HK Golfer December 2010 by Times International Creation Ltd

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HK Golfer Style: Vietnam Travel, SalonQP, Arnold & Son and much more…

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE HONG KONG GOLF ASSOCIATION ISSUE 49

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DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

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Poulter Puts on Fanling Masterclass

contents

HK Golfer

Issue 49

December 2010 / January 2011

40 Features

Plus…

36 | The Captain

19 | Tee Time

John Ball talks about combining his duties as Captain of the Hong Kong Golf Club with his job as a managing director at Deutsche Bank By Mathew Scott

40 | UBS Hong Kong Open: The Power

of Belief

Ian Poulter's record-breaking performance in winning the UBS Hong Kong Open was yet another example of the Englishman's almost unmatched desire to achieve By Alex Jenkins

62 | Getting There

One year on from the car crash that sent his life spiralling out of control, Tiger Woods talks openly about his fellow professionals, the memories of his late father, Earl, and the 14-hour practice sessions that will get him back to the top By Lewine Mair

68 | Catherine Zeta-Jones

HK Golfer meets the Oscar-winning and golf clubwielding actress at the Mission Hills Star Trophy, a pro-celebrity event on China's Hainan Island Interview by Alex Jenkins

72 | The Life and Times of Ky Laffoon

HK Golfer's resident historian looks at the tragicomedic life of one of golf's greatest characters By Mak Lok-lin

82 | 6 Reasons to Love Vietnam's Golf Coast

Over the past 12 months the port city of Danang on Vietnam's central coast has been transformed into a golfing mecca following the opening of two of Southeast Asia's finest new courses By The Editors

86 | Pearl South Pacific

Thanks to a change in ownership, this once-lauded Robert Trent Jones II design, situated on the magnificent southern coast of Fiji's main island, Viti Levu, is well on the way to getting itself back on the golfing map By The Editors

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A review of SalonQP, London's most important horological event By Evan Rast

26 | Tee Time - In Review

HK Golfer investigates the unique True Moon Meteorite watch from Arnold & Son By Ariel Adams

28 | Driving Range

The Lexus LFA, which begins production this month, heralds a new chapter for the Japanese auto maker By Ben Oliver

30 | Liquid Assets

A look at the genealogy of Zinfandel and a tasting of several offerings from the Californian Ravenswood Winery, a Zinfandel specialist By Robin Lynam

32 | Spirits

The Last Drop Distillery is at it again with their latest offering – the ultra-exclusive Last Drop Cognac By John McFadden

34 | Money Matters

In this new column, we examine the advantages of setting up your own Private Trust Company By Howard Bilton

88 | HK Golf History

44 years ago, British writer George Houghton travelled across Asia and played on 50 courses around the region, including the Hong Kong Golf Club. This extract, which focuses exclusively on Fanling, is taken from chapter six of Houghton's resulting book, Golf Addict Goes East By George Houghton

On the Cover:

England's Ian Poulter Photo by Charles McLaughlin HKGOLFER.COM

HK Golfer

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE HONG KONG GOLF ASSOCIATION DEC 2010/JAN 2011 • Issue 49

Editor: Alex Jenkins email: alex.jenkins@hkgolfer.com Editorial Assistant: Joey Mok Playing Editor: Jean Van de Velde Contributing Editors: Lewine Mair, Ariel Adams, Robin Lynam, Evan Rast Published by:

TIMES INTERNATIONAL CREATION Times International Creation Limited 20/F, Central Tower 28 Queen’s Road Central Hong Kong Phone: +852 2159-9427 Fax: +852 3007-0793 Publisher: Charles McLaughlin Art Director: Mimi Cheng Office Manager: Moira Moran Accounting Manager: Christy Wong Advertising For advertising information, please contact: ads@hkgolfer.com

98 DE PA R T M E N T S 12

HK Golfer Mailbag

Divots

From the President

Around the HKGA

Club Results

Junior Golf

Instruction

Global Tournament News

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110 Final Shot

HK GOLFER is published by Times International Creation, 20/F, 28 Queen’s Road Central, Hong Kong. HK GOLFER is published bi-monthly © 2010 by Times International Creation. Published in Hong Kong. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is strictly prohibited. PRINTED IN HONG KONG. 10

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HK Golfer Mailbag Wayne’s World

I read your story on Wayne Grady, who headlined the Ageas HKPGA Championship in September, with interest. As you rightly point out, he was, for a time, one of the most consistent players in the sport and was unlucky not to have more than the one Major championship title to his credit. I truly love listening to him commentate, especially during the week of the Open Championship. His down-toearth style and insights makes him one of my favourite announcers. His Aussie sense of humour helps too, of course. Perhaps it’s time Mak Lok-lin, the doyen of HK Golfer top-10 contributors, compiled a list of the best golf commentators of all time? Paul Walters Adelaide

Marker Not So Lucky for Poulter

I was wondering if any other HK Golfer readers noticed this. Upon holing the winning putt at the UBS Hong Kong Open Ian Poulter turned to one of the many television cameras covering the action and kissed his ‘lucky’ coin, a small disc that features his children’s names which he uses to mark his ball on the green. Well, it didn’t prove to be quite so fortuitous the following week on the final green of a sudden death play-off at the Dubai World Championship. As he went to replace his ball, the ball slipped from his hand a few inches above the ground and hit the marker, flipping it over. The ensuing one-shot penalty effectively gave the title to his opponent, Robert Karlsson, ruining any chance he had of making it back-toback European Tour titles. It was a totally bizarre end to a season that has seen more than its fair share of other bizarre Rules incidents.

Editor’s reply: Fine idea, Paul. I’m with you – Grady’s commentary, in harness with the BBC duo of Peter Alliss and Ken Brown, always makes for compelling listening. There’s no doubt that golf commentary is an art and the best announcers have the ability to liven up the dullest of events. Whether you agree with him or not, Johnny Miller, a man who seemingly revels in calling out pros for their mistakes, is another who is never shy to give his opinion. Whether he has what it takes to make Mak’s list remains to be seen.

Timothy Tsang Stubbs Road Editor’s reply: Nice spot, Timothy, and you’re absolutely right: 2010 will doubtless be remembered as the year of the dreaded infringement. Apparently it’s Rule 20-1/15 that impacted Poulter. “Any accidental movement of the ball marker which occurs before or after the specific act of marking, including as a result of dropping the ball, regardless of the height from which it dropped… results in the player incurring a one stroke penalty,” said tournament referee Andy McFee. While Poulter was quick to claim the marker We Want to Hear from You! wasn’t cursed – “it was my lucky coin that I made at the start of the year; it’s going to stay lucky – Have something to say about an article in HK Golfer or the mistake potentially cost him US$567,000. a topic affecting golf in our area? Send your thoughts Poulter’s friend and rival Rory McIlroy was quick and comments to letters@hkgolfer.com. Please also to see the funny side. He tweeted: “Poults may not include your address, contact number, email and HKGA have own the Dubai world championship, but #. The winner of the best letter will receive a bottle of he could be in with a shout for [the] tiddlywinks Champagne Louis Roederer courtesy of Links Concept. world championship.” 12

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World Focus Clash of the Titans Tiger Woods and new world number one Lee Westwood warmed up for November's WGCHSBC Champions in Shanghai with a spot of Tai Chi instruction at a hotel in the city's famous Bund district. Westwood proved to be the sharper of the two players during the week as he ended up in a brilliant finalday duel with Ryder Cup teammate Francesco Molinari for the title. In the end, it was the Italian who prevailed, firing an impressive 19-underpar total to pip the Englishman by a shot. Woods, who has been winless in 2010, finished in a tie for sixth, 11 shots back. - Alex Jenkins Photo by Getty Images

Asia Focus In the Line of Fire Merapi Golf Course, north of Yogyakarta in central Java, Indonesia, suffered extensive damage following the eruption of Mount Merapi in late October. The 18-hole layout, which was designed by Thomson, Wolveridge and Perrett and sits 800 metres above sea level, looks from this satellite image to have lost seven holes to the pyroclastic flow that enveloped the courseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most northerly section. It is uncertain what the club â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s next steps will be, suffice to say they have their work cut out. Image by Digital Globe

divots

Clinical Kinnear Claims Quaich Friday 24 September saw the latest running of the Mackie Quaich, affectionately known as "Jock's Pot". The annual stableford competition is arranged by the Hong Kong St Andrew's Society and the silver quaich, a traditional Scottish drinking cup, donated by past Chieftain J.D. "Jock" Mackie is awarded to the winner. The event, held at Shek O Country Club, seemed climatically cursed having been postponed twice due to bad weather, but all was well as a field of over 20 hopefuls teed it up in glorious sunshine. Reigning champion Stewart Saunders finished fourth in a stout defence of his title, behind 2008 champion Paul Curran in second place and Charles McLaughlin in third. However, the winner's honours went to Roy Kinnear, pictured, who credited a "Seve-like" short game for his stunning 40-point haul. Roy was presented with his trophy by Jock Mackie himself, who also presented top nonScottish finisher Paul Brown with a bottle of champagne. — Faye Glasgow

Amateur Course Design Competition Unveiled If you've ever played an uninspiring course and thought you could have made a better job of the design then now's your chance. Mission Hills has announced the launch of the Fantasy Golf Hole Contest and invites amateur golf course architects to submit bold and daring conceptual plans for a par-3, 4 or 5. The winning submissions will be brought to life on the soon-to-be-constructed Icon Course at the club's Hainan complex. Outside-the-box concepts are highly encouraged; designs must also accommodate playability, construction-feasibility and other criteria. Brian Curley, lead designer of all 10 courses at Mission Hills Hainan, will lead the judging. The winner will be awarded lifetime passes to play unlimited free golf at the Icon Course he or she designed. Further details available at www.missionhillschina.com/contest/fantasygolfhole

NUMBERS GAME

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Ian Poulter's handicap when he turned pro in 1994 at the age of 18. This is in stark contrast to Sergio Garcia, who turned pro five years later at the age of 19. At the time the Spaniard was playing off plus-5. Tiger Woods is rumoured to have got down to plus-6 before joining the paid ranks. The Official World Golf Ranking of Edoardo Molinari. Only two years ago, the likeable Italian was ranked 653rd, but three European Tour wins and a notable triumph in Japan last year has seen him shoot up the standings in dramatic fashion. The first-round score of Fazel Ali Ahmad, a competitor from Afghanistan, at the Asian Games in Guangzhou last month. Fazel, one of only two Afghan golfers in the field, recorded a four-day total of 467 (179-over-par) to finish the tournament in 75th (and last) place.

“ All because I was carrying the US Open trophy that I brought to Shanghai, Singapore and on to Hong Kong, so that people could admire it.” - An unhappy Graeme McDowell after incurring an excess luggage charge by Cathay Pacific Airways. McDowell was checking in at Singapore's Changi Airport on his way to the UBS Hong Kong Open. The airline adjudged the luggage to be over his allowance and demanded an excess fee of US$300. According to McDowell, Shane Lowry, who was checking in at the same time, had a similar amount of luggage, with the exception of the US Open trophy, and paid no excess.

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CLUBHOUSE Away from the Fairways The Cartier ID One Concept Watch

 TEE TIME

Salon Sightings

Evan Rast reports on what made him tick at this year’s SalonQP CONTINUED OVERLEAF HKGOLFER.COM

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The Co-Axial Anniversary Edition was modelled after a tourbillon chronograph pocket watch that Daniels created in 1994, with a 40mm gold case and a solid silver dial guillochéd by hand and embellished with 18k gold, and featuring the watchmaker’s signature hands. Smith remarked that the watch is a “classic Daniels; and represents the seamless connection to the work George did in his prime.” The manual-winding calibre displays the hours, minutes, seconds, date and power reserve. Smith plans to produce the models in his workshop on the Isle of Man. Another true-blue British watchmaker present at the show was Arnold & Son, a company known for its marine chronometers and highly artistic complications. This year, the brand presented its Hornet History ‘James Cook’ collection, which commemorates the discoveries of the famous English explorer. The collection comes in a set of three timepieces, with hand-painted dials that represent a scene from Cook’s three most famous voyages: Landing at Botany Bay in Australia; The Discovery of Antarctica; and The Death in Hawaii. The watches are all beautifully rendered and feature different special functions, including a second time zone, mean solar time, a double disc date, and rotating GMT indicator.

hile it might be de rigueur for a watch enthusiast to show up at the major watch shows of the year – aka SIHH and BaselWorld – I have it on good authority that it is now much more hip to be around during less known, but equally worthy horological events. Exclusivity is the watchword of the industry, pun intended. So anyway, one of these shows was held in London on the second week of November. The SalonQP, organized by the publishers of Quantieme Perpetual magazine, was, for the second year, held at One Marylebone, a deconsecrated Church in northern London. The show featured 35 exhibitors, a mix of industry heavyweights, independent watchmakers and a good number of up-and-coming British names. A lot of new timepieces were displayed, and guests had a good time discovering their many functions. There was also a round of lectures and forums, and impressive attendance, which, in all, made for a successful three days of horological bonding.

Nautical themes: This unique-looking marine clock from Bremont (top) earned plaudits in London, as did Arnold & Son’s Hornet History ‘James Cook’ collection (right).

A BRITISH INVASION

The show’s London setting may have been the main factor for the good number of British participants, but we can’t ignore the fact that there has been a resurgence of watchmaking tradition in the United Kingdom these past few years. As Giles English, co-founder of Bremont, explained to me at their recent brand launch in Hong Kong, a lot of people don’t realize that many of the watchmaking greats that Swiss manufactures revere come from the UK, like Thomas Tompion, George Graham, John Harrison, and of course the living legend, George Daniels, who created Omega’s famous co-axial escapement. It was actually a collaboration with Daniels, and Isle of Man watchmaker Roger Smith, that was the domestic highlight of this year’s Salon. Guests were treated to the world premiere of the Co-Axial Anniversary Edition, a watch that features a proper English-style movement, jointly designed by Daniels and Smith, and finished to the 84-year-old watchmaker’s rigorous standards. 20

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Remarkable Richemont (clockwise from below): The Zeitwerk from A. Lange & Sohne; JaegerLeCoultre’s Master Compressor Extreme Lab; the Patrimony Calibre 2755 from Vacheron Constantin; Panerai’s PAM 339.

The sea seems to be quite an inspiration for many of the brands this year, since aviation-centred watchmaker Bremont also revealed a uniquelooking marine clock inspired by John Harrison’s original design of a ship chronometer. The brothers English have decided to pay tribute to the British inventor by creating a clock with three time zones, a 40-day power reserve, date display, 90-day chronograph, and water-resistant case. When asked about the reason for this ambitious project, Giles replied, “We wanted to display technically what we could do as a brand. We don’t do complicated watches, so I thought we could demonstrate what we could do with a ship’s clock.” And in support of the British clock and watchmaking industry, the brothers have opted to have all the components and parts of the B1 Marine Clock custom-made in the UK. And it’s not a one-off. The company plans to produce between 10 and 12 pieces per year, and each one can be made to the yachtowner’s specifications.

RICHEMONT BRANDS AT THEIR BEST

And what would a watch show be without the presence of our favourite brands from Richemont? At A. Lange & Sohne’s busy booth, pieces from what was largely its SIHH 2010 collection were presented, which included the 1815 Moonphase and the Lange 1 Tourbillon of the F.A. Lange Homage. The company's presence at the show was a confirmation of the Saxonian manufacture's popularity in the UK. In fact, a lot of the attendees were seen wearing Lange watches. The timepiece that created the biggest attraction however was the Zeitwerk, the mechanical watch with a digital-like display that uses a ground breaking in-house jumping hour mechanism that effectively earned it the L Aguille d' Or prize at last year's Grand Prix Horlogerie d' Geneve. The Cartier booth was buzzing too, mainly because it was the first time for a good number of attendees to see the Cartier concept watch, the ID One, in the flesh; or make that Niobium22

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Titanium shell. A remarkable piece set in a 46mm Ballon Bleu case and tech-mesh strap, it’s quite an eye catcher. And don’t forget the reason why this is a concept watch: the movement does not require regulation or adjustment. Ever. A feat achieved by a Zerodur hairspring; carbon crystal balance wheel, escape wheel and lever; and a shock-resistant escapement cage. The Calibre collection, Cartier’s tribute to the modern gentleman, was also available for viewing. The watch comes in an all-new case shape, perfectly sized at 42mm, and fitted with the manufacture’s first in-house automatic calibre, the MC1904. At Jaeger-LeCoultre, the star would have to be the Master Eighty Days Squellette, a perpetual calendar with eight-day power reserve, and entirely skeletonised movement. According to the brand, each component was designed to be part of the artwork that is the dial. One super complication that deserves mention is Vacheron Constantin’s Patrimony Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar Chronograph or Calibre 2755. HKGOLFER.COM

Following in the footsteps of the brand’s 250th anniversary masterpiece, the Tour de L’Ile, this watch features three sophisticated complications: a tourbiilon, the perpetual calendar and minute repeater. The watch took three years to develop, and currently holds the “Most Complicated” title in VC’s collection. The Calibre 2755 has more than 602 parts, fitted into a teeny 33.3mm diameter base. The watch also offers a lengthy 55-hour power reserve. Another hot watch from the show has to be the PAM 339 from Panerai. Released at this year's SIHH, the Radiomir Marina Militare comes in a very vintage-looking case, which is made from a unique 'Composite' material that gives it its chocolate brown shade. The special combination of ceramic and aluminum used for the case makes it harder than steel and titanium, but lighter. A great feature of the watch, aside from its edgy design, is its very lengthy power reserve of eight days (that's 192 hours!) made possible by a three-barrel movement, the inhouse P.2002/7 handwound calibre. HK Golfer・DEC 2010/JAN 2011

London calling: Innovation is the name of the game at Maurice Lacroix (Regulateur Roue Carree) and Montblanc (Metamorphosis).

WATCHMAKING INNOVATORS

And while some brands are focusing on strictly traditional forms of watchmaking, others are exploring quite interesting and modern techniques. Maurice Lacroix for instance, presented its latest addition to its Masterpiece collection, the Regulateur Roue Carree. According to brand CEO Martin Bachmann, they weren’t trying to reinvent the wheel, just redesign it. And he did mean that literally. It’s a watch with a central minutes hand and small seconds, as well as a power reserve indicator on the dial. But what is more attention grabbing is the hour display that comes in the form of a square wheel. It turns by means of unique-shaped teeth, engaged by a clover-shaped regulator that allows for it to turn, thereby showing the hour. The movement was built in-house and designed by engineer and watchmaker Michel Vermot. A week before the Salon, Montblanc had an

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elaborate shindig in Beijing celebrating the grand launch of its latest creation, the Metamorphosis. Part of the Timewalker collection, the watch is another amazing piece of innovation. Designed by Johnny Girardin and Frank Orny, who were inspired by the workings of automatons, the watch features a regulator hour hand and retrograde minute hand that transforms into a chronograph at a touch of a button. Basically, the hour regulator at 12 o’clock splits open to reveal a chronograph display, and the date wheel at 6 o’clock gives way to a minute counter. This one had me seriously dumbstruck for at least a minute, and for those who want to know more, it might be worth watching its demo video on YouTube. A N D T H ER E G OE S my hop e f u l ly captivating rundown of the notable watches from the SalonQP. Cheers London, until our next fashionable encounter.

HKGOLFER.COM

 TEE TIME - In Review

Extra Terrestrial

Ariel Adams investigates Arnold & Son's True Moon Meteorite

he origin of measuring time here on Earth is directly connected with looking at the sky. The only events which occurred with any predictability in ancient times were those in the skies. Even early civilizations looked to the heavens with curiosity, mapping out the movements they saw, and more importantly trying to predict them. The firm need and desire for accurate predictions kept many eyes celestially pointed. It is thus no coincidence that we paid particularly close attention to our closest neighbor in the sky, the moon. Paying close attention to the movements of the moon as well as the changes it experienced allowed us to create the lunar calendar. Given that lunar changing and the moon’s position in the sky seemed to occur in cycles, the concept of seasons and years began to take hold. Looking back at ancient cultures and the sophistication of their calendar systems is impressive, though understanding their motives of timing and seasonal predictability helps understand the reason for their efforts. As a nod to the incredible role that the moon played in the development of our sophisticated timing and calendar systems, we have for ages featured moon phase indication complications on our clocks and later wrist watches. 26

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No doubt there is a certain romance about having a visual indicator on one’s wrist that displays the current phase of the moon. For many people the information is quite useful, but in today’s world the complication is more honorary. At the same time, when you mix the complex and precise nature of a “true moon phase” indication system with today’s sophisticated mechanics, interesting things are possible. Just as is the case with the moon phase indicator on the Arnold & Son True Moon Meteorite watch, high-end timepieces tend to make a point out of precision. Look on the dial of most moon phase indicating watches and they will point out that the phase of the moon is 29 and a half days. In reality the phase of the moon is closer to 29 days, 12 hours, and 44 minutes. Taking in to account this extra time, the Caliber A1788 automatic movement that the True Moon Meteorite watch is based on delivers a truer level of precision – which is the basis of the name of the watch. The movement also features a unique system for indicating a very accurate depiction of the moon during waxing and waning periods. In accordance with the “true” nature of the watch, Arnold & Son uses a photorealistic image of the moon in the moon phase indicator widow. The moon phase indicator is located near the 6 o’clock position of the dial, and adjacent to it at 12 o’clock is an image of the moon. Arnold & Son likens the dial of the watch to the skies showing the intimate nature of the earth and moon’s distance to one another (though for scale purposes the earth should have been quite larger). There is also a date indicator at 3 o’clock. HKGOLFER.COM

In a steel or 18k pink gold case, the True Moon Meteorite watch is a generous 46mm wide in size. Long curved lugs help the watch be comfortable, while a curved black or brown crocodile strap integrates closely with the case. The case is water resistant to 100 meters and has a sapphire crystal over the dial. While the Arnold & Son True Moon collection of timepieces is not new, the Meteorite version is. Arnold & Son chooses rare Arizona found meteorite for the dial. This hard to acquire meteorite style comprises just 14 per cent of the meteorite available. Its beautiful crystalline structure is stained gray, and on top of it are large applied hour indicators in steel or gold. Arnold & Son always tends to use large, properly sized hands with designs based on historical navigational equipment. With the earth, moon, and sky (as represented by the meteorite) on the dial, this True Moon Meteorite watch is most suitable for horological connoisseurs and fans of larger sized more formal wrist wear.

SCORECARD Arnold & Son True Moon Meteorite Unique Meteorite dial Rare Meteorite stone from Arizona with special hatching, as hard as steel Automatic movement caliber A1788 Steel case Pink gold 18K 4N case Cambered sapphire crystal case back Diameter: 46mm Date at 3 oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;clock Patented moon phase system Quick setting of the moon Perpetual Moon cycle (independent gear system) Water-resistant to 100 feet (30 metres.) Black or Brown croco strap HK$197,800 (Steel); HK$321,900 (Gold)

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 DRIVING RANGE

A Different Breed

The Lexus LFA, which begins production this month, heralds a new chapter for the Japanese auto maker, writes Ben Oliver

ou’re somewhere near the top of fourth gear and doing 200, maybe 210kph with the rev counter just starting to flash red for the next upchange when you decide to brake for the corner. The carbon-ceramic brakes kill the speed so viciously you’re left hanging in your racing harness and can hear the huge front Bridgestones squealing in protest. No time for pity; you pull twice at the left shift-paddle. The six-speed, F1-style sequential gearbox drops back to second with a quick, sharp jolt, and the revs of the vast V10 engine slung out in front of you flick up instantly to meet the new cog. You slice into the corner with immediacy, composure and accuracy, and you’re hard on the gas again, enjoying the deep, deafening metallic howl being piped straight back into the cabin… This is not your father-in-law’s Lexus. Once, Lexus was all about obsessivecompulsive build-quality and silken refinement. Then it added a reputation for hybrid technology. And Lexus has always been refreshingly resistant to the trend for ruining a road car’s refinement by making it spuriously ‘sporty’. But then along comes the LFA. It is a proper supercar: Lexus’ first. It has a bespoke 4.8-litre v10 engine making 560bhp. Its carbon-fibre monocoque chassis means the LFA will hit 100kph in 3.7sec and has a v-max of 330kph, figures on a par with superexotic supercar rivals like the Ferrari 599 and Lamborghini Murcielago.

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But the Lexus has one figure that exceeds all its likely rivals: its price. You can get your hands on one for ¥37,500,000 including taxes (approximately US$455,000) and even then Lexus won’t recoup anywhere near what it has spent developing the LFA; only 500 will be made, with production starting this month. Profit isn’t the point, of course; this car exists to showcase its maker’s technical abilities and stretch its engineers. But the PR benefit could backfire if we expect twice the excitement of a Ferrari for twice the money. So does the LFA justify that eyewatering sticker price? Objectively, it’s not worth double the price of a Lamborghini, but for the 500 lucky enough to get one this won’t be a rational purchase; owning the ultimate Japanese supercar, and one capable – at the first attempt – of holding its own next to its aristocratic adversaries will be worth the price of admission.

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 LIQUID ASSETS

California's Favourite Grape Robin Lynam looks at the genealogy of Zinfandel and samples some very welcome offerings from the Ravenswood Winery, a Zinfandel specialist

hanks to television crime shows such as the CSI franchise just about everyone now knows t hat human beings can be unequivocally identified from tissue samples by DNA analysis. Not so widely known is that the same sort of detective work can be used to establish the identity and antecedents of a vine. The list of grapes used to make wine runs to thousands, but a fair number are actually of the same variety, or a close relation, but known under a number of different names. Thus it is with California’s signature varietal, Zinfandel. Until the 1990s when its DNA “fingerprint” was first subjected to serious scrutiny it was generally believed that it was a native north American grape. The first recorded references to it, spelled “Zinfandal” occur in Massachusetts in the 1830s, and by the late 1850s a grape called “Zeinfandell” was being cultivated in California, probably from cuttings transported from the East Coast of the United States. By the 1880s it had become the state’s dominant cultivar, popular primarily because of the high volume of juice the grapes characteristically yield. Over time it became apparent that Zinfandel could offer quality as well as quantity. It became the Californian equivalent to Australia’s Shiraz – ubiquitous and used to make both unambitious bulk wines and much more serious regionally distinctive vintages. Zinfandel was an all American grape. Except that it wasn’t. Once the lab technicians started looking at “Zin’s” DNA, and checking it against the international grape database, it emerged that Zinfandel is a close relation to the unpronounceable Croatian Crljenak Kastelanski, and more or less identical to the Italian variety Primitivo. The most popular current hypothesis as to the origin of American Zinfandel is that it was imported from Croatia. It is likely that it then made its way back across the Atlantic to Italy as Primitivo, probably after Phylloxera devastated the vineyards of Europe in the late 19th century and American rootstock was imported, although it is possible that it was Primitivo that first travelled from Italy to the United States. Either way, Zinfandel, which is now also cultivated in South Africa and Australia, found the soils of California particularly hospitable, and the Californians found the grape both generous and versatile. It is used to make White Zinfandel – actually a blush wine or rosé – and a variety of styles of red. It now accounts for more than 10 per cent of the grapes planted in California, and the state’s winemakers are proud of its heritage. None are more so than the Ravenswood Winery in Sonoma County, a Zinfandel specialist, although it also makes other wines. We at HK Golfer decided to pull the corks on a few bottles in the office one evening. Ravenswood is known for its range of single vineyard wines, each of which expresses the unique terroir of a particular patch of land in various Californian locations. For the most part Ravenswood does not own these vineyards, but has 30

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arrangements with trusted growers who supply their best fruit to the winemakers. We had three of their distinctive single vineyard Zinfandels to try, but the oenologists also make wine in other styles so we started with a 2006 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon. Like all the wines this is available from Watson’s Wine Cellar, usually for HK$188 per bottle, but currently at an offer price of HK$158. A well balanced mid-priced wine with Cabernet Sauvignon’s instantly identifiable mint and blackcurrant notes, cassis dominated the nose, and there were also hints of cherries and vanilla. A very respectable entry level Californian wine. From there it was on to the Zinfandels, each from a single vineyard with limited production. The next wine to be decanted was Ravenswood Belloni Zinfandel, 2007, from Sonoma’s Russian River Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA), which scored 94 points from Wine Enthusiast. Only 1,300 cases of this vintage were ever produced, and it is worth seeking out. Made from 78 per cent Zinfandel with 22 per cent what the winery calls “mixed blacks”, berry flavours dominate. A well balanced wine with good structure and acidity and a spicy finish, it probably has further potential for bottle development. Old Hill Single Vineyard Zinfandel, 2007, is even rarer with only 1,180 cases made, and earned 95 points from Wine Enthusiast. This complex wine goes on developing in the glass, and has a peppery quality with notes of blackberry, vanilla, coffee and mint. The wine contains 14 grape varieties, but at 75% Zinfandel remains dominant – HK$298 from Watson’s. By comparison with Old Hill and Belloni the 2007 Teldeschi Dry Creek Single Vineyard vintage was produced in relative abundance. Some 3,560 cases were made, and the wine is berry dominated with hints of tobacco and cinnamon, plums, cherries and vanilla – HK$238 from Watson’s. California is sometimes called the New World equivalent to Burgundy, in that it makes small quantities of wine from grapes grown on small parcels of land. It’s a good analogy, and these single vineyard vintages are a fair representation of what the state’s winemakers can do with its favourite grape. HKGOLFER.COM

And above all, memorable. Exclusively available in Hong Kong at

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Forgettable wines are so yesterday. For something a little bolder, pour yourself some Ravenswood. Our wines are complex, vivid, and expressive.

 SPIRITS

Special Reader Offer

A Magical Find

The ideal Christmas gift

The Last Drop Distillers filled a niche in the market with their ultra-exclusive whisky. Now they're hoping to do the same with a very special Cognac, writes James McFadden

he people who brought us The Last Drop whisky two years ago [see October/November 2010 issue of HK Golfer] have released The Last Drop Cognac, a rare brandy from two French oak casks that the purveyors say were found in an abandoned distillery hidden in the woods of France's Coganc region. "This cognac is magical," says Tom Jago, partner, The Last Drop Distillers Ltd. "It was a long, time consuming journey to locate the casks, but we feel privileged to be able to share these precious bottles with those who appreciate fine cognac." Like the Last Drop whisky, the opportunity to own a bottle of this rarest of brandies is extremely limited – only 478 bottles have been released worldwide, around 40 of which made their way to Hong Kong and are available through Crown Wine Cellars. The brandy was distilled in a wood-fired, copper still and aged in casks for 60 years. When Jago made his discovery, most of t he l iqu id had evaporated, but what remained, he says, was exceptionally aromatic and complex. "I was amazed when I assessed this cognac," says Jago. "What I tasted was at once old yet fresh. By that, I mean a perfect offer – the cognac had indeed aged, but the fresh spirit of the cognac is still very apparent. I could not be more exhilarated with the thought of sharing this with my friends and partners," he adds Jago. Just like any spirit that has been maturing for 60 years, this delicate cognac is handled with care; it is hand-bottled and sealed with wax then placed in a velvet-lined leather box which includes a Certificate 32

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Enjoy the Last Drop... before there is no more HK Golfer and Crown Wine Cellars have joined forces to offer this ultra-rare brandy at the special price of HK$23,888 (duty paid) delivered anywhere in Hong Kong. Just write to LastDrop@hkgolfer.com or call (852) 3590 4153 to reserve your bottle.

of Bottling stating the date it was bottled and the bottle number. A 50 ml miniature is included in the package, so consumers who purchase the bottle as a gift can still sample the cognac, or the bottle can be added to a collection, while the collector can still take pleasure a tasting.

Tasting notes

Old – and fresh. These words, so apparently incompatible, might summarise just what we seek in our offerings – and after much journeying, find. They perfectly describe this magical Cognac. Distilled in 1950 in one of the last of the old-fashioned alembics, and having rested for all its sixty years in French oak casks at the distillery, it has aged but not faded, remaining still amazingly youthful even in its extreme old age. The nose is refined, balanced, full of woodland scents and dried fruit. The palate is smooth and harmonious, but retains the ‘fire’ of the finest cognacs*. You find vanilla, but not too much. Astonishingly, the oak has not dominated the flavour of the fine eau-de-vie. We were forced to bottle this before its strength fell below the legal limit; it measures 41.8 per cent. Now, trapped in the glass, it will remain perfect forever, so that your children – or even their children – can share this sublime experience. – James Espey, The Last Drop Distillers Ltd. *I was staying in Cognac in 1963 and I remember one of the Hennessys saying, apropos the new style of brandy then being introduced by Christian Braastad of Courvoisier, “It’s very nice and sweet, but it lacks the essential fire of true cognac." HKGOLFER.COM

At the end of a great day... ... a sublime experience

As Jim Murray said in his Whisky Bible, “…A whisky that gives you the will to live !” We chose this as our first release because we had never tasted a distilled spirit at once so old – and so young. Only a taste can tell you how splendid it really is. And when it’s finished (which is very soon, now) there may not be anything like it for a while; it took us many years to find these 1,348 bottles, and it will be a long search for its successor. Meanwhile, we suggest you have a look at our cognac 1950, 478 bottles of which have just been released.

lastdropdistillers.com

 MONEY MATTERS

Don't Lose Control

In this new column, Howard Bilton explains the advantages of setting up your own Private Trust Company

t has been said that there are only two things in life that are certain: death and taxes, although some say death and nurses. We all need to plan against inheritance taxes. Hong Kong abolished Estate Duty some time ago but if you have assets abroad, as most of us do, then they may well be subject to estate duties overseas. Additionally, and perhaps most importantly, no responsible head of a family will leave his loved ones to sort out his estate and affairs after his death with all the cost, delays and heartaches that this involves. Just ask Nina Wong’s heirs how well that works! The delays and expenses of proving a will and obtaining probate, asset protection, considerable tax advantage during your lifetime and avoidance of estate duty on death can all be obtained by having all your valuable assets around the world held in trust. So trusts are fantastic, right? Yes they are but the disadvantage is clear in the title. The setting up of a trust involves the transfer of assets to trustees and... you have to trust them. Many potential settlors love the potential advantages of a trust but are quite naturally wary of losing control of their assets. But consider this: the alternative to a trust is a will. A will involves the appointment of executors who take possession of your assets after your death and then distribute them to your heirs. So the executors are like the trustees and the beneficiaries of the trust are like the heirs under the will. One way or another you have got to trust somebody but it’s a lot easier to get assets transferred while you're still around. You know where the assets are and can sign them over to the trustees rather than leaving executors to try and find them. Leaving everything to devolve under your will does give you the comfort of having all assets in your name during your lifetime but does leave your family with problems on your death. The assets are blocked until probate can be granted and the family are left to correspond with the executors at a time when they are most vulnerable and emotional. Far better, then, to have it all sorted out before you go. So is there a solution to having to trust these trustees? Yes there is. Under the usual trust scenario the assets are transferred to professional trustees but the alternative is to set up your own Private Trust Company (PTC). The trust company should be incorporated as a company limited by guarantee with a cascading chain of ownership through memberships rather than shareholdings. This allows for continuity of ownership and therefore administration. A guarantee company has the advantage that the membership expires on the death of the owner leaving the remaining members 34

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to carry on the good work. Most private clubs in Hong Kong are based on companies limited by guarantee and members do not have a transferable interest. The membership expires on death and can’t otherwise be transferred. The same applies with membership in a PTC. Different members of the PTC can be given different voting rights so ownership can be arranged in such a way as to give the settler the majority vote – and therefore control – during his lifetime; but on his death control passes to the spouse or younger generations as required. Any desired result can be achieved with careful structuring and thought. It is important to ensure that the PTC has sufficient substance so that it and the trust it administers cannot be attacked as a sham. One of the fundamental principles of correctly setting up a trust is that there must be a movement of assets away from the settlor to a third party. A company is a third party but it is not advisable for the settlor to be the sole member and director. The board of directors can consist of the settler, spouse or a trusted friend but they should serve alongside a professional director with trust experience giving the PTC substance and expertise. In short, whilst you lose ownership of the assets you retain the control of the company which owns them and you can be involved in the day-to-day administration of the trust assets. It would be wrong to oversimplify the various legal and practical considerations involved in setting up your own PTC but it does present another possibility which might appeal to those who have been put off trusts previously. If you care about your family, a trust is a way to show it – and now you have no excuse for not doing it. And don’t delay. You never know what is going to happen or when. Howard Bilton is a barrister, visiting Professor at Thomas Jefferson School of Law and Chairman of The Sovereign Group HKGOLFER.COM

Have your cake... and eat it! Many appreciate the substantial advantages of putting their assets into trust but dislike the loss of control this brings.Â Fortunately there is a solution. A Private Trust Company allows family members to continue to participate in decisions relating to the assets without prejudicing the trust. Make sure your affairs are in order so your family benefit from your lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard work. Leave your wealth to your family and not to the tax man. Contact us for an initial explanatory discussion. Tel: +852 2542 1177 golfer@SovereignGroup.com

SovereignGroup.com Providers of Intelligent Offshore Planning since 1987 Abu Dhabi, Bahamas, British Virgin Islands, China, Curacao, Cyprus, Denmark, Dubai, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Isle of Man, Malta, Mauritius, The Netherlands, Portugal, Seychelles, Singapore, S. Africa, Switzerland, Turks & Caicos Islands, U.K. & Uruguay.

 PROFILE

The Captain

John Ball talks to Mathew Scott about combining his duties as Captain of the Hong Kong Golf Club with his job as a managing director at Deutsche Bank

n his role as Captain of the Hong Kong Golf Club, John Ball had no finer seat in the house as Ian Poulter took the applause and the winner’s cheque following his magnificent win at the recent Hong Kong Open. But on meeting the 55-yearold you’re left certain that even without the formal duties to perform, he would have been pretty close to the final day’s action anyway. “[Golf is] truly a game for life and I'm every bit as motivated in playing and competing today as I was when starting out some 35 years ago,” says Ball, a threehandicapper, who, work permitting, is looking forward to playing in a number of senior amateur events around the region now that he’s age qualified. “I still love to practice and with technological improvements I can still just about compete with the youngsters. I don't know any other sport that provides that competitive longevity. My game is always work in progress and I still have regular lessons in the forlorn hope of improving my swing.’’ Ball’s game – like most – started with a little experimentation and with the sort of curiosity that can only come with youth. “My first swing was at around 12 years old at a family friend's house, hitting balls over the garden fence into an adjoining field,’’ says Ball, who was born and brought up in the southeastern English county of Kent. “I started playing regularly from my late teens when golf replaced cricket as my chosen sport. The cricket club I played for had a nine-hole pitch and putt course within its facilities and I soon found myself spending more time swinging a club than wielding a bat.” When work opportunities brought Ball to Hong Kong in 1986 he was happy to find that the game he loved was starting to flourish in the region. And these days, as a managing director at Deutsche Bank, is on a few occasions at least able to mix his business with his pleasure. “I wouldn't say [golf and business] go hand in hand but I do have the pleasure 36

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of playing two or three times per year with clients around the region,’’ says Ball. “Golf is such an expanding sport in Asia and many clients are new golfers, impressed when they learn that I have a low handicap. “I'm always amused and embarrassed when they say I should be a pro. Little do they know that the step up from my level to professional is immense.” Deutsche Bank has long-established links with the golfing community – internationally and locally – through such events as the annual Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston, which is part of the PGA Tour’s all-import FedEx Cup Playoffs, in September and the Swiss Open on the European Ladies Tour held each June. “Over the years we've hosted client events in Hong Kong and the region with players such as Colin Montgomerie, Jose Maria Olazabal and Cristie Kerr,’’ Ball explains. “Golf forms an important but not dominant role in the bank’s client relationship development programme.” On a more personal level, Ball says the connection he has made with the game during his time in Hong Kong has been crucial in the development of much more than what he does out on the course. “I'm very privileged to have been a member of one of the great golf clubs in the world for more than 20 years and to have been on the General Committee for nine of the past 11 years leading up to the captaincy in 2010-11,’’ he says. “I'm sure that if I hadn't become a member all those years ago I wouldn't have stayed in Hong Kong for as long as I have. HKGOLFER.COM

Ball in action during the 2009 Hong Kong Close Amateur Championship at Fanling Photo by Charles McLaughlin HKGOLFER.COM

HK Golferă&#x192;ťDEC 2010/JAN 2011

"I'm very privileged to have been a member of one of the great golf clubs in the world for more than 20 years... I'm sure that if I hadn't become a member all those years ago I wouldn't have stayed in Hong Kong for as long as I have."

Charles McLaughlin

Stellar short game (above): Ball's consistency around the greens will make him a serious contender when he starts playing senior amateur events around Asia. 38

“My social circle revolves around golf, my wife Pei Pei is on the Ladies Committee and my kids have grown up around the Club.’’ And it is from that position that Ball has witnessed the growth of the Hong Kong Open – and the development of the game both in Hong Kong and throughout China. The role the Open plays here should not be underestimated, he says. “I think I'm right in saying that the Open is the second-most important sports event in Hong Kong after the [Rugby] Sevens, especially now with the tournament's position as the penultimate event in the Race to Dubai,’’ says Ball. “Yet, I'm struck by how little connection is made in promoting Hong Kong as a destination for tourists. The event is televised throughout the world on The Golf Channel and surely there's an opportunity in their broadcasts to showcase all that Hong Kong has to offer.” All that time in Asia – and at the Hong Kong Golf Club – has brought plenty of fond memories for Ball but it is a family connection

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that first springs to mind when asked about the times that bring him the most pride. “There are probably too many memorable moments to list but my proudest moments have been in partnering my children in various competitions. Winning the Mixed Foursomes Championship with my daughter, Olivia, was very special, as was partnering my son, Andrew, when he had an albatross, the rarest of birds,’’ he says. Ball’s travels around the region have meant he has been able to enjoy some of Asia’s finest courses too. “As for courses in Asia, both the courses at Spring City in Kunming are my favorites,’’ he reveals. “The layouts, the conditioning, the slick bent grass greens and the climate stand out as better than anywhere else I've experienced in Asia. I'm due to play at Royal Melbourne early next year so maybe my course ranking for the region will change after that experience.” There has to be time found for working on his game each week and despite his impressive handicap Ball believes there is plenty of work left to do. “I play just about every weekend and I try to practice on one weekday evening if I'm in Hong Kong,’’ he says. “My strength is really my short game. I'm a good chipper and pitcher, and fairly solid on the greens. My weakness is my iron play. It's a never-ending quest to be a better ball striker.” And for inspiration, Ball looks to some of the greats – both for their play and for their poise. “Tom Watson for his standing within the game as a role model for his professionalism, integrity and continued competitiveness even at 61 years old,’’ says Ball, whose tenure as Fanling Captain comes to an end in May. “I don't know anybody who wasn't rooting for him at the 2009 Open Championship and yet in defeat the way he handled himself with such grace and humility was a great example to us all. “I also have great admiration for Padraig Harrington. He's a real gentleman and has climbed close to the pinnacle of golf as a threetime Major winner through constant hard work and determination.” In the end, while golf has brought Ball some of his life’s most cherished memories it has, he says, also helped him grow as a person – once again, both on and off the course. “Golf has taught me about determination, focus, dealing with bad breaks and never giving up,’’ says Ball. “Golf is a game built on trust and integrity, perhaps seen most recently in the professional game by the actions of Brian Davis [at the Verizon Heritage earlier this year] and Ian Poulter [at last month’s Dubai World Championship] in calling shots on themselves when in contention. Someone who cheats at golf is branded a cheat for life and there are parallels there with the reputational risks faced in business.” HKGOLFER.COM

hk open review

The Power of

Sunday spectacle: 17-year-old Matteo Manassero (above) pushed Poulter (right) all the way during the final round. 40

an Poulter is brash, cocky, supremely confident and thoroughly engaging. He's also the 2010 UBS Hong Kong Open champion and, if he's to be believed, something of a psychic. "I knew I was going to win here," said Poulter, moments after sealing the title with a tournament record total of 258 (22-under-par). "I told Graeme McDowell at the beginning of the week that I was going to win because I've been playing some really good golf recently. I felt comfortable the whole day, the way I was hitting it, "added Poulter, who scooped over US$400,000 for his 10th European Tour victory. "I was hitting it inside 12 feet at pretty much every hole out there and knew if I kept doing that I would be very tough to beat." That's for sure â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and in fairness to the now world number 10, he tweeted as much to his one million plus followers after coming close at the Singapore Open the week before.

HK Golferă&#x192;ťDEC 2010/JAN 2011

HKGOLFER.COM

Ian Poulter's record-breaking performance in winning the UBS Hong Kong Open was yet another example of the Englishman's almost unmatched desire to achieve STORY BY ALEX JENKINS PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHARLES McLAUGHLIN Additional Photography by Daniel Wong

Belief

"I knew I was going to win because I've been playing some really good golf recently... I knew I'd be hard to beat."

With Fanling's Composite Course playing a touch softer than is normally the case for the time of year – combined with the officials' insistence to allow preferred lies during the week, a decision that baffled many Hong Kong Golf Club members – Poulter put on a master class of both ball-striking and putting. His second round 60, which would have been a new course record had it not been for the said lift, clean and place rule in place, was astonishing. The word from the club's terrace, the lounging place for those in the know during the week, was effectively, "The course isn't that easy." They're right – it's not. But give one of the world's best players the ideal conditions for scoring and he'll take advantage. That much is clear. HKGOLFER.COM

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What was surprising – and what made the 2010 edition of Hong Kong's oldest professional sporting event such compelling viewing – was that the Englishman didn't run away with it. Although McDowell, who was playing with Poulter in the final group, shot himself in the foot early in the final round to fall out of contention, first Simon Dyson, the 2000 Hong Kong Open champion, and then young gun Matteo Manassero, made significant inroads into his lead. Such was the quality of golf on display, particularly by Manassero, that Poulter, who only made two bogeys the entire week – at the third and 18th of his final round – won by just the slimmest of margins. In a way it's very apt that the 34-year-old triumphed in a city that is known for rewarding those with a strong work ethic and self belief, because few in the professional game have worked harder or have more desire than Poulter. Born in Stevenage, a small town to the north of London, to working-class parents, trendsetting Poulter once earned money by working in a market selling clothes (what else?) on the weekends to help fund his golf. Unlike contemporaries Luke Donald and Paul Casey, Poulter didn't make a name for himself on the amateur circuit and turned professional with a handicap of four, becoming an assistant pro at a local course, which in England means spending more time selling Mars bars and regripping members' clubs than it does playing or practicing. At the time, Poulter earned the princely sum of HK$45 an hour.

Falling short: 2000 Hong Kong Open champion Simon Dyson (above) was left to rue a stonecold putter over the final nine holes, while Rory McIlroy (right) couldn't improve on his firstround 63 and ended the event in sixth place. 42

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HKGOLFER.COM

Top 10s: Korean-born American Anthony Kang (right), the 2009 Malaysian Open winner, found some late-season form at Fanling to place fourth; Graeme McDowell's poor start on Sunday cost him the chance of a first Hong Kong Open triumph (below).

UBS Hong Kong Open Results 1 2= 4 5 6 7= 10 44

Ian POULTER (ENG) Simon DYSON (ENG) Matteo MANASSERO (ITA) Anthony KANG (USA) Graeme McDOWELL (NIR) Rory McILROY (NIR) Jeev Milkha SINGH (IND) Jamie DONALDSON (WAL) Gareth MAYBIN (NIR) Marcus FRASER (AUS)

67 64 67 67 65 63 63 66 67 68

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60 65 63 61 65 66 67 66 67 63

64 65 67 67 63 66 66 65 68 67

67 65 62 65 68 67 67 66 61 66

258 259 259 260 261 262 263 263 263 264

$416,660 $217,135 $217,135 $125,000 $106,000 $87,500 $64,500 $64,500 $64,500 $50,000

Now, of course, he's a multi-millionaire with his own clothing line and a rack of tournament titles to his credit. What changed? According to Lee Scarbrow, who was Poulter's boss following a change of employers early in his professional career, nothing. "I've coached guys with better swings, but I've never come across anyone with more belief than Iain, said Scarbrow. "One thing about Ian – whatever he believes in, he gets." This belief – and let's not forget, more than a modicum of talent – earned Poulter a place on the European Challenge Tour in the late 1990s, where he won in – of all places – the Ivory Coast. In 2000, he earned his European Tour card after going through the rigours of qualifying school and capped the season off with victory at the Italian Open. It's been onward and upward from there. "I enter every tournament with one aim – to win," said Poulter, whose Hong Kong victory was his second of the year following his WGCAccenture Match Play win in February. "Most times I had no idea what the first prize was, I just wanted to win. I hate to lose, and I don't mind admitting it. I'm not a great golfer – my brother Danny is probably better than me – but I know how to win." And on the Sunday of the Hong Kong Open he proved precisely that. HKGOLFER.COM

The Driveable 10th

Cheeky chappy: Poulter's second-round 60 was full of highlights, including this moment on the 9th green after he made a 30-foot putt for birdie. Minutes earlier, playing partner McIlroy had holed his second shot for an eagle, and Poulter was quick to show the Ulsterman exactly what he thought of it. 46

Over the weekend the European Tour did something that has never been done before at the Hong Kong Open – they moved the 10th tee on the Composite Course up over 70 yards to encourage players into going for the green with their drives. From the standard back tee, the 10th – normally the 11th hole of the New Course – measures 367 yards and the pros traditionally play a fairway wood or hybrid to what can be considered a generous fairway followed by a wedge. For these guys, the ditch that fronts the green on this par-4 rarely comes into play (it's a different story for us amateurs of course) and the hole is deemed a good birdie chance. During the first two rounds the hole, from its regular yardage, played as the fifth easiest on the course, with a stroke average of 3.85. In moving the tee up to where the ladies usually play from, tournament director Mikael Eriksson completely changed the hole's dynamic. For those who could carry the ball 286 yards (the yardage to the front of the green), the chance of an eagle – and therefore a big move up

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the leaderboard – became a distinct possibility. Indeed, it became a reality when Graeme McDowell "absolutely nutted a driver" to within 15-feet on Saturday and then drained the putt. It was arguably the shot of the day and from a spectator point of view, the use of the forward tee added definite excitement. The change in yardage yielded expected results. The stroke average dropped to 3.64, which was the third lowest in relation to par on the course. Only the two par fives – the third and the 13th – played any easier. The 10th gave up three eagles (including McDowell's) over the weekend compared to none over the first two rounds. But while Eriksson should be applauded for the move, it shouldn't necessarily have come as a complete surprise. The driveable par-4 has become de rigueur in modern golf course architecture and there is a growing trend among the main tours to incorporate their use into tournament settings as a way of adding drama – or at least create talking points – over the course of a championship. The likelihood of seeing the same scenario next time around, therefore, would appear to be high. HKGOLFER.COM

won the MacGregor Hong Kong Ju nior Close Cha mpionship in 2009. "I need to learn to be patient and enjoy myself and not try to score as I am only playing as an amateur. "Compared to when I normally play the course, the greens were much faster. Once you got in the deep rough it's easy to get flyers. The course was also pretty firm and you couldn't get any backspin." Mizuno played both his rounds alongside Anthony Kang and had the best seat in the house as the Korean-born American fired a brilliant nine birdies in a flawless second-day 61. "He is very straight and I liked his demeanour on the course," Kang said of Mizuno. "He hit a lot of good putts that didn't fall. It's easy to get discouraged by that, but he kept his head up and he had some nice touches around the green. "At that age you're not going to have the strength to hit it too long, but that is going to come when he develops more muscle. But he has a very nice game which is exactly what you need, so I see a big future for him."

Mizuno Impresses on Open Debut

Top of the class: Shinich Mizuno (above), the only amateur in the field, celebrates a made putt during his second round of level-par 70; India's Jeev Milka Singh (right) finished as the highestplaced Asian golfer, his total of 263 earning him a share of seventh. 48

The only amateur in the field, Shinichi Mizuno, did himself proud by finishing the championship as Hong Kong's leading player. The Nagoya-born 17-year-old, a product of the Hong Kong Golf Association's junior development programme, followed up an opening round three-over 73 with a solid 70 to narrowly miss the half-way cut. "I enjoyed myself a lot," said Mizuno, a member at Discovery Bay Golf Club. "Once I got to two-under [in his second round] I was trying to get more birdies rather than trying to enjoy it. I was too much in a rush. But I'm very happy to be the top Hong Kong player." Mizuno's play was all the more impressive given that he first picked up a golf club only five years ago. He earned his berth in the elite field by earning one of the five spots on offer at the UBS Hong Kong Open qualifying tournament held at The Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Course a month earlier. "I would like to come back and play again and try and make the cut," said Mizuno, who

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HKGOLFER.COM

Open Gallery

Caddie master: Former Hong Kong international Stuart Murray, who has caddied for Nick Faldo and James Kingston in previous Hong Kong Opens, shows his ‘bag’ for the week, two-time Major champ John Daly, the way during the second round. HKGOLFER.COM

HK Golfer・DEC 2010/JAN 2011

HKPGA Championship winner C.J. Gatto. Darren Clarke comes close.

Miguel Angel Jimenez was so frustrated with his performance on the greens that he threw his putter in a rubbish bin during the second round. The flatstick was rescued by his caddie but the Spaniard, a two-time Hong Kong Open champ, failed to make the weekend cut.

Photography by Charles McLaughlin and Daniel Wong Gregory Bourdy put in a stout defence of his title.

Rory McIlroy plays a chip from a pathway behind the third green. The young maestro somehow managed to get up and down for birdie. HKGA referee Roy Lee hitches a ride with European Tour chief rules official John Paramour.

The HK Golfer advertising board drew the attention of these particularly well groomed models from Hugo Boss.

James Collins-Taylor of Montrose Fine Wines, official wine suppliers to the UBS Hong Kong Open.

Sunny skies made the terrace at Fanling an especially agreeable spot.

Shek O Country Club captain Jim Mailer and clan.

Coverage of the event was beamed all over the planet.

Ian Poulter was the star of the show on and off the course.

The UBS Long Putt Challenge kept plenty amused.

2008 winner Lin Wen-tang drew considerable support.

HK Golferă&#x192;ťDEC 2010/JAN 2011

From the President The UBS Hong Kong Open once again lived up to its billing as one of the best tournaments on the European and Asian Tour calendars with yet another close and exciting finish at Fanling. Played in truly glorious weather, the Open featured a multitude of star names – including the likes of Rory McIlroy, US Open Champion Graeme McDowell and John Daly – but it was England's Ian Poulter who emerged victorious thanks to his wonderful play over 72 holes. With the Hong Kong Golf Club's Composite Course in arguably the best shape it has even been, Poulter posted a record four-round total of 258 (22-under-par) to win by a shot from compatriot Simon Dyson and the brilliant young Italian Matteo Manassero. The large galleries that witnessed this, the 52nd edition of the tournament, which is Hong Kong's longest-running professional sports event, have never seen so many birdies and eagles. I know I haven't. It was, as ever, a fantastic four days of world-class golf. A special mention, too, to Shinichi Mizuno, the young amateur golfer who participated. Shinichi made it through

the qualifying tournament a month before the UBS Hong Kong Open and did himself and the Hong Kong Golf Association proud. With rounds of 73 and 70 he narrowly missed out on making the cut but the 17-year-old, a product of the HKGA's junior development programme, finished as the best-placed Hong Kong player. I know he relished the opportunity and I look forward to seeing him – and many other young Hong Kong golfers – playing in the event in the future. As most of you will be aware, Shinichi's peers – Jason Hak, Steven Lam, Liu Lok-tin and Mickey Chan – were competing for the Hong Kong men's team at the Asian Games in Guangzhou. A full report of how they and the ladies' team fared can be found later in this section. Finally, I would like to express my gratefulness to all the volunteers – the vast majority of who are HKGA subscribers – and spectators who gave the players such a magnificent welcome. The tournament is well known throughout professional golf for providing a wonderful atmosphere and this was definitely the case again this time. Thank you. —Ning Li President HKGA

A Decade On: The Hong Kong Seniors Golf Society Arguably the most active collection of golfers in the city, the Hong Kong Seniors Golf Society will be celebrating its 10th birthday this month after a decade that has seen tremendous growth and countless events held. Inaugurated in December 2000, the Society, which is open to Hong Kong residents over the age of 55, now has a membership approaching 500. An impressive 44 events, all of which count towards the Society's annual seniors golf trophy, have already been scheduled for the 2011 season. "We have a steady stream of golfers joining but we're always on the lookout 54

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for new members," said society c apt a i n Dav id C on nol ly, who praised secretary Barry Manchester, describing him as the "powerhouse" behind the operation. "Barry identified a number of potentially active golfers who couldn't join a club when they worked... and now that many of them have retired or work only part-time, it's difficult for them to get beyond the waiting list at Hong Kong clubs," explained Connolly. "The Society proved to be the solution for those who want and enjoy regular golf outings."

The Society's events usually take place during the week at either the Hong Kong Golf Club or The Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau, although overnight trips to courses in Guangdong province are also arranged. The Macau Golf & Country Club is also a regular tournament venue. The 2011 HKSGS subscription is $400, or $650 including Hong Kong Golf Association subscription. For more details visit www.hkseniorsgolf.com HKGOLFER.COM

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Proud sponsors of the EFG Bank Hong Kong Golf Association Junior Golf Programme.

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Hong Kong: 18th Floor, International Commerce Centre, 1 Austin Road West, Kowloon, Hong Kong, T +852 2298 3000 s Singapore: 25 North Bridge Road, #07-00 EFG Bank Building, Singapore 179104, T +65 6595 4888. Also in Bangkok, Jakarta, Manila, Seoul and Taipei. EFG Bank is part of EFG International, which operates in 55 locations in over 30 countries. www.efginternational.com

results

Around the Clubs The Hong Kong Golf Club International Cup 24 October Scotland won the International Cup played over the Old & Eden Courses with 204 points. Hong Kong was the runner-up with 196 points. HKGC V Royal Bangkok 30 October HKGC : 29½ Royal Bangkok : 14 Played over the Eden Course Gussie White Trophy – Gross Section 31 October Tim Orgill / Adam Osborn won the Gussie White Trophy Gross Section played over the Old and New Courses with 145. Anthony Taylor / Kelvin Inge were the runners-up with 149. Baffy Spoon – Nett Section 31 October Anthony Taylor / Kelvin Inge won the Baffy Spoon Nett Bogey played over the New Course with +5. Mike Grimsdick / Joe Pethes were the runners-up with all square. E J R Mitchell Cup – Gross Section 7 November Ernie Evans / Joe Pethes won the E J R Mitchell Cup Gross Section played over the Old Course with 36 points. Tim Orgill / Don Nimmo were the runners up with 33 points. E J R Mitchell Cup – Nett Section 7 November Ernie Evans / Joe Pethes won the E J R Mitchell Cup Nett Section played over the Old Course with 42 points. Terry Collins / Isamu Takamoto were the runners up with 36 points. Jasper Clark Cup 27-28 November E Saxvik won the Jasper Clark Cup played over the Old, New & Eden Courses with an aggregate score of 218. Tim Orgill was the runner up with 222. Monthly Medal – Gross Section 4 December Don Moore won the Monthly Medal Gross Section played over the New Course with 75 on a countback over the last 9 holes from Joe Pethes.

Ladies Day - Championship Trophy 18 November Winner: Roberta Tan (72) Runner-up: Rebecca Leung (73) Anniversary Cup 20-21 November Men's Section Winner: KS Lee (79 points) Runner-up: SG Kim (71 points)

Ladies Section

Winner: Runner-up:

Betty Chung (78 points) Sally Kim (77 points)

Bertie To Jr. Memorial Trophy 7 November Champion: Jay Won (70) Runner-up: William Chung (75)

Clearwater Bay Golf Club Captain's Cup 27 November Gross Winner: Stuart Gethin (77) Nett Winner: James Fung (70) Chairman's Cup 27 November Winner: Jeremy Tang (40 points) Runner-up: Denis Cheung (35) Ladies Golf Championship Winner: Sunny Kang Runner-up: Anita Chu Ladies Division 2 Championship Winner: Miki Motogui Runner-up: Linda Wang 2010 Clearwater Bay Open Winners 13 November Men's Division: Stuart Gethin (78) Ladies Division: Tiana Lau (80) Senior Division: Roger Ho (35 points)

Monthly Medal – Nett Section 4 December Joe Pethes won the Monthly Medal Nett Section played over the New Course with 72 on a countback over the last 9 holes from John Arnold. Eden Trophy – Gross Section 5 December Doug William won the Eden Trophy Gross Section played over the Eden Course with +3. Eric Saxvik was the runner up with -4. Eden Trophy – Nett Section 5 December David Wong won the Eden Trophy Nett Section played over the Eden Course with +5. Doug Williams was the runners up with +3.

Discovery Bay Golf Club

Charles McLaughlin

Club Championship 27-28 November Champion: Jay Won (149) Runner-up: BW Park (156) Best Nett: William Chung (146) Junior Championship 27-28 November Champion: SG Kim (150) Runner-up: BR Kim (158) Best Nett: KS Leong (143) 56

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Jay Won enjoyed a brilliant November at Discovery Bay, winning both the Club Championship and the Bertie To Jr. Memorial Trophy HKGOLFER.COM

hkga

Solid Showing Argentina is about as far away from Hong Kong as you can possibly get, but despite the lengthy journey the Men's and Women's national teams showed encouraging form at the recent World Amateur Team Championships

d isappointing final round took the edge off an otherwise encouraging display by Hong Kong at the World Amateur Team Championship (The E i s e n h owe r Tr o p hy) i n Argentina last month. Hong Kong, represented by Jason Hak, Steven Lam and Liu Lok-tin, finished in 35th place of the 70 nations participating at the prestigious event. But it could have been even better for the side – which was one of the youngest at the event – after they got off to a tremendous start. With two of the three individual scores counting towards the team event, Hong Kong began superbly, with Lam and Hak contributing rounds of 72 and 74 over the Buenos Aires Golf Club track on the first day, which left Hong Kong in 13th spot. Hak, who made headlines around the world in 2008 when he became the youngest ever player to make the half-way cut at a European Tour event when he achieved the feat at the UBS Hong Kong Open, claimed shot-of-the-day honours by holing his second to the par-5 second hole for that rarest of birds – an albatross two. It wasn't to be Hak's week, however, as despite carding a fantastic 71 at Olivos Golf Club on the second day, his final-round 84 pushed him down the leaderboard into a tie for 71st in the individual rankings. Liu (with a three-round total of 235, 20-over-par) and Lam (242, 27-over-par) struggled in the high winds that characterised days three and four. The third round was cancelled due to poor weather. France won the event on a total of 423, seven-under-par. "The guys were outstanding on those first 15 holes, but they struggled coming in," said national coach Brad Schadewitz. "The conditions were really challenging and we didn't get off to a good start on day two. But overall we had a very good result. Any time we – as a small golfing community – can finish in the top half of the World Amateur Championship is an outstanding effort, especially given the fact that the guys are amongst the youngest out there." In the Esprito Santo Trophy, the women's equivalent championship held the week before, HKGOLFER.COM

Non-playing captain Margaret Hamilton with Tiffany Chan, Stephanie Ho and Michelle Cheung

The men's team of Jason Hak, Steven Lam and Liu Lok-tin are flanked by captain Stuart Murray and national coach Brad Schadewitz

Hong Kong placed 41st of the 52 participating countries. Stephanie Ho found the conditions to her liking as she recorded a solid 13-over-par effort over the four rounds, while fellow teammates Tiffany Chan and Michelle Cheung, who was making her debut at the event, also played well from tee to green, but struggled a little on the firm greens. As expected, Korea blew away the field with a brilliant 30-under-par total, 17 shots ahead of the United States who placed second. "The girls – who again made up one of the youngest teams in the competition – did well, especially Stephanie who was solid throughout," said Schadewitz. "And it was a great learning experience for Michelle, who recognized that as far as ballstriking goes, she isn't far behind many of the other girls in the competition. It helped with her confidence going into the Asian Games. –Alex Jenkins HK Golfer・DEC 2010/JAN 2011

junior golf

The Road To Success

The respective backgrounds of Ian Poulter and Matteo Manassero, the top two finishers at the UBS Hong Kong Open, prove that there's more than one way to reach the top, writes David Cunningham III.

Manassero has made the transition from amateur to professional with startling ease

A Charles McLaughlin

t 34, Ian Poulter is twice the age of Matteo Manassero – and the differences don’t end there. Poulter, as is highlighted in The Power of Belief on page 40 of this issue, was no great amateur. He didn't play on any junior golf circuit or receive hours of expensive tuition. He turned pro at the age of 19 with a handicap of four. "I didn't have the chance to play full time amateur golf like some other kids because my parents couldn't afford it," is how he explains his pre-professional days. Leaving school at the age of 15 to pursue golf as a career, the Englishman became an assistant pro at a golf centre and worked his way up through various mini-tours before hitting the big time nearly 10 years later by making it on to the European Tour. Poulter's story wouldn't have been so remarkable had it happened 80 years ago when the professional tours were in their infancy. Many of the best players of the era came from humble beginnings and there was little in the way of structured competition. But in 21st century terms, it's certainly unusual. At the other end of the spectrum is Manassero, whose path to the top couldn't be more different – but to his great credit, it is no less remarkable. Before turning pro earlier this year, Manassero had already competed in seven professional events as an amateur, making an impressive six cuts. At the age of 16 he became the youngest ever winner of the British Amateur Championship, a result that gave him a berth in the Open Championship at Turnberry where he played alongside eventual runner-up Tom Watson and earned the coveted silver medal as the leading amateur. He finished the event in a tie for 13th, which, let's face it, isn't 58

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too shabby for a high school kid. Fast forward a few months and Manassero broke another record by becoming the youngest ever golfer to make the cut at the Masters. Throughout all of this he retained his position as the number one amateur in the world, a standing that only ended when he joined the paid ranks. Manassero, a close friend of the Molinari brothers, who have underscored the rise of Italian golf in recent times, then claimed his first professional win in October at the Castello Masters Costa Azahar, where he beat the field by four strokes. There was absolutely no surprise when he was awarded the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year title for 2010. What was his secret in making such a successful switch from amateur to professional? Certainly, Manssero believes the experience of playing in so many junior golf events around the world was vital to his development. "Competing in junior tournaments is just like playing professional golf," he told HK Golfer at Fanling. "You are travelling around, competing and getting used to new courses and you have to learn to adjust to ever-changing conditions." He also added that he became improved noticeably when he started competing outside of his home country, mainly because the level of competition was so much higher in other European nations. So what can local golfers learn from both Poulter and Manassero? Well, to start out, it's important to keep in mind that while they each took vastly different paths, they both worked incredibly hard to get where they are now. Their dedication and work ethic has contributed overwhelmingly to their standing as worldclass professionals. The fact that they were both introduced to golf at a young age – Poulter at four, Manassero at three – and grew up around the game is also significant. This exposure so early on in their lives helped them build solid fundamentals, which is of course key for anyone hoping to replicate their achievements. It is important for junior golfers in Hong Kong to know that they do not need to be the number one ranked player, or win every tournament, or even one junior tournament if they want to fulfill their golfing dreams. As Poulter and Manassero’s stories have shown us, there is no one route to glory. Success at a junior level does not necessarily equate to success at a professional level. Similarly, a relatively unsuccessful junior golf career does not necessarily indicate an inability to improve and compete later in life. In my opinion, the best thing that you can do is work hard, stay dedicated and see where that takes you. David Cunningham III lives in Hong Kong and writes about junior golf on his website, www.teengolfworld.com HKGOLFER.COM

hkga

HK's Asian Games Debut The final event of 2010 proved to be an excellent experience for Hong Kong's youthful international teams In the women's event the Hong Kong team of Tiffany Chan, Stephanie Ho and Michelle Cheung finished ahead of India in eighth place. Korea once again showed their remarkable prowess by emerging with a 10-shot win over China in second. Although the three teenagers weren't at their very best, coach Schadewitz was impressed with Cheung's finish. The 15-year-old fired back-to-back 78s over what proved to be a serious test of golf. "Michelle is one of our younger players who is coming through and I'm really happy with the way she fought back over the final couple of rounds," said Schadewitz. "There aren't many people who can knock it past her and this event has been a great learning experience for her." – Alex Jenkins

laying in their first Asian Games, the Hong Kong men's and women's teams put in admirable performances against their more experienced opposition. Played at the immaculate Dragon Lake Golf Club on the outskirts of Guangzhou, the men's team of Jason Hak, Steven Lam, Liu Lok-tin and Mickey Chan finished in ninth place of the 19 competing nations. Korea dominated the event. Their highly impressive 22-under-par total was 32 shots better than second-placed India. As at the World Amateur Team Championship, Hong Kong got off to a rollicking start, helped mainly by Hak's sensational five-under-par 67 on the second day, which put him in contention for a medal in the individual division. But once again, the Tsim Sha Tsui-born, Florida-based 16-year-old faltered in the latter stages, a final round 81 ruining any hopes he had of a top-10 placing. He eventually had to settle for a tie for 17th. Nevertheless, Hong Kong as a team finished strong. Liu and Chan, who had started the event in indifferent form, both carded final rounds of one-under-par 71s to earn praise from Brad Schadewitz, the national coach. "There was plenty to be pleased about," he said, "and all four of our guys did well throughout the event. Once again we got off to a good start but couldn't sustain the momentum. We had a pretty tough draw – we had early morning tee times each day, which was a bit unusual – but for our first Asian Games, it was a good effort. Jason played steady and had that excellent round, but overall there's still a few things we need to work on." 60

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First timers: Team Hong Kong, seen here with HKGA staff Ducky Tang, Michael Ip, Brad Schadewitz and women's captain Margaret Hamilton, did well on their debut appearance at the Asian Games. Stephanie Ho (below) shows off a flag bearing the Games' logo.

HKGOLFER.COM

feature

Getting There

One year on from the car crash that sent his life spiralling out of control, Tiger Woods talks openly to HK Golfer's Lewine Mair about his fellow professionals, the memories of his late father Earl, and the 14-hour practice sessions that will get him back to the top PHOTOGRAPHY BY GETTY IMAGES / AFP

iger Woods has always known when to opt for a last-minute change of club and, on this occasion, he very quickly sensed that a hug was more appropriate than a handshake. The ice broken, he answered a question as to how he was making out with a quiet assurance that he was “getting there”, while the mere mention of his children brought a light to his eye. He could not wait to say that they were flourishing. It is hardly surprising that Tiger should tread warily in his dealings with people but more and more, he is finding that there is no shortage of compassion out there. No-one, least of all the golfer himself, condones what he has done. At the same time, no-one would deny that there has been plenty to admire in the way he has faced the music – not to mention golfing world at large – over the last 12 months. This was Shanghai and Tiger was about to do a photo-shoot with Lee Westwood, Phil Mickelson and Martin Kaymer on the eve of the WGC-HSBC Champions at Sheshan Golf Club. There was a reception following the photo-shoot but, prior to that, Tiger had a bit of time on his hands in which he was happy to perch on the end of a table for a chat-cum-interview. It began with a query about Westwood, the man whom he had just congratulated on overtaking him as the world's number one ranked player. Could he remember when they first met? Tiger has always raised eyebrows with his ability to reel off the achievements of even the most unlikely souls who have popped up on one of his leader-boards and, in answering the Westwood question, it was only a matter of seconds before he came up with a confident cry of “Walker Cup, 1995.” Not too many would risk contradicting someone with his all-embracing knowledge of the game but, on this score, your correspondent was pretty certain Tiger was wrong. Yes, Lee had won an England cap, but he had never done enough in either the English championship or the Amateur to catch the eye of the Walker Cup selectors. The matter was only settled when Lee was summoned from across the room. The Englishman was quick to say that Tiger’s was an entirely understandable mistake… There was a Martin Foster who, like him, comes from the northern English town of Worksop – and he was the one who had played in the match in ’95. Moving on from the Walker Cup meeting that never happened, Tiger said he had vivid memories of how he and his old friend, Mark O’Meara, had lost to Lee and Nick Faldo on the second morning of the 1997 Ryder Cup at Valderrama. “And after that,” he continued, “I remember reading about Lee’s efforts in Japan. I think he won two Taiheiyo Masters in a row and a couple of other titles over there.” He was spot on. 62

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HKGOLFER.COM

Once dominant: Tiger will have to get used to being the world's number two ranked player, at least until the end of January when he is expected to play his first event of the 2011 PGA Tour season. Photo by AFP

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HK Golferă&#x192;ťDEC 2010/JAN 2011

Crouching Tiger: Under the tutelage of new coach Sean Foley, Woods will be looking to start the new season with a bang.

He was right, too, with his recall of the player’s fluctuating weight: “I remember how he put weight on after Valderrama before taking it all off – and I remember, too, how he saw too many coaches before shedding them… And that was when he started to put all the different pieces together. His game was always pretty darned good but there’s no question that he’s the number one in the world right now… Noone’s been more consistent than he has over the last couple of years.” Woods would agree that he and Lee had nothing more obviously in common than good golfing fathers. Since Tiger was as an only son and Westwood was an only son, both enjoyed undivided paternal attention. John Westwood and Earl Woods proffered any amount of support and, even if Earl was maybe too hooked on the limelight for his young protégé’s ultimate good , both men knew when to stand back.

"[Westwood's] game was always pretty darned good but there's no question he's the number one in the world right now... no-one's been more consistent over the last couple of years."

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Tiger proceeded to tell of how, whenever his father put him into the hands of a coach, he would take it for granted that the coach knew more than he did. “And if,” said Tiger, “I ever rang my dad to say that I didn’t like something I was being taught, he would tell me that it was my responsibility to sort it out. He was not going to do it for me. ” At that point, I suggested to Tiger that a lot of parents had misinterpreted the Earl Woods’ way. Though they had followed him in starting their offspring early, they had failed to lock into to how much it meant to Tiger that his dad had always made the game fun. Tiger nodded. “Of all the things he did for me that stands out,” he said. “It’s what made the difference – more difference than anything I’ve ever been told by anyone.” The practice sessions Tiger has today follow much the same formula as they did in his youth. If he is working on his swing, he uses a six or seven-iron while, when it comes to warming up, he opts for his eight-iron. The usual pattern of events is that all these clubs will be worn out and ready for replacement after nine months, if not earlier. What has changed is the intensity of the work Tiger does at a tournament site. “I realised very early on that all my more focused work had to

HKGOLFER.COM

"It's impossible to get down to any serious stuff at a tournament because of the distractions... what I've learned is that it's better if I keep the emphasis on staying loose and fresh."

Shanghai swing: Amazingly, the WGCHSBC Champions title still eludes the 14-time Major winner, a fact that Woods is keen to change. 66

be done at home,” he said. “It’s impossible to get down to any serious stuff at a tournament because of the distractions. Steve [Williams] does his best to get me a bit of peace and space and he gets a bad rap for it, which is unfair. But that’s the way it is… What I’ve learned is that it’s better if I keep the emphasis on staying loose and fresh.” He said he enjoys a bit of banter with his peers when they set up shop beside him on the range before adding that he misses old friends such as Mark O’Meara, Mark Calcavecchia and John Cook, all of whom have moved on to the senior arena: “We used to have so many great practice rounds together,” he said. Far more than you would think, he picks up on people’s practice ground idiosyncrasies and, by way of an illustration, he opted for the contrast between Jim Furyk and Freddie Couples. “You have Jim,” he began, “who is extremely focused and doesn’t talk to me or anyone else. And then you have Freddie, who hits one ball before standing back to talk to his caddie, Joey.”

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Tiger put Vijay Singh in the Furyk bracket in terms of hard work and could remember that day at a PGA championship when he dared to empty another bucket of balls at Singh’s feet as the Fijian was on the point of wrapping up his four-hour session and taking his small son home for supper. Singh was amused; the hungry child was anything but. So how long does Tiger spend on the range when he is back home at Isleworth? “I could be out there for anything up to 14 hours,” he said, before explaining that that time might include 36 or 54 holes of “practice play”. Yet however long the day, it will be punctuated with drinks, chats and snacks. And with fresh insights into things his late father told him. “I can’t tell you how often it happens that something he said comes back to me,” he marvelled. “It’s truly uncanny.” He suspects it has to do with the way Earl would speak to him in riddles by way of making him think about what he was saying. When your correspondent asked if Tiger could recall the last time he gave a chuckle of recognition as something his father told him hit home, he opted for a day the previous week when he had been on the practice ground at Isleworth with Sam and Charlie. “In going over a few of the basics,” he said, “I could almost hear my father teaching me. Not only that, but I suddenly had this extraordinary understanding of why he said what he said all those years ago.” HKGOLFER.COM

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HK Golfer・DEC 2010/JAN 2011

interview

Catherine

Zeta-Jones HK Golfer meets the Oscar-winning and golf club-wielding actress at the Mission Hills Star Trophy, a pro-celebrity event on China's Hainan Island PHOTOGRAPHY BY VICTOR FRAILE/GETTY IMAGES

atherine Zeta-Jones's presence in Haikou, northern Hainan, is a little perplexing. Her husband, Hollywood grandee Michael Douglas, was diagnosed with throat cancer in August and she hasn't made a public appearance since the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor w here, as a proud Welshwoman, she was heavily involved in the pre-event festivities. You have to think that turning up to compete in a pro-celebrity golf tournament on the other side of the planet would not be high on her list of priorities. But here she is and, without trying to sound too much like a fawning little toad, she is utterly delightful and engaging. As far as fame goes, Zeta-Jones sits right up there with Tinseltown's biggest and brightest stars. An Oscar winner thanks to her role in the universally acclaimed 2000 film adaption of the musical Chicago, Zeta-Jones recently picked up another award – a Tony – for her portrayal of Desiree in the Broadway hit, A Little Night Music. Now 41, the surprisingly petite but still ridiculously beautiful star of Intolerable Cruelty and The Mask of Zorro has entered the interview room to talk about golf, a game that she says provides a "wonderful solace." While it is made clear to us, a small group of journalists, beforehand that she'd rather not answer any questions about her husband's health, a British tabloid hack sneaks one in anyway, and Zeta-Jones responds by saying, in her slightly odd Welsh-American twang, that it is "business as usual" in her family. It is a potentially awkward moment but, just like all the questions she fields over the next 15 minutes, she handles it with aplomb. Given what has been going on in your life lately, have you been using the golf course as a place to escape? There’s nothing better than having nothing to focus on than a still white ball. And nobody’s looking. I find it very therapeutic. Even if you can’t hit the ball on that particular day, there is a privacy and a Zen quality to golf that I love. What is it specifically that you get out of the game? There’s a reason a lot of actors carry golf clubs along with their script when they go to work on a movie, because there are days when you have time off and 68

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it’s not easy to walk around sightseeing when people recognise you. There’s a wonderful solace from being out there on a beautiful course, wherever you are in the world. Let’s turn to your work and your recent success. How was the experience of such a long run on Broadway? It was extraordinary. It had been 20 years since I had done a run like that. I’d done onenight concerts and Chicago but nothing like that. When I started rehearsals and started to work it was like, “Why has it taken me so long to do this?” It’s a great experience, and then I won a Tony award and it really was unexpected. But it was great. How does that sort of reaction – and the reaction when you won your Oscar – really affect the options for an actor? Well, after I did Chicago the movie, I had every week on my desk another offer to do a musical as a film. And musicals are great to do as a film. But when they are good, they are good, and when they are bad they are horrid. What about Xanadu? But I was lucky to be part of something really magic on celluloid. Everyone thought those days were gone after the black-and-white era, and some of the musicals that have come since should have been left in the black-and-white era. But now, after my stint on Broadway, every revival of a musical is coming my way, so now if I went back to Broadway I think I would have to do straight drama. HKGOLFER.COM

Catherine Zeta-Jones, Mission Hills Hainan, October 2010

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So what sort of productions are you now actively working on or chasing? I am open to all mediums of the business. I bought a book a few years ago, from an Australian author [Pulitzer Prize winner Geraldine Brooks] called People of the Book, which I’m producing as a mini-series, and I’m starring in that, so that will be a first for me. And the movie industry is in a very strange time at the moment. Unless you’re making X-Men 71 or whatever number they’re up to, or Spiderman 51, it’s really hard to find backing. But what opportunities does that leave you to explore? I like those little pieces, what I call grown-up movies. Low-budget films, where people talk. But it’s very hard to get them made, and I think that economically the movie industry has been hit like everything else. I think it’s a strange time, so that’s why I’m using this time to get my golf good and I’m also starting to write a onewoman show with music and dance, so that’s something I need to put my head around. Would this be something you’d keep small or do you have plans for world domination? Well it’ll be on stage but it can expand and, who knows, maybe they can put it on film. It’s 70

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nameless at the moment so it’s just putting ideas into a melting pot and seeing how it goes. It would probably start in small venues around New York and America. The last time you appeared in public was at the Ryder Cup in Wales. How big an event was that for you? It was really important for Wales as a country, to put it on the map on a different level. Then to have a win, in Wales, was terrific. I did the opening speech and it was really wonderfully done – I was really proud of Wales. It’s like anything, like when Beijing had the Olympics, the whole world is watching and you always have to live up to what has come before, and it’s a strain for a small country like Wales. So I was really proud of how they pulled it all off. You’ve been in China for a week, coming here to Hainan from Shanghai. Where to next? I’ll from here go to Beijing for four days and I’ve been last week in Shanghai. It’s a bit like doing London in half a day – “Look! There’s Buckingham Palace!” – you can’t do everything you want to. But I came here and I wanted to feast and see as much of it as I could in the time that I had.

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What do you most like about these world travels? What I do find when I travel around the world is that people want to take you to the most extraordinary places. I’m not just saying this because I’m sitting here in Mission Hills, this is something that I find extraordinary – it blows my mind to see something like this facility. And the chance to see these things is just something in my life that is wonderful. And of course it’s golf that has brought you here today. Are you nervous about competing in an actual event? This is t he f irst real tournament I’ve played in. I’ve played in my husband’s charity event and I’ve played a few holes as a celebrity. But it’s a wonderful camaraderie, which is what I find one of the attractions of the game.

Yes! I’ve wanted to do just that. I’ve thought about rolling my bag into a lake. Sean Connery actually did that, you know. He threw his clubs away. I played with Sean when we were doing the movie Entrapment and then I saw him and said “How’s your golf game going, Sean?” And he said “I don’t play golf!” And he’d done just that, thrown his clubs away. But I haven’t quite gone to that stage yet – we’ll wait and see.—As told to Alex Jenkins

Proud partner: ZetaJones has worn the Welsh dragon on her golf spikes ever since it was announced that Wales would host the 2010 Ryder Cup (left); with eventual Mission Hills Star Trophy winner Lorena Ochoa.

You mentioned earlier that you play a lot with Michael [Douglas]. Does he ease up on you or is it all-out war? You know, he’s never even given me a shot, not one stroke. He’s much better than I am, but I’m a dancer so I can see what’s right or wrong with a person’s body and where they are putting their weight. I can’t actually do what’s right myself but I can see what’s wrong in another person! So what made you actually pick up the clubs and learn how to play golf? I was doing a movie called The Phantom, it was my first A merica n movie, but t he movie was shot in America and Thailand and Australia on the Gold Coast. And when I couldn’t go back to Wales when I had time off, I thought I’d just buy myself some cheap clubs and whack the day away. But my husband is a great golfer so we would play and I just love it. But anyone who has played knows the game can be utterly frustrating. Have you ever wanted to throw your clubs in a lake? HKGOLFER.COM

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looking back Ky Laffoon - talented golfer, extraordinary character. 72

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The Life and Times of

Ky Laffoon HK Golfer’s resident historian Dr. Milton Wayne looks at the tragi-comedic life and times of one of golf ’s greatest characters Orlando, Florida, May 1942: The deeply tanned tour pro rapped his three-foot putt towards the 18th hole, only to watch it spin around the cup and finish on the lip facing him. It wasn’t the first putt he had missed that day, and his playing partners looked in every direction but towards the broad shouldered man who was now bent over, shaking with anger and glaring malevolently at the putter in his hands. Suddenly he stood up and walked off in the direction of the car park behind the green. The other players watched disbelievingly as Ky Laffoon opened the trunk of his car, removed a pistol and proceeded to shoot his putter three times, shouting: “Take that you son-of-a-b—! That’s the last time you three-putt on me!”…

his now legendary act of “clubicide” would be enough to mark out Ky Laffoon as a definite character but it was just another chapter in the colourful life of one of the early US professional tour’s top players. A club professional from the age of 16, Ky Laffoon was a prodigious talent who drifted in his teens looking for his big break, even flirting with a Hollywood film career at one point. As caddie to legendary hustler Titanic Thompson in the late 1920s, Laffoon became a central part of the great man’s most famous trick. Thompson would beat all comers, shake his head, then indicate his scruffy club-bearer, and tell them, “Hell, even my caddie could beat you; double or quits?" Ky would proceed to double the winnings. HKGOLFER.COM

Turning his attentions to the professional circuit in 1930, aged 22, he quickly gained a reputation for his iron play and, ironically enough given his later treatment of his flatstick, his chipping and putting prowess. He was close friends with Ben Hogan, and they shared a car to drive between events; their families even vacationed together during the off-season. In later years, Laffoon was renowned as a master of the golf swing, and worked with Hogan in creating the “hook-proof” swing that led him to greatness. It was common in those days to drive huge distances to the next tour stop, and Laffoon was infamous for carrying several handguns and rifles in his trunk, alongside multiple sets of clubs, wads of cash, chewing tobacco and whisky. When Ky burst into the national consciousness by winning the Nebraska Open in 1933, the press corps were left scrambling to fill their columns with information about this deeply tanned mystery man. One of the hapless hacks heard that Laffoon came from Oklahoma and decided he was a Native American. Ky played along, inventing a Cherokee background and soon became known as “Chief”. The name stuck and for years the press ran endless stories of how remarkable it was to have a Native American in the golf pro ranks. Laffoon even took to wearing a feather warbonnet – a traditional Native American headdress – to keep the ruse going. HK Golfer・DEC 2010/JAN 2011

A quick check into his background would have revealed that Laffoon was actually born in the town of Zinc, Arkansas on 23 December, 1908 and, as his name suggests, his parents were actually Belgian immigrants. The family moved soon afterwards and he did indeed spend much of his early years in Oklahoma, but certainly not on a reservation. Perhaps as a reaction to the enforced scr uff iness of his years as a caddie, Ky overdressed when he made it on tour. A forerunner to Doug Sanders, and perhaps Ian Poulter today, Laffoon was infamous for his colourful outfits, with canary yellow slacks and matching shoes being a particular favourite. He was also known for his love of chewing tobacco and notorious for his resulting copious spitting, 74

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most of which ended up – Sergio Garcia-style – in the cups on the greens. Sam Snead said he hated playing behind him, because “you spent your whole round wiping off your ball”. Despite his reputation, Ky was far more than a mere peacock with a bad temper: he could downright play. After his maiden win in late 1933, he won again in Utah. But it was 1934 that proved to be Laffoon's "annus mirabilis". After wins in Atlanta, Pennsylvania, and New York, he won the highly regarded Eastern Open for his sixth win in seven tournaments and finished in the top-10 at the USPGA Championship. He won the equivalent of the Vardon Trophy for the lowest average score on tour and was selected for the 1935 Ryder Cup. His status as one of the game's most prominent players was underlined by the launch of a set of Spalding clubs bearing his name. In 1936 he teamed up with his friend Walter Hagan to win the Inverness Invitational FourBall, a year after it had been won by Tommy Armour and Bobby Cruickshank, for what turned out to be Hagen’s last win on tour. However, even by this early stage, it was clear that Ky’s fondness for drink was becoming a problem. It was said that the easiest way to beat Laffoon on the course was to get him into a bar the night before. As might be expected with such a larger-than-life character, he was immensely popular with his fellow pros, and many would seek him out for swing tips and to revel in his company. In particular, he and Armour were often together drinking and gambling. 1938 saw a relatively sober Ky win the Miami Four-Ball with Dick Metz, then he beat Sam Snead in the Cleveland Open in remarkable fashion. On the 18th, Snead hooked his approach towards the clubhouse and the ball shot through the open door of the men’s locker room and out of bounds. In between his two wins, Ky shot his career best score – a 61 at his home club, Schifferdecker Golf Course, in Missouri. In 1940, in the US Open at Canterbury Golf Club, Ky became part of Major history when he was one of six players who were disqualified for teeing off early. Having seen a storm brewing, they wanted to get ahead of it but were warned by the marshal that they should play at their official time. They teed off 15 minutes early anyway and their subsequent eviction sparked a national outcry as one of the group, Ed “Porky” Oliver, shot a 71 to tie the winning score but was kicked out of the play-off regardless. Eventually, like many top putters, Laffoon couldn’t believe it when a putt failed to drop, and like “Gentle” Ben Crenshaw years later, his temper was such that his fellow pros would give HKGOLFER.COM

him a wide berth on the course if he missed a makeable one. He began to “blame his tools” and started referring to his putter as “my son-ofa-b—”. After one particularly bad day on the greens, he drove 400 miles to the next tournament with his putter tied to the rear bumper of his car. The reason? He wanted to "teach it a lesson."Another tale is told of him running off the green and holding the offending club under the surface of a pond, shouting: “drown, you son-of-a-b—, drown!” At times he turned on himself, with three examples of particular note. On one occasion he hurled the offending flatstick up in the air and positioned himself underneath to head butt it. He was carried off unconscious a few seconds later. At another tournament, he dispensed with the putter and instead decided to punch himself instead. He did so spectacularly well and was again carried off the course insensible. Finally, playing the Sacramento Open he missed a gimmee and in trying to kick the shaft, hit the putter head instead, knocking it off and breaking his toe. He hobbled up to the ball and swung the shaft at it, missing and earning a penalty shot to add to his troubles. His drinking, and the war years, meant that it

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was close to a decade before Laffoon won again, in Montgomery in 1946, but he was obviously in decline. His last win came in 1950 in Illinois and he retired soon after, aged only 42. In later years he was reported to still be up to his old hustling tricks, including a wonderful tale told of him once spotting a "mark" at Schifferdecker, a lanky player with rusty clubs. He asked the stranger his handicap and was told 15, to which he responded that he was a 16 himself, but would be willing to play straight up for a $50 Nassau. Later he was seen trudging morosely around the clubhouse and was asked if he had lost. He replied, "No, but you just can’t trust people these days. I had to shoot a 67 to beat the lying son-of-a-b—!" In 1982 Ky was diagnosed with inoperable cancer and in 1984 he made a final visit to the armoury in his car trunk. He was later found dead in his home having shot himself. In all, Ky Laffoon won 12 professional tournaments, six in that magical 12-month stretch from 1933-1934, and had 12 top-10 finishes in the Majors. While his tale is truly one of unfulfilled potential and ultimately tragedy, it is also that of a unique character and a hugely popular man who brought fun and colour into a game that can at times be all too serious.

Laffoonery: In his full 'Chief' regalia (left); great play in the 1934 season earned Laffoon a spot on the United States Ryder Cup team.

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GOLF TRAVEL

A Player’s Guide

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Lost Farm Found

This brand-new Tasmanian track, sister course of the much-heralded Barnbougle Dunes, has the potential to be a world beater, writes Paul Myers

inally, the question antipodean gofers and worldwide aficionados of the game have long been asking can be tackled: will The Lost Farm, the sister course of the renowned Barnbougle Dunes in Tasmania, be as good as its older sibling? The answer is an emphatic yes â&#x20AC;&#x201C; at least as good and maybe better. Time will tell, but it would come as no surprise to find this brand-new layout sitting comfortably inside the top 50 courses whenever the next global rankings are released.

Seaside stunner: Coore and Crenshaw's Lost Farm takes advantage of a wonderful site hard by Tasmania's rugged coastline. Photo by Paul Myers HKGOLFER.COM

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GETTING THERE The nearby town of Bridport is 50 miles away from Launceston, the state capital and Tasmania's main gateway. Car hire is available from Launceston airport, but by far the quickest and most stylish way to get to The Lost Farm is by charter flight direct to the club's airstrip from Melbourne – Vortex Air (vortexair.com.au) fly direct from Moorabbin municipal airport (55 minutes). Launceston has direct flights from both Sydney and Melbourne.

par 72, one more than Barnbougle Dunes, which is an entirely upwind-downwind course with two distinct nine holes on either side of the clubhouse. In this respect, The Lost Farm is more varied. Skirting around the lodge, restaurant and spa perched high on soaring sand dunes overlooking the ocean, it plays up, down and cross wind and goes from dramatic holes carved between the dunes to flat, wide fairways adjoining the river flats. The heavily undulating bent and fescue fairways and greens largely reflect natural contours. The most dramatic hole is the long par-4 fifth alongside the Great Forester River that separates the two courses. From the tee, the green can be seen right on the river’s edge, with straight-line access to the fairway blocked by a huge marram grass-covered sand dune. For big hitters it’s a 275-yard carry to the fairway over the dune from the back tees or, for mortals, the hole is played as a stern dogleg right. There are many other great holes – the par-3 fourth and 15th that both play along the oceanfront are standouts. And the par-4 18th back to the clubhouse from an oceanside tee is as good a finishing hole as you’ll find. At $A98 (approximately HK$740) or an allday rate of $A130 (HK$985) for either course, Barnbougle Dunes and The Lost Farm are great value, and on-site accommodation is available from $A150 (HK$1,135) per person. But be warned: these are mandatory walking courses, without drink stations along the way. This is pure golf as the game was originally intended.

Courtesy of Barnbougle Dunes

Sister act: Now with 36 world-class holes, the small town of Bridport has become a fullyfledged golfing hub.

Once you see and play this rugged, windswept track, which officially opens on December 10, you’ll know why. Like adjacent Barnbougle Dunes, Australia’s top public-access course which sits on a narrow stretch of sand dunes separating Bass Strait from river flats just a few hundred metres away, The Lost Farm is built on the type of perfect links land rarely found outside the British Isles. Architects Bill Coore and business partner, the 1995 US Masters winner Ben Crenshaw, are no strangers to creating ultimate links-like layouts. Last year, their Sand Hills layout in Nebraska was named by an American publication as the best new course built in the past 50 years. Barnbougle Dunes, designed by Tom Doak and opened in 2004, came in fifth. Apart from this pedigree by association, The Lost Farm captures all the drama, nuances and appeal of a natural sand dune links landscape. And when the elements come into play – especially an often-stiff wind blowing straight off the sea – you could be excused for thinking that here in northeast Tasmania you have been spirited over 10,000 miles away to the eastern Scottish seaboard. In one sense, it’s a quirky course because there are actually 20 holes. When owner, Richard Sattler, a one-time potato farmer, was asked by Bill Coore to choose 18 of 20 holes on the master plan, he decided to build them all. Consequently, there are two extra par 3s – 13a and 18a – which can be played during a normal round. The other 18 holes make the course a standard

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destination

6 Reasons to Love

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Vietnam's Golf Coast

Over the past 12 months the port city of Danang on Vietnam's central coast has been transformed into a golfing mecca following the opening of two of Southeast Asia's finest new courses. Combine this with first-rate hotels, direct flights and a wealth of sightseeing opportunities and it's easy to see why we selected the region as the HK Golfer Destination of the Year BY THE EDITORS PHOTOGRAPHY BY TOM HARACK/MANDARIN MEDIA Additional photography by Tom Breazeale

Dreaming of Danang: The wonderful layouts at the Dunes Course at Danang Golf Club (main) and the Montgomerie Links (inset), two of the most important course openings in recent times.

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Montgomerie Links

Colin Montgomerie has his name attached to a number of high profile courses in Asia but none are as appealing as this top-notch 18-hole layout situated less than 20 minutes from Danang's international airport. Occupying superb golfing terrain, the Montgomerie Links' firm fairways and expansive, immaculatelypresented green complexes echo the great links courses of the British Isles, while distinctive bunkering and an abundance of attractive casuarinas that line many of the holes make it one of the most visually stunning layouts around. Make no mistake, this is a fully-fledged championship track, one that visitors will want to play time and time again. A stylish clubhouse and superb practice area add to the allure. www.montgomerielinks.com

Danang Golf Club, Dunes Course

Located right next door to the Montgomerie Links, the Dunes at Danang Golf Club is among the most fascinating and unique course in Asia today. Part links, part Australian sandbelt, the layout thunders through enormous sand hills and is framed by uncompromising scrubland. Although less than a year old, the Dunes, with its rugged bunkering and mature vegetation, looks like it has been part of the landscape for decades. This is especially the case at the signature par-3 16th, where a military bunker dating back to the French Indochina War can be found adjacent to

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the putting surface. The view of the white sands of famed China Beach from here make this the most idyllic spot on the course. www.dananggolfclub.com

The Nam Hai

The most luxurious hotel in Vietnam – and rightfully considered one of the finest resorts in the world – the Nam Hai has been welcoming visitors from around the world since it first opened its doors in 2006. Sp rawled over 35 hectares, this superb oceanfront spa retreat offers 60 elegant villas and a further 40 pool villas each within landscaped gardens with unobstructed views of the South China Sea and the nearby Cham Islands. It's breathtakingly magnificent – and comes with a breathtakingly magnificent room rate too. But if you're travelling with a loved one there is no finer place. A boon for golfers – it's barely 10 minutes from the two courses. www.thenamhai.com

The Life Resort

The newest five-star luxury beach resort in Danang, the Life Resort offers 187 superblyappointed rooms and suites and is within easy reach of both the Montgimerie Links and Danang Golf Club as well as the airport. A slew of amenities – including an excellent pool and a superb spa –makes this an affordable yet high quality alternative to the Nam Hai. www.life-resorts.com HKGOLFER.COM

Destination par excellence (clockwise from top left): The Montgomerie Links tops the 2010 European Ryder Cup captain's list of Asian courses; world-class accommodations at The Nam Hai; throwback-era bunkering helps characterise the Greg Normandesigned Dunes Course at Danang.

Direct Flights

It used to be that getting to Danang meant a none-too-welcome transit in Hanoi or Ho Chih Minh City. Not anymore! Thanks to the launch of Vietnam Airlines' weekly direct charter flights the city is now just over a 90-minute journey from Hong Kong, making it an even more convenient retreat than the perennially popular golfing destinations of Bangkok and Phuket. Flights currently depart Hong Kong on Tuesday evenings (departing1920, arriving 2000) and leave Danang Friday afternoons (departing 1530, arriving 1815). www.vietlink.com.hk

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6 Hoi An

The charming riverside town of Hoi An is one of Vietnam's most popular tourist attractions and is barely 20 minutes away from the courses. Famed for its beautiful old buildings, its narrow, quiet streets and its history as a merchant trading post, the town, a UNESCO World Heritage site, makes for a delightful side trip if you're allowing time away from the golf. Hoi An is also noted for its wonderful array of restaurants.

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course report

Pearl South Pacific

WHERE IS IT?

OFF THE COURSE

BACKGROUND

HOW MUCH?

Situated halfway between Nadi, the main gateway to Fiji, and the island's captial, Suva, the course is part of the Pearl South Pacific, an all-encompassing resort overlooking the South Pacific in an area known as Pacific Harbour. The beaches here are some of the best on Viti Levu and the cystal-clear waters are renowned amongst diving enthusiasts the world over. Deep-sea fishing is also a big attraction. The course is just over two hours' drive from Nadi International Airport. Air Pacific flies direct from Hong Kong twice a week. The first international-class course in the Fijian Islands, the Pearl South Pacific was designed by Robert Trent Jones II and opened for play nearly 40 years ago . The World Amateur Team Championship (The Eisenhower Trophy) was played here in 1978 (when it was known as Pacific Harbour Golf & Country Club) and the club has also hosted a number of Australian PGA Tour events. Indeed, the course was the setting for one of Greg Norman's earliest professional wins. Once recognized as one of the finest layouts in the southern hemisphere, the club dropped off the golfing radar in the 1990s through neglect. But now, helped by a change in ownership, the club, led by manager Alan McCulluch, is undergoing a significant overhaul with the hope of returning it to its former glory.

WHY WE LIKE IT

Don't be fooled into thinking this is your run-of-the-mill resort course. The Pearl Pacific has teeth and is rightfully considered, along with the excellent Natadola Bay, an hour's drive away, as one of Fiji's most demanding championship tests. Wedged between the implausibly blue sea of the Coral Coast and the verdant tropical hinterland of the island, the setting is truly splendid. Measuring close to 7,000 yards from the back tees (although this being Fiji, all measurements are in metres), the design hasn't lost any of its class, with the vast majority of holes giving the golfer plenty of options with both the tee and approach shots. The thoughtful placement of bunkers and the sound use of water – in the form of interconnecting canals that come into play on 12 of the 18 holes – make this a supremely strategic test. While in the past the conditioning of the greens has been reported as variable, they're not unfair surfaces and generally roll well. The club's long-term maintenance programme, which will include utilizing the saline-tolerant Paspalum grass, will only improve things. While there is some elevation changes, they're not over-dramatic, making this a particularly pleasant course to walk. 86

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While many who play it will be staying at the resort – and therefore have full use of the myriad facilities there – the newly-renovated clubhouse is the ideal spot to enjoy post-round refreshments, while visitors also entitled to make use of the club's outdoor pool. A driving range and pro shop complete the amenities here. At FJ$35 (approximately HK$145) per round for resort guests and FJ$47 (HK$200) for visitors, the Pearl Pacific represents incredible value for money. Caddies (FJ$18) and carts (FJ$41) are also available.

Lunar New Year Break - Fiji HK Golfer Travel is arranging a trip to Fiji, which will include golf at the Pearl South Pacific, Natadola Bay and Denarau Golf & Racquet Club, over the week of the 2011 Lunar New Year (3-9 February) holiday. If you're interested in participating please contact travel@hkgolfer.com for more details.

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Photography courtesy of The Pearl South Pacific Resort

Pacific Paradise: Occupying an undeniably picturesque setting, the Pearl Pacific has a great tradition to match HKGOLFER.COM

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hk golf history

HONG KONG GOLF

IN THE 1960s - Part One

Chinese Crackers in Hong Kong

With a sob in the pen, I must record that Hong Kong is worse off, golfwise, than it was thirty years ago. I mean for facilities. And this, in one of the fastest-growing, richest cities in the world is a burning shame which I hope and trust someone is doing something about. I went into all this very thoroughly and these are the facts: More than thirty years ago, when the population was three million less than it is to-day, there were nine golf courses, making 108 holes; to-day there are only five courses, adding up to 72 holes. Four of the courses come under the auspices of the Royal Hong Kong Golf Club, which has 3,000 members and nearly 6oo on the waiting list. Then there is the Shek O Country Club (18 holes) which is limited to only 300 members, all of whom must be ‘westerners’; 75 per cent British. To-day, the population of the colony exceeds 4,000,000. I must not elaborate this grim golfing situation because the Hong Kong space shortage is aggravating enough without Houghton’s natter. But in 1934, in addition to the courses aforementioned, there was a British army course at Kowloon; a 9 holes course for resident Portuguese; Shatin G.C. for the Japanese; and Happy Valley, which alas, now has no happy hackers. Hong Kong golf started at Happy Valley—a wide gorge cutting deep into the city—following an advertisement which the Hong Kong Club (an aged and 88

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greatly revered social institution) placed in local newspapers in 1889. People interested in golf were asked to attend a meeting. Only thirteen turned up, but these included two addicts whose names were Captain Rumsey, R.N., and Gershom Stewart, who had been hitting golf balls up and down the race-track months before. Captain Rumsey was made Skipper of the new golf club and these duties he fitted in with his job as Harbour Master. A good start. The club got under way, and a 9 holes course was ‘drafted out’ on the racecourse—which was already accommodating polo, football and hockey. Somehow or other, golf got going. It was holeless (they had to aim at markers), and bunkerless, but it was nursed by fanatics who would probably have ‘managed’ if the only land available had been a volcano crater. The first match was played in 1890 against the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. Membership of the club was then 100 and the clubhouse was described as ‘a dark and cavernous place under the grandstand’. Nevertheless, there was pleasing decorum, and a minute was recorded by the Captain: ‘The matter of members’ dress has called for much adverse comment during the year . . . Your flannels either get yellow when they are washed, or when they are not they assume an even less desirable hue’. The ladies had clamoured for their own pitch and by 1897 nine excellent holes were HKGOLFER.COM

acquired at Deep Water Bay. In that year, Queen Victoria granted the Royal Charter, and the club was away. An excellent lunch was available, usually comprising ‘cold saddle of mutton, cold gooseberry pie, and Watson’s dry sherry—one dollar’. Good victuals for sixpence. But the addicts wanted more. In those days, land was available at the right price, so an extended course was laid out in 1911 across the water at Fanling. Now, please note what a member was prepared to do for golf on a full length (though very rough) course. First, he crossed by boat to Kowloon, then he took a two-man rickshaw up a road of sorts for two or three miles as far as the Kowloon reservoir, then by foot to the police launch which crossed to a place called Taipo, from whence a smart pony ride took him to Fanling.

Henry Heath; and Graeme Nicholl, who had come over from Shek O for the occasion. I only hope they will forgive me for wrecking the game by bombarding them with questions. The two 18-hole courses at Fanling have been laid out expertly on undulating land, among trees of many species. In places the rough resembles the angry stuff you get at Walton Heath, the fairways are good, and the terrain is more or less surrounded by handsome purple hills that someone quickly points out is China. In fact, Fanling is very close to the frontier and on the motor- ride to the club Henry Heath diverted a mile or two to show us one of his observation posts overlooking what some people regard as the sinister land of China. It couldn’t look more peaceful. Sentries sauntered, taking casual interest in the fishermen throwing their nets from sampans drifting down the Pearl river dividing the New Territories from China. They might well have been British troops behaving exactly the same. We clearly saw the Chinese villages of Kaktim and Shataukok, where the demarcation line actually passes down the middle of the main street. The greens at Fanling are nearly always good. Most of the playing surface is covered with an adaptation of gezira and uganda grass which travelled as a shoe box full of seeded soil from Uganda to Cairo during the last war. This flourished in Egypt, then one single sod of the grass was flown from Cairo to Hong Kong in 1951 and from this small handful of turf there developed the splendid greens we know to-day. The line-up for our match was ‘H.E.’ and Henry Heath versus Nicholl and Houghton and after the first three holes I could see that the result was a foregone conclusion. Details of the game will therefore be skipped, for which most will be thankful. The first hole on the ‘Old’ course is marred by a road which was built right across the fairway by a non-golfing soldier for use during the Korean war. Henry Heath told how Chief Justice Clunie once hit a ‘bus with his tee shot and the driver trotted across and returned the ball with a bow!

Those were the days.

The railway had started by 1916. The men golfed after their cricket on Saturday afternoons. They would dine and play poker until 2 a.m., arise at 7 a.m., play 18 holes, have a heavy steak breakfast, sleep until 4 p.m., play another round, dine and play poker until 1 a.m. sleep, breakfast, and back for duty on the 8.15 a.m. train. At this stage in the history of Hong Kong golf, we’ll pause for my pleasant four-ball game at Fanling with the Governor, His Excellency Sir David Trench; Commissioner of Police HKGOLFER.COM

It was holeless and bunkerless, but it was nursed by fanatics who would have 'managed' if the only land available had been a volcano crater.

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The scenery in the outward nine is particularly attractive. Houses with greentiled roofs are tucked among the banyan and eucalyptus trees and sometimes you are even reminded of holes at Wentworth, an illusion which quickly vanishes when you are near enough to a house to hear the Chinese radio music. Behind the second green there is an ancient Chinese burial ground. Parties come for picnics on memorial days. Many of the fairways at Fanling are lined with forests and I had seen little groups of women crossing in single file and vanishing among the trees. They wore large straw hats heavily fringed with black and this is the characteristic dress of the Hakas, a nomadic ‘guest’ people who don’t stay anywhere for 90

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long although they moved rather quickly when Nicholl shouted ‘Fore!’ T he scener y i n t he out wa rd n i ne i s particularly attractive. Houses with greentiled roofs are tucked among the banyan and eucalyptus trees and sometimes you are even reminded of holes at Wentworth, an illusion which quickly vanishes when you are near enough to a house to hear the Chinese radio music. By the 9th green there is a lovely English flower garden with geraniums, hollyhocks and marigolds. This was planted and cared for by Mr Frank Hunter, who, at the time of writing, is the Secretary at the Royal Lytham and St Anne’s Golf Club, at St Anne’s in Lancashire. The 10th hole at Fanling is called ‘Tommy Tucker’ for an amusing reason. From the tee, the green is hidden behind a steep hill that rises almost perpendicular and must be carried if the player is to get his par four. The caddies climb the hill to see if the land is clear for the drives. If you know Chinese you shout to your forecaddie ‘Tak m tak ah? meaning ‘Can I go?’ Try it, and you will see why the hole has been named ‘Tommy Tucker’. Before tack ling Tommy Tucker, most golfers linger at the Chinese shelter to suck in something cool and fruity. We did, and Sir David Trench entertained us with stories of golf in the Solomon Islands, where he had been Governor. At Honiara, which was built as an American Air Force fighter base, a 9 hole course was laid out and even twenty years after the main hazards are unexploded shells! The clubhouse is a shack. At one end a notice-board says ‘Honiara Airport’; at the other end a board says ‘Honiara Golf Club’. We learnt of a sparkling incident which once took place at Fanling. In a high-level, four-ball match, one of the players did the first seven holes 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 5, 3. This incredible scoring, four inside par, had the opponents’ teeth gnashing. One of them was Kim Hall, a red-hot little Welsh international golfer. ‘If this so-and-so gets another 3 I’m quitting,’ said Kim. Whereupon a twenty-five foot putt dropped for the seventh 3 in eight holes! A road runs alongside the 8th fairway and at that precise moment a motor ‘bus appeared. Taking Kim at his word, the other three bundled him aboard! For the record, the four chaps involved in the lark were Alan Sutcliffe (who performed the super golf), Dick Carroll, John Mackie and of course HKGOLFER.COM

Kim. All have been champions of the Colony and county golfers in England. It is appropriate to mention that Sutcliffe and Hall are prime movers in the organisation for the Far East Professional Golf Tournament. In fact, without Kim’s early efforts the tour would not exist. These notes about Hong Kong started with the regrettable item about shrinkage in golf facilities. But there is a ray of hope. Kim Hall showed me his plan to ease the strain. On Mawan Island [now known as Park Island], twenty-five minutes by hydrofoil from Hong Kong, he wants to create another Hawaii. There are lovely beaches and the site for a super championship golf course. Also, as one would expect, there are problems. Nevertheless, with cooperation from the right quarters, it could come and it won’t be Kim’s fault if it doesn’t. Our visit to Fanling terminated, correctly, with good talk in the clubhouse. This is a delightful place. Glimpsed through the trees, it could well be a plantation mansion in one of the deep southern states of A mer ic a. T he bu i ld i n g i s white, terraced, colonnaded, and contains more golf trophies than I can remember having seen in any other club. In addition to novelties like a ‘Best Average Cup’—which a humorist donated for the most consistently good scorer in the hottest month of the year—there is a ‘Nil Desperandum’ trophy, and more than a dozen ‘Farewell’ cups, presented by members on departure, in gratitude for happy times. The 50th birthday year was 1939 and on that occasion so many cups were donated that, allowing for two competitions each week, the year is not long enough! I have briefly touched on the exciting history of the Royal Hong Kong Golf Club and now I find among my notes an extraordinary item. It appears that King George V agreed to be patron of the club in 1911. This royal favour continued until 1915 then, for some inexplicable reason, the patronage lapsed. Some amends were made in 1924 when H.R.H. Prince George, the Duke of Kent, became an Honorary Member. For a weekend game of golf at Fanling the drill is to book or telephone for a time a week ahead. The draw is made, and starting times on the Old and New courses are published on Tuesday in the South China Morning Post. Golfers consult the newspaper to find out when they are off. This has become an accepted procedure and the couple of columns of starting times in a large-scale national newspaper is surely unique in golf. HKGOLFER.COM

Despite congestion, golf costs at Fanling are unusually low. Clubhouse accommodation is available at only 10s. a night; 6s for lunch; 7s. 6d. for an extremely good dinner. Along with Peter Thomson, Dai Rees and other privileged people, I was enrolled as a ‘Fanlingerer’, an excellent charitable institution pledged to help the war blinded. You get a tie, and a booklet explaining that ‘The Fanlingerer is a good-tempered, friendly animal, originally found in large numbers singing happy jingles in the vicinity of drink holes...

For a weekend game of golf at Fanling the drill is to book or telephone for a time a week ahead. The draw is made, and starting times on the Old and New courses are published on Tuesday in the South China Morning Post. Golfers consult the newspaper to find out when they are off.

HK Golfer・DEC 2010/JAN 2011

punting

A Year in Review HK Golfer tipster Archie Albatross is licking his wounds after a disappointing set of 2010 predictions. But he's stiffened his lip and swallowed his pride and is man enough to admit that the big tournaments of the year delivered some of the most classic and dramatic moments of golfing history. Here are his top memories... PHOTOGRAPHY BY AFP

SHOT OF THE YEAR Phil Mickelson

How can a golf shot be simultaneously sublime, absurd, foolhardy, gloriously reckless, unutterably pure and ultimately the product of genius all at once? Well, if it's been hit by Phil ‘Lefty’ Mickelson, that’s how. How many of his peers would both attempt and then pull off a shot with the following characteristics: 200-yards out, from the pine-straw, with a downhill lie and amongst trees to a target across a hungry creek and set on the tiniest of shelves. Oh, and whilst holding a narrow lead on the back -nine on Sunday of a Major. Lefty of course attempted and delivered on such a shot at the 13th hole at Augusta that will forever be remembered in golfing lore, landing his ball with impossible featherlike precision to fivefeet under the hole. For me, no other shot since Tiger Woods's “Nike’ moment at Augusta’s 16th in 2005 came close for Shot of the Decade. Utter brilliance.

COUNTRY OF THE YEAR Britain

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is now officially a top golf talent incubator. In 2010, the UK delivered: the world number one-ranked player, a US Open and the backbone of an emphatic Ryder Cup victory. Lee Westwood’s feat of replacing Tiger at the summit of the game cannot be underestimated. Not only did he have to overcome a significant injury in doing so but he did what more natural candidates – the likes of Mickelson and Steve Stricker – could not. His constant presence around the top of Major leaderboards and leadership role in the Ryder Cup confirmed his stature at the very peak of his profession. Add in Graeme McDowell’s breakout summer and autumn performances, 92

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HKGOLFER.COM

Contrasting times (clockwise from left): Phil Mickelson hits one of the shots of the decade enroute to his third Masters win; Westwood, who would replace Tiger Woods as the number one ranked golfer in the world, enjoyed a successful Ryder Cup under skipper Colin Montgomerie, an event that highlighted the strength of British golf; Woods' game imploded following the scandals that engulfed him at the end of 2009.

Rory McIlroy’s continued exciting development plus the ascendency of Paul Casey, Luke Donald, Justin Rose, Ross Fisher, Martin Laird and UBS HK Open winner Ian Poulter and the Brits have many reasons to feel good about 2010 and the future.

NO-SHOW OF THE YEAR Tiger Woods

12 months after he went from Thanksgiving Turkey to Public Goat #1, it's hard to think that Tiger will ever, ever want to remember 2010. Putting the reasons for his self-inflicted sabbatical aside, he looked completely out of sorts all year long with his swing, his rhythm and critically, his putting. In a column earlier this year, I was confident in predicting that Tiger would return to the fold as dominant as ever. Bad call. By September, the European players were openly hoping to be drawn against him in Ryder Cup singles. Also a bad call as it turned out, but there is no escaping that for the first time in his career, Tiger will go through a calendar year not just not winning a tournament but not even coming close. Runner up awards – made slightly bitterly based on the damage to Archie’s wallet this summer – go to Westwood and Casey, for not showing up in the last round of the Open Championship at St Andrews. Without taking anything away from a beautifully controlled performance from Champion Golfer Louis Oosthuizen, Mssrs Westwood and Casey should have been all over his rear-view mirror on that Sunday. Pressure is by far the hardest element of any Major and yet young Louis was allowed to play steady and conservative golf all the way home. A bit of peer pressure would have livened up Sunday afternoon nicely which brings us neatly to… HKGOLFER.COM

HK Golfer・DEC 2010/JAN 2011

T V screen at f irst – questioning the fairness of penalising the big-hitting Johnson for the inability of the course officials in controlling the crowds – only to be astonished by the news that the local rules sheet had clearly and repeatedly confirmed that all sand on the course was to be considered a hazard. The safest bet of 2011 is that all golfers will read the Local Rules sheets from now on!

APO LO GY O F TH E YEAR Archie Albatross

Duffer Dustin: Longhitting Johnson could have potentially bagged two Majors in 2010, but a dreadful start to his final round at Pebble Beach (above), where he made a triple bogey at the second hole, and 'bunkergate', where he grounded his club in a bunker at Whistling Straits' 18th hole, meant he ended the season with none. 94

WHIFF OF THE YEAR Dustin Johnson

Dustin Johnson gets both first and second prize in this category. Big DJ could quite conceivably have bagged two huge events this year but implosions over the first four holes of his final round at Pebble Beach and then a catastrophic error on the 72nd hole at Whistling Straits sealed his 2010 Major Horriblis. The drama of the latter had Archie yelling at the

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You would expect this section to reference the astonishing cringe-ofthe-century performance del ivered by Tiger i n front of the press at Ponte Vedra Beach earlier this year. He did indeed offer the most stinging display of self-flagellation since Woody Austin decided to punish his putter with h is forehead , but t he award t his year looks closer to home. Archie A lbat ro ss wou ld l i ke to ha ng h is head , set his lower lip a-tremble and offer a hearty apolog y to Eu ropea n Ry d e r C u p C a p t a i n Colin Montgomerie. It was, after all, but a few months ago that I took a militantly opposed view from fellow HK Golfer cont ributor L ewi ne Mair, and predicted the fall of Europe at Celtic Manor. The reasons given? Feckless Colin and his inability to handle the pressure of the Fourth Estate. Well, I was wrong. I would like to apologise to my proprietor, editor, fellow contributors, advertisers, readers and all those who look up to public figures as role models. I should never have called Monty feckless and will return in 2011 with a renewed purpose and commitment to serving the need of the Hong Kong punting public. I will not take further questions. HKGOLFER.COM

instruction

Balancing Act Phil Kenyon, director of instruction at the Harold Swash Putting Schools of Excellence, explains how a stable lower body will lead to more holed putts

c ommon fault I see amongst golfers is the inability to consistently hit putts out of the middle of the putterface. If you can’t find the sweet-spot of the putter it will affect pace as well as line. A miss strike creates side spin as well as a loss of energy transfer into the ball. Why do people find hit so hard to hit a putt out of the middle? One of the reasons is due to poor balance. You might think that the putting stroke is a simple motion, not a dynamic motion like the full swing. But that doesn’t mean that balance at set up and during the stroke isn’t important. Using a ‘forceplate’ analysis tool, which measures a player's weight distribution at set up and during the stroke, it's not uncommon to see a player's centre of gravity move by more than an inch. One inch of movement can have a big consequence when you consider the size of the putter face, so unless you can make an equal compensation elsewhere it will be difficult to make good contact. This becomes especially hard to do consistently when you're under pressure in a tournament round. Once good post ure had been established in terms of the upper body position, it’s imperative that we create a stable base and stance. In most cases stability is ensured by maintaining as close to a 50/50 balance from heel to toe and left foot to right foot. This ensures the centre of mass of the body is as close to the centre of the base of support, thus giving us the most stable base as possible. A common fault pattern I see when using the forceplate, is excessive weight in the toes at set up. As a result the player’s weight will move back towards the heels during the stroke. 96

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HKGOLFER.COM

The width of the stance is also important. A wide stance will help increase stability and also reduce rotation in the hips. Rotation in the hips can influence path and create an artificial arc in the stroke. This movement is often not repeated in the downswing, as the putting stroke change of direction isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t as dynamic as that of the fullswing, which in turn makes it difficult for the club to work on an identical path back down and strike the ball out of the middle of the clubface. If a golfer suffers from instability and hip rotation, a wider stance can be a useful solution to the problem.

NEED TO KNOW

Feel the Pressure

The Hong Kong Golf Club

A simple and easy way to test your balance is to get hold of some pipe insulation or round foam tubing. Place it on the ground and stand with it placed under the arches of your feet. As you stand tall sense an even pressure between heels and toes. Now bend forward and take your normal posture and set up for a putt. Do you roll forward on the tubing or indeed roll back? If you roll forward you have a tendancy to get too much into the toes at set up, which can often lead to rocking back into your heels during the stroke as your body searches to find an equilibrium. Take your stance again and as you bend into your posture and set up position try and maintain and even balance between heels and toes so the pressure is through the arches of the feet. Now you are balanced at set up. Hit some putts from this set up position and sense how stable your lower body is during the stroke and as a result how much more centred your strikes are. HKGOLFER.COM

Authorized Yes! Putters Custom Fitting Centres:

Golf Corner 3/F, 24 Russell Street, Causeway Bay Tel: (852) 2838 9238

Golf Performance Centre Room 908-909, Tins Enterprises Centre, 777 Lai Chi Kok Road, Kowloon Tel: (852) 3568 6168

The Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Course Sai Kung, New Territories Tel: (852) 2791 3318

Fanling, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 26791821

Precision Golf South China Athletic Association, Causeway Bay Tel: (852) 2882 6878 For instruction/lessons by Harold Swash Putting School Accredited Instructors: www.SwashPuttingSchools.com/worldwide_instructors Shay Smart

Hong Kong

Chris Marrs

China

David Largent

Hong Kong

Jeanie Kwok

Hong Kong

Tony Ho

Hong Kong

David Norquay

China

Matthew Coote

China

HK Golferă&#x192;ťDEC 2010/JAN 2011

GLOBALTOURNAMENTNEWS MONTY ERROR GIFTS OCHOA INAUGURAL TITLE Mission Hills Star Trophy, Blackstone Course, October 28-31, 2010 Lorena Ochoa came out of retirement to win Asia's richest golfing prize, pocketing a cool US$1.28 million for coming out on top at the inaugural Mission Hills Star Trophy, the groundbreaking Pro-Celebrity golf tournament played on the Blackstone Course at Mission Hills Haikou in Hainan, China.

Ochoa, the long-time women's world number one, posted rounds of 71-71 to finish at four-under 142 in the 36-hole professional tournament on the Blackstone Course, enough to give her a two-shot victory over Colin Montgomerie in the race for the bumper 'winner take all' first-place cheque. Montgomerie and Ochoa staged a seesaw battle all afternoon, with the pair each recording four birdies for the day and the lead swapping on multiple occasions. Montgomerie reached four-under and took a one-shot lead with a 10-foot birdie putt on par-four 17th, before making a regulation par-five at the last hole. However, the 2010 Ryder Cup-winning captain, playing two groups in front of Ochoa, incurred a ghastly two-shot penalty after his caddie moved an advertising sign at the par-four 16th, which left the eighttime European Tour Order of Merit champion fuming. Combined with Ochoa's up and down for birdie at the final hole, the Mexican earned a two-shot buffer and the US$1.28 million cheque. Said Ochoa: "It was really an amazing day. It was just a case that everything went well over the two days and I was a 100-percent focused on every single shot. I tried to do my best all the time and it paid off. There was no word from Monty, who was last seen storming off in the direction of the airport.

MOLINARI WINS EPIC DUEL ON THE BUND WGC-HSBC Champions, Sheshan International GC, November 4-7, 2010 The experience of losing to one number one player in the world helped Francesco Molinari beat another. When last seen on a world stage, Molinari was helpless against Tiger Woods in Ryder Cup singles, when the former world number one steamrolled the Italian for an easy victory at Celtic Manor. One month later at the WGC-HSBC Champions, Molinari turned in a world-class performance against the new head of the world rankings .In an exquisite duel with Lee Westwood that came down to the last putt, Molinari played bogey-free final round at Sheshan International for a 5-under 67, giving him a one-shot victory and a World Golf Championship title. "It's been four fantastic days, and especially the last two playing head-to-head with Lee was really tough," Molinari said. "I think the experience of playing with Tiger in the Ryder Cup definitely helped me in the last couple of days, because when you are playing against the number one in the world, it is not easy to always stick to the game plan and do your game." Woods was 7-under over the last seven holes in that Ryder Cup match against Molinari. He wasn't even close to that level at the HSBC Champions, where even a 68 on the final day still put him 12 shots behind in a tie for sixth. 98

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He ended his PGA Tour season without a win for the first time in his career. "That's just the way it goes," Woods said. "It's not like I didn't try. It just didn't happen this year. But I'm pleased with the progress I've made of late. Things are building and heading in the right direction, which is good."

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GLOBALTOURNAMENTNEWS BIZARRE INCIDENT GIFTS KARLSSON TITLE Dubai World Championship, Jumeirah Golf Estates, November 25-28, 2010

Sweden’s Robert Karlsson won the European Tour’s season-ending Dubai World Championship in late November, beating third-round leader Ian Poulter in a two-way play-off after a bizarre blunder by the Englishman on the final hole. Karlsson calmly rolled in a birdie putt on the second play-off hole after Poulter had been given a one-stroke penalty for dropping his ball on his marker on the green, causing it to flip over and move from its original position. “The coin was one way and the next minute facing the other way,” Poulter said. “It’s pitched right on the front and flipped over. If it pitches in the middle, the coin doesn’t move and it’s fine. But it’s pitched on the front and it’s flipped over.” Poulter spotted his error and reported it to the match referee, whose ruling left him with a long putt for par instead of a birdie. The putt came up a foot short, taking all the pressure off the Swede as he then had two shots to clinch the victory in the season-ending $7.5 million tournament. The 41-year-old Karlsson needed just one shot to secure his second European Tour victory this year and the 11th tour victory of his career. The former topranked European said this was one of the biggest victories of his long career and one of the most lucrative. He earned $1.25 million with the win. Germany’s Martin Kaymer won the Race to Dubai – the European Tour’s Order of Merit – with €4, 461,011, which was nearly €600,000 ahead of US Open champion Graeme McDowell.

McDOWELL CAPS STELLAR YEAR WITH TIGER WIN

Chevron World Challenge, Sherwood CC, December 2-5, 2010 Graeme McDowell capped off his greatest season with the biggest comeback ever against Tiger Woods. He rallied from a four-shot deficit in the Chevron World Challenge, then upstaged Woods at his own tournament. McDowell holed a 20-foot birdie putt to force a play-off, then beat Woods on the first extra hole with another birdie from a little bit longer. "They're the kind of putts that you make them, and you can't really believe it afterwards," McDowell said. "They were the stuff of dreams — 2010 has been the stuff of dreams. It's been that kind of year." Woods might have known what to expect, considering how his year has gone. Without a trophy for the first time since he can remember, Woods appeared ready to embark on a new chapter after a year of personal turmoil and shocking scores. A four-shot lead turned into a two-shot deficit. He rallied to tie McDowell, then watched the U.S. Open champion deliver the winning shots. It was the first time Woods has lost a tournament when leading by at least three shots going into the final round. And it was the first time anyone could recall Woods feeling good after a loss. "It was a great week, even though I didn't win," Woods said. "I'm proud of today, even though I lost." Woods lost his big lead with a pair of three-putt bogeys, imploded with a double bogey on the par-5 13th to see his one-shot lead turn into a two-shot deficit, then got new life when McDowell made a couple of mistakes down the stretch. But it wasn’t to be thanks to the Northern Irishman’s stellar finish. It was only the fourth time in 15 years that Woods had lost in a play-off. 100

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events

Audemars Piguet Golf Ambassadors

Daniel Wong

During Hong Kong Open week, golfing superstars Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke joined over 50 guests for a sumptuous dinner in the delightful surroundings of the clubhouse at Shek O Country Club. The emcee for the evening was the colourful television commentator Julian Tutt, who interviewed the players before opening questioning to the floor. In a rare treat, Rory’s schedule allowed him to join several members and guests in playing the delightful seaside track in the afternoon. “It’s been a great day,” said Rory, who wowed all with his prodigious hitting. “It’s a lovely golf course with some great holes. I had a lot of fun out there.” –C.M.

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events

Vacheron Constantin Excellence of Craftsmanship Travelling Exhibition 2010 This stunning array of Vacheron Constantin timepieces was on display in the lobby of Ocean Terminal, Tsim Sha Tsui, from November 11-17 with HK Golfer among the enthusiasts attending the opening ceremony. More than 100 masterpieces were shown, with examples from 1755 to the present day. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;C.M. Mr. Alain Chung and Mr. Charles Ip

Mr. James Chan, Mr. Andy Chik and Mr. Paul Lam

Mr. Marker Ho, Mr. Li Ka Cheung, and Mr. Henry Wong

Mr. Yann Bouillonnec and Mr. Charlie Lai 104

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Ms. Vicky Wong, Ms. Beata Cheung, Mr. Andrew Kwok, Ms. Natalie Chan & Mr. Hezek Tang HKGOLFER.COM

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Bespoke Golf Days Corporate Hospitality Tournament Management

With over twenty years’ experience, HK Golfer Events is Hong Kong and southern China’s leading golf tournament and event organizers HK Golfer events is a division of HK Golfer, Hong Kong’s premier golf publication. Call (852) 3590 4153 or email info@hkgolferevents.com

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events

Links Concept - Triple Hong Kong Launch Chef Umberto Bombana’s new restaurant Otto e Mezzo was the venue for a triple wine launch lunch on November 8 and HK Golfer was there. Hosted by birthday boy Patricio de la Fuente Saez of Links Concept, the 24 attendees included three special guests of honour. The first was Fabrice Janneau of Louis Roederer for the official Hong Kong launch of the 2004 vintage of the prestige cuvee “Cristal”. Next we had winemaker David Powell introducing his latest and greatest Torbreck creation, “The Laird” 2005. Legendary wine critic James Suckling was also in attendance and announced the launch of his new website, www.jamessuckling.com, —C.M. Martin Rahn

Nicolas Pierron

Patricio de la Fuente Saez

James Suckling and Chef Umberto Bombana

James Suckling

Martin Rahn, Herve Pennequin and Hubert Chabot 106

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Michel Janneau

Dave Powell

Karl Hudson

Evana Chan Pey Wen

Man Lai, James Suckling, David Powell, Michel Janneau, Patricio de la Fuente Saez and Pierre Legrandois HKGOLFER.COM

Tony Leung

Fan Bing-bing

Cartier Flagship Store Opening In a historic moment for Cartier in Hong Kong, the revered "King of Jewellers" celebrated the grand opening of its Asian Flagship store in Prince's Building, Central on November 26. This boutique, a veritable treasure trove and a true jewel of the House, is destined to be a landmark on equal stature as the splendid boutiques on the famous avenues of Paris, London and New York. The occasion was also a significant milestone for Cartier in Asia, for it was at this very location that Cartier opened its first boutique in Asia in 1970. On the special evening, the unveiling of Cartierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Flagship boutique was celebrated with an opening ceremony officiated by Mr. Pierre Rainero, Style and Heritage Director of Cartier International, Mr. Nigel Luk, Managing Director of Cartier Far East, internationally renowned actors Mr. Tony Leung, Ms Fan Bingbing and Ms Han Ye-seul, as well as Mr. Y.K. Pang, Chief Executive of Hongkong Land. The ceremony was followed by dramatic pyrotechnics that displayed against the radiant facade of the new flagship boutique, lighting up the Central sky.

Han Ye-seul, Tony Leung, Pierre Rainero, Nigel Luk, Fan Bing-bing and YK Pang HKGOLFER.COM

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Who was your idol when growing up? Annika. It's always been Annika Sorenstam. When I was much younger I told myself that one day I will play with her. That's what motivated me and that's why I'm on the LPGA Tour.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 110

Your goal for 2011 is presumably to reach number one? I'm going to be number one next year [laughs]. That's always been my goal. I'm so close. I was a bit disappointed after winning the Women's British Open that my ranking didn't change. I thought I would jump up. But I've been working so hard and I'm confident and prepared to do it. The other goal is to win the US Women's Open and get the career grand slam. That will make it a great year. You're from Taiwan but when you're playing do you feel like you're representing all Chinese people? Yes, I definitely do. I have always felt that way. When I first joined the LPGA the media asked me what my goal was. I told them, it's simple: become the first Chinese to win a Major. Then I won the McDonalds LPGA very soon afterwards. I was like, 'Jesus, what do I do now?' [Laughs]. But I want all Chinese people to be proud.

Major year (clockwise from top left): Tseng poses for a photo with a handful of Fanling caddies during the Lacoste Hong Kong VIP Golf Day; celebrating her Kraft Nabisco championship win, her third Major title, in the traditional manner; the 21-year-old in action during the final round at Mission Hills Country Club in California 108

You were in the news recently for being offered a huge amount of money for a sponsorship deal on the condition that you change your nationality to Chinese. You haven't taken up the offer but do you feel the pressure of representing so many people? [Pauses] I feel like I am Chinese. There are Chinese everywhere – in Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, all round the world – and I'm very proud to be Chinese. There are three of us on the LPGA Tour now. My only wish is that I can encourage more Chinese people to play golf, to make golf more popular. I'd like to do for Chinese what Se Ri Pak did for Koreans.

HK Golfer・DEC 2010/JAN 2011

And now you live in her old house in Orlando... [Laughs]. Yeah, I know. It's unbelievable; when I was young this would be totally unimaginable. Last year I was looking for a place and she called me saying that I should come and look at her house, as she was moving. I was only looking for a small apartment – definitely not a huge place – and I always said I would never live in Orlando – I thought there would be a lot of bugs and alligators and the weather is not so good [laughs]. But the first time I stepped inside her home she and I both knew I was going to move in. So you and her must be good friends now? Yes, but I'm still very nervous when I meet her. She was and is my hero and I always worry I'm going to run out of things to say to her. But she's so friendly and has helped me a lot. She's one of the best players in history and she's been so kind. What about when you first joined the LPGA? Did any of the other players help you then? Lorena Ochoa was fantastic. She contacted me early on and taught me a lot. I asked her how she handled all the pressure and she told me that the most important thing is to organize everything that goes in your life outside the ropes first. Setting up a home, making sure your family is happy... that kind of thing. By doing that, she said, it means that when you're on the course golf is the only thing you have to focus on. You're not worrying about anything else. I cried when she announced her retirement. I cried when Annika retired too. I was so sad. What do you think you'd be doing if you didn't play golf? I love kids and would have loved to have worked as a kindergarten teacher, but I don't know if kids love me [laughs]. My dream is to build a school in Taiwan, one that will include golf and some other sports. I haven't figured it all out yet but it's something I'd really love to do in the future. HKGOLFER.COM

Who do you hang out with on Tour? I hang out with Suzann Pettersen quite a lot. We've been trying to play tennis together but we've been sticking to golf. We practice a lot together. She's a member at Bay Hill and I'm at Lake Nona so we're nearby. I also spend time with some of the Korean players and I like eating Japanese food with Momoko Ueda. You played a couple of professional events with the men in Taiwan. Is that something you want to do more of â&#x20AC;&#x201C; perhaps on the PGA Tour? I played with the men in order to learn. I can't beat them; I'd be very happy to make the cut but it's more of a learning experience than anything else. If I become world number one then there would be more of a chance of playing with the men in the future. You're considered one of the longest hitters on the LPGA. How far do you drive the ball and who are the top five biggest hitters on Tour? The top five are Sophie Gustafson, Maria Hjorth [pause]... Suzanne [Petterson] and me are pretty much the same. Brittany Lincicome is also long. I've only played once with Laura Davies and that day she was hitting it right, left, right, so I couldn't really tell how long she was [laughs]. With my driver I can carry the ball around 260 yards off the tee.

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final shot

Q&A

Yani Tseng The three-time Major Champion, who was in Hong Kong last month for a client day with Lacoste, her long-time sponsor, talks to Alex Jenkins about her rise to the summit of the women's game, her friendship with Annika Sorenstam and her plans for the future

The last time you were at the Hong Kong Golf Club was six years ago when you won the girls' division at the Faldo Series International Trophy. A lot has changed since then obviously, including your name. Back then you were called Ruby... [Laughs]. Yes, that's right. There are only a few people who still know me as Ruby, including Rory McIlroy, who I met here at the Faldo Series. It's funny. I saw Rory at the Masters this year and he said, "Hi Ruby", which I hadn't heard in a long time. He's a great guy. What were you doing at the Masters? I just went to watch the players. I learn a lot from watching the men play golf. I love seeing how Rory and the others guys get around the course. It's the second time I've been, but I don't go inside the ropes. I walk around just like everyone else. I'd love to play Augusta National one day. Rory's great, but he hasn't won a single Major yet while you already have three... [Laughs]. I know. It's amazing. I never expected to win three Majors in my first three years on Tour. Never. But you know, that's not enough. I want to win more. I have one more to go [the US Women's Open, to complete a career grand slam]. I need to work hard. But it has been amazing, the whole thing. What's also amazing is the fact that you're still ranked number four in the world after winning two Majors this year. What's up with that? I've been as high as number two before but you're right, I'm now back at four. This year, despite winning three times, including two Majors, I've been a little up and down performance-wise. The top three [Ai Miyazato, Suzann Pettersen and Cristie Kerr] are so consistent. That's why it's always changing. It's really close and that makes it exciting. CONTINUED ON PAGE 108

The Yani File DATE OF BIRTH: 23 January, 1989 PLACE OF BIRTH: Taiwan TURNED PRO: 2008 MAJOR VICTORIES: 3 - 2010 British Open; 2010 Kraft Nabisco Championship; 2008 LPGA Championship OTHER PROFESSIONAL VICTORIES: 7 - including 2010 Arkansas Championship and 2009 LPGA Corning Classic ACCOLADES: 2008 Louise Suggs Rookie of the Year (2008)

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