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

10 Great Things to Do Other than Golf in Hong Kong

Golf in Hong Kong is great but what else is there to do in one of our favorite tourist destinations in Asia. Hong Kong is not just known for its wonderful shopping experience as well as modern way of living. If you are going to play golf in Hong Kong, prepare yourself for a wonderful blending of Western and Eastern cultures. Here's a list of 9 things to do other than golf in hong kong

Hong Kong Golfer Hotspot #1: Repulse Bay
So far, this is Hong Kong's most famous beach. Here, you will get to see the Chinese Pavilion that is home to statues of the traditional Chinese gods. This is also a wonderful place if you want to have a leisurely stroll and immerse yourself in Hong Kong sights and sounds.

Hong Kong Golfer Hotspot #2: Stanley Village
This is a very popular seaside village, and many tourists flock here yearly. You can find here a very trendy shopping center as well as the infamous Stanley Market where you can find lots of bargain items. This is also a good place for you to buy your souvenirs.

Hong Kong Golfer Hotspot #3: Ride the Peak Tram
This is the best way if you want to reach the area called the Peak. Once you are in the Peak Tram, prepare yourself for the dizzying sights below and enjoy the seven-minute ride to the top. If you are afraid of heights though, this ride is not for you.

Hong Kong Golfer Hotspot #4: Victoria Peak
This is where your Peak Tram ride ends. Once you reach Victoria Peak, be enthralled at the wonderful sight of the city below, especially if you visit Victoria Peak at night when Hong Kong city lights are brightly shining. You can also find excellent restaurants here, and what better way to enjoy dinner than having a beautiful sight at the same time?

Hong Kong Golfer Hotspot #5: SoHo
If you want the best of the modern world, then come to SoHo. In this place, you will surely enjoy the many international restaurants and bars that are located here as well as the shops. Be prepared for the night of your life here.


Hong Kong Golfer Hotspot #6: Ride the Ngong Ping 360
Like the Peak Tram, this is not for those who are afraid of heights, but to those who are not, then be prepared for this beautiful cable car ride towards the Giant Buddha. During this ride, you will get fabulous 360-degree views of Hong Kong's rugged terrain and the sea. The wonderful sight of the fertile valley below is truly something.

Hong Kong Golfer Hotspot #7: Lin Monastery and the Giant Buddha
Your ride on the Ngong Ping will take you to these two tourist attractions. Here, you will get the chance to visit the Po Lin Monastery and enjoy its unique structure. Plus, you will also be fascinated by the seated Giant Buddha.

Hong Kong Golfer Hotspot #8: Walk on the Wisdom Path
This is surely something that a tourist must do when in Lantau Island, Hong Kong. This is also called the Heart Sutra. Here, you will see wooden pillars where the prayers are written, and what is interesting about it is that the pillars are arranged in the infinity symbol.

Hong Kong Golfer Hotspot #9: Tai O Fishing Village
For a firsthand experience of Hong Kong culture, visit the fishing village of Tai O. You will surely become fascinated with the houses that are built on stilts along the creek. The families who live here are said to be direct descendants of the first settlers of Hong Kong and are called the Hanka People.

For more about Hong Kong visit the webs two most comprehensive sources on golf in Hong Kong: golfinhongkong.com and hongkonggolfguide.com

Young Ones Making There Mark

Nothing in golf this year will beat a 59-year-old man - Tom Watson, of course - standing over a nine-foot putt to win The Open.

Even if he did miss it and then lose the play-off.

But it has been a pretty amazing season as well for the sport's young guns and the stories just keep on coming.

The climax to the latest US Tour event in Arizona saw 20-year-old Rickie Fowler - Rick Yutaka Fowler to give him his full name - and 21-year-old Jamie Lovemark both close with 64s to get into a play-off.

Fowler was playing just his second event on the circuit as a professional and Lovemark his fourth, and although the experienced Troy Matteson got the better of them with a birdie at the second extra hole, they had made their mark.

As did 20-year-old Sam Hutsby in Europe's Castello Masters. Holing his second shot to the opening hole of the final round put the Hampshire youngster in a tie for the lead.

While his eventual eighth place was not what he was looking for at that time, the British Amateur runner-up had surely done enough to ensure he will not be called "Simon" on television any more - as was the case on more than one occasion last week.

It was only the third Tour event Hutsby had played since leaving the unpaid ranks and, like Fowler, his switch came after last month's Walker Cup.

They actually faced each other in the first-day singles at Merion and Fowler did a 7&6 demolition job en route to winning all his four games, but to his credit Hutsby came out the following day and was successful in both his games, albeit in a well-beaten Britain and Ireland team.

"It's been an incredible week to remember but a lack of experience kicked in," said Hutsby of his final round in Spain.

"Course management let me down a bit, but I was grinding so hard and top 10 was what I wanted to achieve here.

"It's massive for me and has kick-started my pro career. I'm going to Singapore now with a smile on my face and whatever happens happens.

"Qualifying school is still in the diary. I was trying to eliminate it, but that was a big ask."

Lovemark and Fowler were both on the victorious American side at Royal County Down two years ago, the former winning all his three matches and Fowler taking three points out of four - including a foursomes win over Rory McIlroy.

Fowler's pro debut on the PGA Tour the previous week saw him finish seventh and so in two starts he has already earned over half a million dollars.

That is not quite enough yet to make him exempt for next season, but he still has time to avoid the qualifying school.

"I knew I was capable of coming out and competing," he said. "But to finish tied for seventh and then tied for first... pretty quick start."

Lovemark, even with more than USD450,000 to his name now, was still not exempt from the first stage of Tour school taking place this week.

Fowler had a hole-in-one in the final round, but the shot for which Lovemark will most be remembered was something totally different.

His approach to the first play-off hole went into the lake, but the ball then hopped out again onto the bank, from where he saved par.

McIlroy remains the rising star who has made the biggest impact this year. Victory in the Dubai Desert Classic propelled him into the world's top 20, he is still there and he could yet be the youngest winner of the European money list title.

Amateur Danny Lee became the youngest ever champion on the Tour, fellow 18-year-old Ryo Ishikawa is Japan's biggest attraction and the current world number 36 and the British and American amateur championships produced their youngest-ever winners.

Italian Matteo Manassero, who a month after his victory at Formby finished 13th in The Open, will still be only 16 when he plays in The Masters next April, while Korean An Byeong-hun was 17 when he won the US Amateur.

He will be at Augusta as well, and there might even be a 15-year-old playing too.

That is because a place in the opening major of 2010 is on offer in this week's inaugural Asian amateur stroke play championship at China's Mission Hills and the field includes Hong Kong's Jason Hak, who aged 14 last December took over from Sergio Garcia as the youngest player ever to make the cut in a European Tour event.


How's this for a five-week schedule? San Francisco first, on to Portugal, Malaysia after that, then Spain, then China.

Surely only a young player would contemplate such globe-trotting towards the end of a busy season?

Wrong, 40-year-old Retief Goosen is putting himself through the marathon.

He was in America for the Presidents Cup, came sixth in the Portugal Masters and on Sunday was third in his defence of the Johor Open in Asia.

Now it's back to Europe for the Volvo World Match Play and next week he will be in Shanghai for the HSBC Champions.

Stay tuned for the Hong Kong Golf Open at Hong Kong Golf Club