-2, while Chuang Chia-jung and Hsieh Su-wei collected the doubles title with a 6-0 6-3 success over South Korean duo of Kim So-jung and Lee Jin-a.

Chuang then teamed up with Yi Chu-huan to overcome compatriots Hsieh and Lee Hsin-han 6-3 6-7 7-5 in the mixed doubles but Yi and Lee lost out to Chinese pair of Zhang Ze and Zeng Shao Xuan in the men's doubles 4-6 6-7.

Japan took gold in the men's singles as Yuichi Sugita defeated fellow Japanese competitor Tatsuma Ito 6-3 6-1. No golf in Hong Kong though.

Macau's Zhang Saholing won gold in the women's 69kg weightlifting category while Cao Lei set a new Games record in the 75kg class with a combined total of 252kg.

Chinese lifter Jiang Hairong also set a new Games record with a combined effort of 374kg in the men's 94kg competition.

Liu Xiaohui won a sprint finish to take gold in the women's individual road race while Japan won the men's team time trial in 1:38:38.34secs, nearly two and a half minutes ahead of China.

China beat Taiwan 3-1 in the women's badminton team final while Japan and Hong Kong will contest the football gold, Japan beating South Korea 2-1 and the hosts holding their nerve to beat North Korea in a penalty shootout at Hong Kong Stadium after the game had finished 1-1.

In women's hockey, China and South Korea will fight it out for the gold medal after a 6-0 victory over Taiwan and a 4-2 win over Japan respectively secured their passage.

In the men's event, Japan went top of the qualifying table on goal difference following a 20-0 rout of Macau with Kazuhiro Tsubouchi netting six goals.

We'll keep you up to date on golf in Hong Kong when the 2010 season gets underway

Yang Hong Kong Golf Master

Yang Yong Eun is hoping golf in Hong Kong’s feel-good factor can inspire a return to the form that saw him make history as Asia’s first Major winner.

The Korean star – one of the main drawcards at this week’s UBS Hong Kong Golf Open – is looking to get back to the performance level that brought about his historic PGA Championship triumph three months ago.

“It’s been quite a while since I’ve been back in Hong Kong and as always, it’s a magnificent city,” said Yang.

“It’s good to be back in the cosmopolitan world. I’ve been suffering a dip in form since my win at the PGA Championship so hopefully this week I can play well and win. That would be really nice.

“This is my ninth event since that win and I’ve been travelling almost around the world. It’s been a very tough schedule. I’m enjoying it but it’s taking a toll, so hopefully I can tolerate and work through it.

“I’ve got three events left this year including this one and if I can get a win or at least a top 10 in any of these then I’ll be really happy.

“Maybe I should take it one step at a time as it seems like everything is so rushed. I’ve got to sit back a bit and pace myself.”


Yang stunned the golf world last August by becoming Asia’s first Major winner when he fended off the challenge of world No.1 Tiger Woods to clinch the PGA Championship.

In doing so, Yang denied Woods his 15th Major success and dented the American’s previously perfect record of turning 14 third round Major leads into wins.

Yang won in style, first overturning Woods’ two shot lead and then eagling the par-four 14th hole to move in front before holding his nerve down the stretch.

The momentous victory catapulted Yang into the world spotlight and means he will be watched far more closely than on his only previous appearance in Hong Kong, when he finished almost halfway down the field in 2002.

“I still see a lot of familiar faces from the last time I was here but the field itself has grown a bit and there are more marquee players around me, but that’s because the tournament has become much bigger,” he said.

“The toughest part is probably the greens as it’s a bit tricky to read the lies.”

Yang is among an array of stars at the US$2.5 million UBS Hong Kong Open, which tees off tomorrow (Thursday) at the Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling.

Other elite players on show include world No.4 Lee Westwood and former British Open champions Mark O’Meara and Ben Curtis.

Returning to Fanling are defending champion Lin Wen Tang and the man he beat in last year’s unforgettable playoff duel, world No.17 Rory McIlroy.

The UBS Hong Kong Open – Hong Kong’s oldest professional sporting event, having started in 1959 – is once again co-sanctioned by the European and Asian Tours.

Yang was recently given honorary membership of the Asian Tour and he hopes it will inspire other players to try to match his achievements.

“It’s a great honour,” he said. “It’s been quite a while since I played on the Asian Tour and now that I’m recognised as an honorary member, it feels really good and I’m very thankful for the hospitality and treatment that I’ve been given.

“On a golf level, hopefully that honorary membership will inspire a lot of younger players to work harder as ultimately it’ll bring success and reap more benefits.”

The PGA Championship triumph gave Yang – who received a congratulatory phone call from South Korean President Lee Myung Bak – a five-year exemption on the PGA Tour and the Majors.

It was his second success of the year on US soil. In March he shot a two-under-par 68 to win the Honda Classic by one stroke over John Rollins for his first PGA Tour victory.

Yang first came to prominence in 2006 when he held off an elite field, including the impressive chasing pack of Major winners Michael Campbell, Retief Goosen and Woods, to win the Champions event in Shanghai.

It was his third victory of the year following earlier successes in Asia and Japan.

He was voted Korean PGA Tour Rookie of the Year in 1997 and, prior to winning in Shanghai, had plied his trade on the Japan Golf Tour, winning four times from 2004.

McILROY Relives Golf in Hong Kong Moment

Rory McIlroy is thrilled to be back at the UBS Hong Kong Golf Open, scene of his incredible playoff duel with Lin Wen Tang 12 months ago.

With darkness falling and the packed galleries roaring them on, the duo traded amazing recovery shots before Lin won it with a birdie at the second extra hole.

“I have great memories of playing here last year,” McIlroy, 20, told a press conference at the Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling.

“I played well to get into the playoff and then the playoff itself was incredible. It was one of the best experiences I’ve had on a golf course – the atmosphere, the shots that were played. It was getting dark so there were flashes from cameras everywhere, it was amazing.”

The best finish in the tournament’s 50-year history saw Northern Ireland’s McIlroy, Chinese Taipei’s Lin and Francesco Molinari of Italy go toe-to-toe in a three-way playoff on Hong Kongs golf Fanling’s daunting par-four 18th.

Lin looked to have blown his chances when he hooked his tee shot into woods but he staged an amazing escape, hitting his approach high over the trees to six feet from the pin for a birdie to match McIlroy as Molinari was eliminated.

Second time around it was McIlroy’s turn as he hooked a gap wedge 40 yards round a tree to the back edge of the green, only for Lin to fire his own approach to within inches of the pin for the winning birdie.

World No.17 McIlroy admitted he had relived the moment during his practice round on Tuesday. “I played the 18th again today and went over to where Lin Wen Tang hit his shot from and where I hit my shot from.


“It was brilliant, especially his as he was right in the middle of the trees and to get it up and over the trees, through a little gap and on to such a small area of the green was incredible.

“On the journey from the club to the airport afterwards I had a lot of calls and texts saying I was unlucky but it was a big positive for me. I shot 65 in the last round and any other day I would have done more than enough to win the playoff. He went birdie-birdie in the playoff and you can’t beat that.

“Even finishing second I felt very happy as I knew I couldn’t have done any more. Bittersweet memories but it was another week I got myself right in contention. This event last year got me in the top 50 in the world so it was a big event for me.”

McIlroy is currently second in the European Tour’s Race To Dubai standings with earnings of €2,352,259, trailing Lee Westwood by €52,320 with just two events remaining – the UBS Hong Kong Open, which tees off on Thursday, and next week’s Dubai World Championship.

“These two weeks are going to be very good. I love coming to Hong Kong,” said McIlroy.

“It’s my fifth year coming here – twice as an amateur and then this is my third Hong Kong Open. I love the city and the course, it is one of my favourite weeks of the year. Winning this event will take care of catching Lee, so that’s what I’m focusing on.”

World No.4 Westwood is also in the UBS Hong Kong Open line-up together Asia’s first Major winner, Yang Yong Eun, and defending champion Lin.

World No.13 Ian Poulter – recent winner of the Singapore Open – and former British Open champions Mark O’Meara and Ben Curtis are also in the field.

Before his press conference, McIlroy and Chinese No.1 Liang Wenchong conducted a golf clinic for golf in Hong Kong’s Special Olympics golf team and the Northern Irish youngster said it had been a wonderful experience.

“It puts things into perspective,” he said. “It doesn’t matter whether I win or not, I’m very fortunate to be doing what I’m doing.”

The UBS Hong Kong Golf Open – Hong Kong’s oldest professional sporting event, having started in 1959 – is once again co-sanctioned by the European and Asian Tours.

Westwood Seeks Instant Impact Golfing in Hong Kong

Lee Westwood is in Hong Kong golfing and is concentrating on victory rather than prize
money as he seeks to win the UBS Hong Kong Golf Open at his first attempt. The English ace heads the European Tour’s Race To Dubai with season earnings of €2,404,579 – a lead of €52,320 over Rory McIlroy with just two tournaments remaining.

But Westwood is determined not to let that enter his mind as he makes his golf in Hong Kong debut. “I’m not thinking about the money list this week, I’m thinking more about the UBS Hong Kong Open as it is a very old and prestigious tournament and one I’ve never won,” he said.

“I’d like to win all the titles I haven’t won before, in fact all the tournaments I play, although it doesn’t work that way. But the goal is to win this week.” Westwood is one of the title favourites for the US$2.5 million UBS Hong Kong Open, which tees off this Thursday at the Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling.

As world No.4, he is the highest ranked player to appear in the historic tournament since the Official World Golf Ranking system was introduced in 1986. Westwood has enjoyed plenty of success in Asia with victories in Japan, Malaysia and Macau and would love to add Hong Kong to his list.


“I’m obviously looking forward to my first appearance here,” he said. “I’ve been to Hong Kong a couple of times before, just flying through, but this will be the first time playing golf here so I’ll be interested tomorrow morning to see what the course is like and get to know it a little bit.

“I had things to do yesterday and today so tomorrow I’ll play the pro-am and get to know the course, although I’ve watched the tournament on TV over the years.

“It’s very tight and tree-lined but it’s the same as most other courses we play in that if you hit it straight, get it in position and hole a few putts, you generally do well.”

Westwood is delighted to be playing some of the best golf of his career and said getting back to No.4 in the world gave him particular pleasure.

A dip in form in 2001-02 saw him slip down the world rankings and it was a long road back to the top for the Ryder Cup star. He capped his resurgence with victory in last month’s Portugal Masters, his 19th European Tour title.

“My previous highest world ranking was fourth in 2000 so to come through a slump and get back to fourth again means a lot, probably more than anything else I’ve done this year,” he said.

“You look at some people who go through a slump and you don’t see them again, they just drift away. So it says something about my mentality.

“It’s a long way back when you’ve been very successful and then can’t do it to the standard you want. It’s a grind to keep going out on the range and not seeing any improvement and gradually working your way back.”

World No.17 McIlroy – runner-up in the UBS Hong Kong Golf Open last year – is also in this week’s line-up together with Asia’s first Major winner, Yang Yong Eun, and world No.13 Ian Poulter, the recent winner of the Singapore Open.

Former British Open champions Mark O’Meara and Ben Curtis are making their debuts in the tournament while last year’s winner, Lin Wen Tang of Chinese Taipei, is back to defend his crown.

The UBS Hong Kong Open – Hong Kong’s oldest professional golf sporting event, having started in 1959 – is once again co-sanctioned by the European and Asian Tours.

Lin Ready to Golf in Hong Kong

Hong Kong Open winner Lin Wen-tang, the defending UBS Golf Hong Kong Open champion, is ready to sparkle again - despite the presence of several of the world's marquee names in this week's field. Exactly 12 months ago, the five-time Asian Tour winner claimed the biggest win of his career when he defeated Northern Ireland teenager Rory McIlroy in a thrilling play-off in this selfsame event of golf in Hong Kong.

After that win at the Hong Kong Golf Club, Lin went on to enjoy further success when he won his fifth Asian Tour title at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters last month - and it wasn't the last time he made headlines, either. Last week the Chinese Taipei star charged into the lead midway through the second round against a star-studded field in the HSBC Champions in Shanghai and a fortnight ago his name once again featured among the front runners at the Singapore Open..

"The field this week at Hong Kong Golf Club is very strong," he admitted yesterday,"but I'm playing well and I'm glad to be back golfing in Hong Kong to defend my title again," said Lin.


Besides having to contend with McIlroy, who made up for his near miss last year by claiming his breakthrough European victory at the Dubai Desert Classic in February, Lin will have to edge past a world-class field that boosts the likes of world number four, Lee Westwood of England and newly honoured Asian Tour honorary member, YE Yang, Korea's reigning PGA Champion.

"I do not want to give myself too much pressure by thinking of winning the title again, but this place has given me many wonderful memories and I hope it'll continue to do so again this week," he said.

The father of two took a four-month break from golf in the middle of the year to spend quality time with his family and it seems to be paying off for he is enjoying an exciting resurgent in form.

"The constant demands of traveling and being away from my family took a toll on me and I decided to take a break from golf for a while especially since I have such a young family," said Lin.

"That time spent with my family was the best I've had since I became a professional golfer. It's tough to be constantly away from your family if you are professional, but I'm grateful to have a very supportive and understanding wife," added Lin.

In the meantime Westwood, who will be making his first appearance in Hong Kong, has promised a strong performance he hopes will see him win the title in his first attempt here.

"I'm obviously looking forward to making my first appearance in the UBS Hong Kong Open. I have watched it on TV over the years and the course here is very tight and tree-lined," said Westwood who currently leads the Race to Dubai.

"I'm not thinking about the money list this week, but thinking more about the UBS Hong Kong Open as it is a very old and prestigious tournament and one I've never won. I would like to win all the titles I've not won before so the goal is to win this week," Westwood said.

McIlroy, however, could well be the wrecker of Westwood's plans - and not because he is determined to make up for the heartbreak of last year when he narrowly lost to Lin, but also because he .believes that he is peaking at the right time and is a better golfer that he was last year. .

"A year on, I feel every day I wake up is a day to learn something new. I feel I need to keep doing that. I am still the same person but my results have been better this year," McIlroy said on Tuesday..

"Experience counts. You can look back and learn from your mistakes. It is a huge factor in golf. Experiences on the course make you learn about your game and yourself," McIlroy added.

Hong Kong Golf Amateur to Plat at Fanling

Daniel Nisbet fired a peerless final round six-under 66 to win the Hong Kong Amateur Golf Championship by two strokes at Discovery Bay Golf Club in Hong Kong. Nisbet finished the championship with a 72-hole total of eight-under 280, with rounds of 72-74-68-66, while Mhark Fernando, the reigning national champion, finished runner-up at 6-under-par.

Nisbet’s victory automatically gives the Queenslander a start in this week’s UBS Hong Kong Open at the Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling. “I’m still trying to fully come to grips about playing this week in the Hong Kong Open,” said the 19-year-old this morning as he was preparing for his first practice run in the co-sanctioned European and Asian Tour event.

“My Hong Kong golf game is strong at present and I’m just looking forward to gaining the experience from playing these professional events.” The win with Hong Kong Amateur also moved Nisbet inside the world’s top-10 amateur ranking to become Australia’s highest ranked world amateur at 9, and has two Australians currently inside that mark with Matt Jager right on the bubble at 10.

“With so many great amateur players coming through in Australia, it’s a real honour to be leading the way,” remarked Nisbet. Nisbet is at the next phase of his development as a player having moved on from the junior ranks where he won virtually everything there was to win. Starts in main professional tour events in the immediate future will do no damage to this.

“To get to that next level you have to experience what it is like to compete on the main tour,” says Nisbet. “That was the plan to come to Asia and play in these events where the opportunities are. You have to plan you schedule around trying to get starts in the bigger events and that may mean going outside Australia.”

This week’s UBS Hong Kong Golf Open is certainly shaping up to be one of the bigger events this year in Asia. Major winners Mark O’Meara and Ben Curtis have been added to what the promotors are describing as the strongest field ever assembled for the US$2.5 million event, that’s co-sanctioned by the European and Asian Tours. The field includes South African and five time PGA Tour winner, Rory Sabbatini, and reigning European Tour Order of Merit champion Robert Karlsson, plus recent Hong Kong winners Colin Montgomerie and Miguel Angel Jiménez.

“It’s been such a buzz over the last few days,” says Nisbet about playing golf in Hong Kong. “Having coming from Queensland has certainly help me here in Asia, as the greens and courses are similar to back home. It’s starting to sink in now about playing this event [UBS Hong Kong Open] and it is going to be amazing stepping up to the tee this Thursday.”

Despite Nisbet’s relative young age he has the capacity to adapt to the variances associated with top level golf. This is reflective by his recent achievements over the last twelve months, a period which was effectively Nisbet’s first full year out of the junior ranks.

Last season in Australia, Nisbet was simply unstoppable claiming his fourth major amateur title in as many starts after winning the Keperra Bowl in May. He created history with the longest winning major Australian amateur title streak, with winning the Golf SA Amateur Classic at Royal Adelaide in April, the Queensland Men’s Amateur Stroke and the Queensland Men’s Amateur the next month.

Nisbet then headed to the UK and US last June with game and poise, ready to make his mark on the world amateur stage. Three bogeys over the last nine holes at the St Andrews Links Trophy in June cost Nisbet a shot at claiming that championship title, as he finished in a tie for 4th position at 1-over-par and three behind eventual winner, Ireland’s Alan Dunbar.

During his US campaign Nisbet was again unlucky at the Sharlee Players Championship after a costly double bogey during the final round on the 379 yard, par 4 16th at Sahalee Country Club. He’d led the field for the best part of the day, yet the mistake on the 16th resulted him him falling a stroke short from eventual winner Canadian, Nick Taylor.

The 2009 Hong Kong Amateur title goes down as Nisbet’s first major international amateur victory and there are sure to be more to follow. At just 19-years-of age, Nisbet has time on his side to move into the game and make his mark.

“It’s a bit of a relief to finally get that international victory under my belt,” he says.

“I’ve come close twice now and it’s even a bigger thrill to get a start at the Hong Kong Open. I keep learning new things each day, all the practice I’ve done in Melbourne and working with my coach, Ian, has paid off and what has got me here.”

This week Nisbet plans to soak in the atmosphere, play the best he can and draw from the whole experience that is professional tour events.

“Hopefully, I can put a few good numbers on the board and that might open up a few more doors for me,” says Nisbet.

“That’s all that I want to achieve, to set up my career for next year.”

Players of Nisbet’s calibre make you ponder about their pathway ahead and what will come of them. Whilst it is dangerous to make predictions as to grandeur and what might follow, Nisbet’s achievements in a space of a short time are impressive.

Nisbet brings game and form way beyond his teenage years and it’s exciting to follow one of Australia’s most promising prospects as he makes his mark on the international golfing stage. Watch him play golf in Hong Kong at the UBS Hong Kong Golf Open

Anirban Lahiri gets call-up for Hong Kong Golf Open

IANS 9 November 2009, 06:30pm IST

NEW DELHI: Soon after young golfer Anirban Lahiri won his second professional title at the BILT Open on Sunday, he received a call that he has found a berth in the UBS Hong Kong Open.

Lahiri, who is counted in the group of promising youngsters to hit the Asian golf scene in the last one year or so and received a similar late call for Singapore Open last year, was overjoyed at the Hong Kong call-up.

"This is indeed a bonus, getting a berth into the Hong Kong golf Open, which is joint-sanctioned," said Lahiri, while leaving for golf in Hong Kong on Sunday. This is Lahiri's first joint-sanctioned event since Singapore Open last year.

"I am in good form right now, with the Hero Honda Indian Open third place and the BILT Open win, so getting a chance to play a big event is indeed welcome. I am looking forward to it."

The 22-year-old Lahiri turned professional in 2007 after six wins in amateur golf between 2006 and 2007. This is his first full season this year after coming through the Asian Tour Q-School, where he was tied 33rd and earned the card right on the line, as 40 players earned the playing rights and meaning he can play golf in Hong Kong more.

After a couple of modest finishes, he tied for fourth at Black Mountain Masters in Thailand. Then he had a ninth place in Queen's Cup, but it was at the Hero Honda Indian Open last month, where he tied for third that he secured his card for 2010. He followed that up with a ninth place in Iskandar Johor Open the week after Indian Open.


In between Lahiri won the PGTI event in Panchkula for his maiden professional title and then followed that up with another win in BILT Open, the richest ever event on Indian domestic Tour.

"After finishing second in BILT Open behind Jyoti and tying with Jeev, gave me a lot of confidence. But it was after the win in Panchkula that got the monkey off my back," said the Eagleton pro Lahiri, who learnt much of his golf in Bangalore.

In 12 starts Lahiri has earned $125,908 and is currently 28th on the Asian Tour Order of Merit. "After last year's Singapore Open, I have not been able to get into any joint-sanctioned events, so the Hong Kong Open ought to be a good experience," said Lahiri, who is also planning to play the Cambodian Open and the season-ending King's Cup in Thailand.

Original Article Here

More UBS Hong Kong Golf Open History

Moving with Times, But Never Forgetting the Past at the UBS Hong Kong Golf Open

Heritage dictates the status of any sporting competition and the place it occupies in the public’s heart，and that is why the UBS Hong Kong Golf Open will always be the jewel in the crown of Asian golf.

"Some Hong Kong golf tournaments that haven’t been around as long might focus on prize money as a way of making headlines, others might go out of their way to entice star players," says Hong Kong Golf Association chief executive Iain Valentine.

"Of course, the UBS Hong Kong Open has fantastic prize money and some world class golfers in the field but, most of all, it has history.The tournament has been going for almost half a century and, during that time, it has featured great players, famous shots and moments of incredible sporting drama. Other tournaments in Asia simply don’t have this kind of appeal.

"When you think that the list of past winners includes eight Major champions, including all-time greats like Peter Thomson, Greg Norman, Tom Watson and Bernhard Langer, then you can start to appreciate the tournament’s heritage."

The Hong Kong Golf Open was first staged in 1959 and has been held every year since at the magnificent Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling. The seeds were sown the year before, when HKGC member Kim Hall wrote to an Australian professional, Eric Cremin, asking if any of the Australian players due to take part in the 1959 Philippines Open would be interested in coming to Hong Kong afterwards.

Cremin enquired what money was on offer, so Hall approached the South China Morning Post and asked it to sponsor a professional tournament at Fanling. The Post agreed to put up P1,000 in prize money and the event became reality.

The inaugural tournament was captured by a young Taiwanese player, Lu Liang Huan, who secured a one-shot victory over a field that included some highly rated Australian stars.

The same player would become the HKGC’s resident professional from 1962-64 before gaining worldwide fame as the pork-pie hat-wearing “Mr Lu” who finished runner-up to Lee Trevino in the 1971 British Open. He returned to Fanling in 1974 to regain the Hong Kong Open crown.

The tournament has undergone many changes since the early days. Originally played each February, when it was at the mercy of rain, the Open switched to its current end-of-year slot in 1991.

Playing standards have risen, a trend accelerated when the European Tour began co-sanctioning the event in 2001, while prize money has soared, especially since UBS took over title sponsorship in 2005. A total of US$2.25 million is on offer this year.

Rich in tradition, yet thoroughly modern in approach, the Open continues to attract the game’s elite players, all keen to make their mark on a storied event.

As 2005 winner Colin Montgomerie stresses: “It was a real honour to see my name go on the trophy alongside some very famous names. And with the boost in prize money, UBS has really established the tournament as one of the elite events in the region.”

So welcome, everyone, to the UBS Hong Kong Open, a sporting event that moves with the times – but never forgets its past.

Turning £1,000 Into US$2.25 Million at The UBS Hong Kong Golf Open

It was back in 1958 that Hong Kong Golf Club member Kim Hall wrote to an Australian professional, Eric Cremin, asking if any of the Australian players due to take part in the 1959 Philippines Open would be interested in coming to golf in Hong Kong afterwards.

Cremin enquired what money was on offer so Hall approached the South China Morning Post and asked it to sponsor a professional tournament at Fanling. The Post agreed to put up P1,000 in prize money and the rest, as they say, is history. Since then, the Hong Kong Open has grown into one of the SAR’s biggest annual sporting events and one of the jewels in the crown of Asian and Hong Kong golf.

Hugh Staunton, a member of the HKGC since 1958 and club captain in 1999 and 2000, has watched more Hong Kong Opens than most and can recall the early years. "It was a small tournament to begin with, but it was still very exciting because it was the first professional sports event in Hong Kong," he says.

"We were very much cut off from sporting events in other parts of the world, so to be able to watch great players like Peter Thomson and Kel Nagle was a wonderful experience. They were golfing heroes.

"I remember one particular round by Nagle on the New Course when he had five twos – he made a birdie at every par three, which was quite exceptional. It was also less formal back then. Some of the pros stayed at the clubhouse and spent quite a bit of time with the members. And there were more amateurs playing."

At that inaugural Hong Kong golf tournament in 1959, the highly rated Australian contingent duly arrived, only to be eclipsed by a young Taiwanese player, Lu Liang Huan, who secured a one-shot victory. The same player would become the HKGC’s resident professional from 1962-64 before gaining worldwide fame as the pork-pie hat-wearing "Mr Lu" who finished runner-up to Lee Trevino in the 1971 British Open. He returned to Fanling in 1974 to regain the Hong Kong Golf Open crown.


Following Lu's initial success, Australians dominated the Hong Kong Open, winning seven tournaments in the 1960s, with four-time British Open champion Thomson leading the way on three occasions.

Taiwanese players won the event five times in a row in the 1970s, including two successes for Hsieh Yung Yo that took his total to four, which remains a record. The Taiwanese run was interrupted by a young Australian called Greg Norman, who won his first Hong Kong Open title in 1979 and added another four years later. Another landmark arrived in 1987 when Welshman Ian Woosnam became the first European winner.

Until this point, the Hong Kong Open had always been held in February, which left it at the mercy of the weather. Norman’s second victory came when the tournament was reduced to 36 holes due to rain and the 1990 edition, won by American Ken Green, was almost washed out. After that, it moved to its present December slot.

The winners' roster in the Nineties included Major champions Bernhard Langer and Tom Watson before another significant change in 2001 when the European Tour began co-sanctioning the Hong Kong Open. And 2005 saw a new era dawn as UBS began a four-year title sponsorship that brings with it a significant increase in prize money.

From humble beginnings – a simple letter from a member of the HKGC to an Australian professional – the Hong Kong Open now boasts global status. As Hong Kong Golf Association chief executive Iain Valentine summarises: “The UBS Hong Kong Open is one of a select few world-class sports events held annually in Hong Kong and it has a history and heritage that other golf tournaments in the region cannot match.

Prestige, tradition and location – the UBS Hong Kong Golf Open truly has it all.

Follow all the action of Golf in Hong Kong at www.golfinhongkong.com

Hong Kong Golf Qualifiers

Rahil Gangjee will be looking to end a difficult year on a high after booking his place in next month's UBS Hong Kong Golf Open. The Indian star secured one of three spots in the US$2.5 million showpiece when the international qualifying tournament was finally completed today (21 October) after being suspended on Tuesday due to bad weather at the Palm Resort Golf and Country Club in Johor, Malaysia.

Gangjee posted a five-under-par 67 in the one-round shootout and was joined on that total by Thailand's Udorn Duangdecha and Nick Redfern of England as all three secured their places in the main draw for this golf in Hong Kong event.

The Hong Kong golf bound trio finished one shot clear of South African Jbe Kruger, Thailand's Sattaya Supupramai – one of last year's successful qualifiers – and Chang Tse Peng of Chinese Taipei. Gangjee, 31, was considered one of India's rising stars when he burst on the Asian Tour scene in 2004. But he has struggled with his game in the past two years and has posted just one top-10 finish this season.

He will have his chance on the big stage again when the 2009 UBS Hong Kong Golf Open is held at the Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling from 12-15 November. The world-class field will be spearheaded by Korean ace Yang Yong Eun, who became Asia's first Major winner when he triumphed at the US PGA Championship in August.

Also in the line-up will be defending champion Lin Wen Tang of Chinese Taipei and the man he beat in last year's unforgettable playoff duel, brilliant Northern Irish youngster Rory McIlroy. The tournament – golf in Hong Kong's oldest professional sporting event, having started in 1959 – will once again be co-sanctioned by the European and Asian Tours.

Four Hong Kong golf professionals – William Fung, Lokky Lee, Chris Tang and Derek Fung – booked their UBS Hong Kong Golf Open places at last week’s domestic qualifying tournament. Stay tuned to golfinhongkong.com for all coverage of the Hong Kong Golf Open

Danny Lee and Mark Brown Hong Kong Golfers

Kiwi golfers Danny Lee and Mark Brown have resisted the urge to join world No 1 Tiger Woods at the Australian Masters in Melbourne this week and instead will contest the Hong Kong Golf Open.

Lee will be making his first appearance in Hong Kong golf after being forced out last year with what was later diagnosed as chicken pox. The Hong Kong golf tournament is a co-sanctioned Asian and European Tour event and boasts a prize fund of $US2.5 million ($NZ3.50 million), more than double on offer at the Australian Masters starting on Thursday.

Lee ended his HSBC Champions campaign in Shanghai today with a final round 74 for a disappointing seven-over tally of 295. Brown was more upbeat after seizing back-to-back birdies mid-round in a four-under 68 to finish in a tie for 31st on 284, 13 shots behind the winner, American Phil Mickelson.

It marked his lowest closing display all season, and was only the fourth occasion in 13 events, when he has played all four days, that he has broken 70.


He recorded five birdies, and just one bogey at his second hole, before ending with seven successive pars.

"It's nice to end the week with my lowest round but it's stupid to say, because I have been playing better than some of the scores I've been shooting," Brown said. "But finally I've had a week here in Shanghai where I have played half-decent for once." Brown had qualified for the event due to his high placing on the 2008-09 Australasian Order of Merit and he will head to Hong Kong for his last event of the season.

"It was a real bonus getting into this Shanghai event especially after the year I've had because I really don't deserve to be here," Brown said bluntly. "However I played here last year so I knew the course pretty well and that has been a great help. "But over the past month, golf has been really challenging and my scores have been awful but I feel as though it is starting to all turn around.

"Then you never know, a decent result in Hong Kong golf next week could turn it into a pretty decent year."

Full coverage of the Hong Kong Golf Open at www.golfinhongkong.com

Open Champs to Golf in Hong Kong

Former Major winners Mark O'Meara and Ben Curtis have been added to the strongest field ever assembled for the UBS Hong Kong Golf Open. The American duo - both former Open Championship winners - will be making their debuts in the US$2.5 million showpiece.

They are joined by South African ace Rory Sabbatini - who has five PGA Tour titles to his name - and reigning European Tour Order of Merit champion Robert Karlsson, plus recent Hong Kong winners Colin Montgomerie and Miguel Angel Jiménez. "It is, far and away, the best field ever seen in Hong Kong," said Martin Capstick, managing director of the tournament promoter, Parallel Media Group who have a heavy presence in Hong Kong golf.

"The latest player confirmations, together with those already unveiled, mean we have 14 of the world's top 50 according to the Official World Golf Ranking, which is unprecedented. "We have 40 of the leading 60 players in the European Tour's Race To Dubai - including four of the top six - and all the top 10 in the Asian Tour's Order of Merit."

The latest players to be announced join a star-studded line-up that already includes world No.4 Paul Casey, world No.5 Lee Westwood - the current Race To Dubai leader - and Asia's first Major winner, Yang Yong Eun. The 2009 UBS Hong Kong Golf Open will be staged at the Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling from 12-15 November.

O'Meara has 16 PGA Tour victories to his name and enjoyed an incredible year in 1998 when he won both the Masters Tournament and the Open Championship and then beat his close friend Tiger Woods in the final of the World Match Play. Aside from his Open triumph, achieved at Royal Birkdale in Lancashire, he has three other European Tour titles to his name, the last being the Dubai Desert Classic in 2004.

"Over my career, I have always prided myself on playing all over the world, so to finally make my debut in the UBS Hong Kong Open is very special," said O'Meara. "I have heard from a number of my friends on Tour how great the tournament is and, since I already love the city of Hong Kong, I'm very excited about the week.

"I'm also going to try my hardest to get an American name back on that trophy - I understand the last US player to win was 14 years ago, so I'll be shooting to change that!" Curtis astonished the golf world in 2003 when, as a virtual unknown, he won the Open at Royal St George's in Kent - so becoming the first player since Francis Ouimet at the 1913 US Open to win a Major at his first attempt.

He also jumped from 396th to 35th in the Official World Golf Ranking, the biggest single leap since the ranking system began in 1986. Since then he has consolidated his status as an elite player with two victories on the PGA Tour and was a member of the United States' victorious Ryder Cup team last year.

"I am delighted to be making my debut in November at the UBS Hong Kong Open," said Curtis. "As a member of the European Tour, I have always enjoyed competing in the great events around the world, and I know the history of this event is very strong.

"All you have to do is take a look at the strength of the field which UBS has assembled this year to know how respected this tournament is. "And its place on the schedule is very important as well, with this being the final chance to qualify for the Dubai World Championship. I need to make up some ground on that list so I'm looking forward to a great week at the UBS.

"I'm sure the golf fans in Hong Kong will enjoy some fantastic golf during the week."
Other stars confirmed for the UBS Hong Kong Golf Open include defending champion Lin Wen Tang of Chinese Taipei and the man he beat in last year's unforgettable playoff duel, brilliant Northern Irish youngster Rory McIlroy, who is currently No.18 in the world.

In addition, English ace Ian Poulter - who leapt up to world No.15 with his victory in last week's Singapore Open - and Northern Irish star Darren Clarke, a 13-time winner on the European Tour, are in the line-up. Also vying for honours will be brilliant New Zealand teenager Danny Lee, who became the youngest winner in European Tour history when, aged 18 years and 213 days, he won last February's Johnnie Walker Classic while still an amateur.

An ultra-strong Asian contingent will be led by Korean icon Yang and the man currently second to him in the continent's rankings, India's Jeev Milkha Singh, a player with three European Tour victories to his name. Also confirmed are Thai ace Thongchai Jaidee, who leads the Asian Tour's Order of Merit with earnings of US$937,658, and Chinese No.1 Liang Wenchong, presently second in the money list and runner-up to Poulter in Singapore.

The UBS Hong Kong Open - Hong Kong's oldest professional sporting event, having started in 1959 - will once again be co-sanctioned by the European and Asian Tours. The tournament has been won by nine Major champions: Peter Thomson, Kel Nagle, Orville Moody, Greg Norman, Ian Woosnam, Bernhard Langer, Tom Watson, José María Olazábal and Padraig Harrington.

This year's UBS Hong Kong Golf Open is the penultimate ranking event on the European Tour schedule, taking place a week before the season-ending Dubai World Championship. With only the top 60 golfers on the European Tour money list eligible to play in Dubai, the Hong Kong event has assumed even greater significance with players scrambling to secure their spot in the season finale.

The Hong Kong golf Open is the third-last event counting towards the Order of Merit on the 2009 Asian Tour calendar. Come back for more news on the Hong Kong Golf Open at Golfinhongkong.com

Hong Kong Golf Sensation

http://www.thesun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/2702402/Tiger-Woods-could-be-set-to-battle-it-out-with-a-15-year-old.html

TIGER WOODS could be set to battle it out with a 15-year-old kid at next year's Masters and the 150th Open at the home of golf.

Teenage Hong Kong golf sensation Jason Hak is among the favourites to land this week's inaugural Asian Amateur stroke-play championship at China's Mission Hills.

With the title will come invites to Augusta and final qualifying for The Open at St Andrews.

Hak was just 14 when he shot two rounds of 70 at last year's Hong Kong Open to become the youngest player ever to make the cut in a European Tour event.

And golf guru David Leadbetter believes young Asians like Hak are set to dominate the sport.


Golf in Asia is on a high following South Korean Y,E. Yang's US PGA win in a head-to-head with Woods two months ago.

He is the first Asian to win a major while Chinese 17-year-old An Byeong-hun won the US Amateur crown.

Yang's countrymen, Chang-Won Han and Meen-Whee Kim are also expected to push Hak hard along with Steven Lam from Hong Kong.

The 16-year-old led qualifying for next month's Hong Kong Open by 12 shots.

Leadbetter, who coached major winners Nick Faldo, Ernie Els and Nick Price, said: "I think we are going to see the next great wave of male golfers emerging from Asia.

"I have been amazed by the technically sound swings of their young players.

"They also show a great work ethic and discipline and display a calm temperament and they always give the impression that nothing is impossible."

From GolfinHongKong.com