Hong Kong Golf Open History
Lu, Thomson and Ollie Make Marks in Hong Kong History
For almost 50 years the UBS Hong Kong Open has brought elite golf to one of the world’s most dynamic cities, one known for its spectacular skyline and vibrant lifestyle.
In a part of the world where golf’s relative lack of history is belied by its recent growth in popularity, the tradition and heritage of the tournament – the third-eldest golf tournament in the region and the longest-running sporting event in Hong Kong – is unique.
The Hong Kong Golf Open was established in 1959, played then – as it has been every year since – at the Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling. That tournament was won by Chinese Taipei’s Lu Liang-huan, who, 12 years later, wearing a bright blue pork pie hat, a nickname of ‘Mr Lu’ and cheery grin, would shock the golfing world by very nearly defeating Lee Trevino at the Open at Royal Birkdale. Lu would add another Hong Kong title in 1974.
Peter Thomson, the five-time Open champion, a player who took it upon himself to get behind golf in Asia at a time when travel in the region was a difficult challenge, was one of event’s biggest supporters in the early days.
He went on to pocket three titles in the 1960s, the first of some eight players to have won both a Major championship and the Hong Kong Open. Another Chinese Taipei player, Hsieh Yung-yo, the back-to-back champion in 1963-1964, has posted four victories to be the most prolific champion in the event’s history.
From those early days, though, the UBS Hong Kong Open moved very much into the big time. Dual Open champion Greg Norman is another multiple winner, while also having seen their names etched on the tournament trophy are Major winners such as Ian Woosnam, Tom Watson, Bernhard Langer and Jose Maria Olazábal.
In 2001, the year of Olazábal’s victory, another significant milestone was achieved when the event was joint-sanctioned by the Asian and European Tours for the first time. In 2005, Colin Montgomerie recorded a popular victory on his first professional visit to the event after James Kingston suffered heartbreak at the notorious 18th hole at Fanling.
Still one of just a handful of tournaments of such history to have been played continuously at a single venue, the US Masters at Augusta National is another, the UBS Hong Kong Open will be played from November 15-18 this year, a spectacular time of year in the southern Chinese autumn.
More than 130 of the world’s best players will gather to compete for a prize fund that has been raised to US$2.25 million in 2007. However, competition will be tougher than ever in the battle for the record prize purse, with a slew of the best players from the Asian and European Tours once again vying for this famous title.