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Hong Kong Golf Club Thursday 12-Sunday 15

Considering that in Hong Kong golf is a sport that mostly takes place on driving ranges, we punch above our weight when it comes to our showpiece golf tournament.
Asia doesn’t sit too far up the hierarchy of golfing allure, competing as it must with more lucrative tournaments in the US and Europe, but the Hong Kong Open is lucky enough to enjoy the distinction of being co-sanctioned by both the Asian Tour and the European Tour. Its importance is further strengthened by being the penultimate tournament in the European Tour’s Race to Dubai competition, for which the winner takes home a US$1.5 million bonus.

But it’s this year’s exceptional field of talent – the Open’s best ever – that provides the most reason for excitement. One of the biggest draws sits right atop the Race to Dubai standings: England’s Lee Westwood, once a young gun but now a seasoned tour veteran with six Ryder Cup tournaments under his belt and the world number five spot.

Perhaps even more exciting, however, is the presence of Westwood’s compatriot Paul Casey, currently ranked number four in the world and the owner of three big titles already this year: the Abu Dhabi Championship, the Shell Houston Open, and the BMW PGA Championship. Then there’s, another Englishman, Ian Poulter, fresh from winning the Singapore Open, and American heavyweights Mark O’Meara and Ben Curtis, and Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie. The supporting cast includes Asia’s first Major winner, Yang Yong Eun from South Korea, defending champion Lin Wen Tang from Taiwan, Ireland’s Darren Clarke, another Ryder Cup mainstay and 13-time winner on the European Tour, and Rory McIlroy, South Africa’s Rory Sabbatini, Sweden’s Robert Karlsson, and Spain’s Miguel Ángel Jiménez.

If you were ever looking for a chance to see top golf within our borders, this is the event to pick. Expect a cracker.

Hamish McKenzie