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Entrepreneurial
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Alex Jenkins talks to James Stewart, the Hong Kong professional who boasts a flourishing off-course business
ames Stewart, who will tee it up at the UBS Hong Kong Open after coming through the rigours of the qualifying tournament (see page 48), is no stranger to Hong Kong’s oldest professional sporting event. He played the event for 10 straight years (between 1999 and 2008) and stunned the Fanling galleries in 2001, the first year the tournament was sanctioned by the European Tour, by firing a brilliant 65 on the first day to find his name at the top of the leader board. Indeed, as a long-time member of the Hong Kong Golf Club, there can be few people who know the Composite Course better. This time, however, will be different for the 37-year-old.
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Daniel Wong
Alex Jenkins
James Stewart, SkyCity Nine Eagles Golf Course, September 2012; en route to winning last month’s qualfying event for the UBS Hong Kong Open (opposite)
A former Asian Tour regular, Stewart enters this month’s tournament not solely as a professional golfer, but one with a flourishing business to mastermind. Since curtailing his full-time professional playing career, Stewart, who holds a business management degree from San Diego State University, has launched his own company – J Stewart Golf, suppliers of bespoke golf products. And such has been its success over the past few years that the company is now considered one of the global market leaders in customised golf bags, boasting a wide ranging client base. “I’ll be focused on trying to do my best at the Hong Kong Open,” says Stewart, “but with business the way it is, especially at this time of the year, I’m going to have to keep an eye on what’s going on in the office. It’s a nice problem to have.” Stewart, who played college golf against the likes of Adam Scott, Ben Crane and Charley Hoffman, spent eight years travelling the world as HK Golfer・NOV 2012
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Such has been its success over the past few years that the company is now considered one of the global market leaders in customised golf accessories, boasting a wide ranging client base.
Daniel Wong
Stewart hits his approach to the trecherous parthree 14th at the Gary Player-designed North Course at Kau Sai Chau. Stewart carded rounds of 71 and 74 to top the leader board and qualify for his 11th Hong Kong Open 72
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a touring professional and while he enjoyed those times, he says he never reached his full potential. “To be honest I was getting quite frustrated with the way I was playing and was looking for opportunities away from the golf course,” says Stewart, who represented Hong Kong alongside Derek Fung at the 2003 World Cup. That opportunity arose when he acquired a new sponsor and was looking for a company that would make him a customised golf bag bearing that company’s corporate colours and logos. Approaching a friend who had dealings with a number of factories in mainland China, Stewart discovered a niche in the market. There are countless golf product suppliers across the border but few that can effectively market themselves outside of the country. As long as he could guarantee the quality of the merchandise, Stewart felt that with the contacts he had made as a tour pro, setting up a business could be a viable venture. He’s been proved right. “I had to start from scratch,” remembers Stewart. “But after eight years on tour I had a huge contact list – whether they were CEOs of companines that I had played with at Pro-Ams, sports management firms or event organizers. The point is that the business stems directly from my playing career.” Stewart’s company now supplies customised products – from golf bags, umbrellas and caps, to holdalls, headcovers and gloves – to multinationals and smaller firms alike. “We started out with golf bags – and they’re still our best-selling item – but we’ve expanded to include a whole range of items,” says Stewart. “We’re really a one-stop shop.” Clients include Volvo, HSBC and a certain
two-time major champion, John Daly. “We have to make his bag a little out there – it needs to stand out,” Stewart laughs. Stewart acknowledges that one of his biggest advantages, aside from his own golfing expertise which counts for a great deal, is his location. Being based in Hong Kong, on the doorstep of the biggest manufacturing powerhouse in the world, is a definite boon. “Many of my clients, especially in the United States, like the fact that I’m here,” confirms Stewart. “They know I’m travelling to the factories and ensuring the quality of the products is as it should be, which is something that would be difficult to guarantee if I was based anywhere else.” Ensuring quality is Stewart’s mantra. “In my line of work you have to keep your customers happy,” he says. “The fabrics we use are vastly superior and we go to a lot of effort sourcing new materials. Even something that might seem small, like a zip on a bag, has to be of a high quality. The company’s name is my name, so getting things exactly right is very important to me. Quality is paramount.” Not that things have always been smooth sailing. “In the early days it could be quite difficult dealing with some of the factories,” he remembers. “Some would try and cut corners, which I needed to clamp down on – and quickly. But I’ve built up some excellent relationships and they know the standards I need to maintain. I’m very hands on and the challenge comes I need to find a solution if something goes wrong.” Such is Stewart’s reputation in the world of golf gear that he’s been approached by wellknown golf equipment and apparel firms with a view to handling their own production. While he will continue to supply corporations with customised merchandise for their private golf days and tournaments with their own products, the future for Stewart could well lie in taking care of business for new and established golf brands. “It’s an interesting and exciting time,” he says. “The business has been growing each and every year and I’ve developed a lot of good relationships. My goal is to become the number one bespoke golf product supplier in the world, and I think we’re on track.” As for his upcoming appearance at the Hong Kong Open, Stewart is quietly confident. “I’ve actually been playing pretty well over the past year, and my putter has started working a bit better,” says Stewart, who finished in fifth spot at the recent Yinli Hong Kong PGA Classic in Dongguan after another opening 65. “I’m not playing anywhere near the amount I used to but maybe that’s a good thing, so we’ll see. You can never really tell with golf.” For more information about J Stewart Golf visit www.jstewartgolf.com HKGOLFER.COM