GOLF & Investing | 5 MINUTES WITH ...
James Stewart For golfers and investors out there, you might find golf and investing share a lot of similar attributes. In this, the first of a new series of interviews presented by Charles Schwab, Hong Kong, Ltd., James Stewart, the locally-based pro and entrepreneur – owner of J Stewart Golf, suppliers of bespoke golf products – tells us about his standout performances, his admiration for Tom Watson and his investment philosophy. What connections do you see between golf and investing? The obvious connection would be the need to control your emotions. You can’t let a negative situation on the course get the better of you – and the same applies when it comes to investing. Likewise, getting too excited – getting too ahead of yourself – can be disadvantageous in both disciplines. Staying in the present and maintaining your goals is key. When did you start playing? When I was seven. My stepfather was a member of the Hong Kong Golf Club – he joined in the 1960s – and I played most of my golf in those early years at Deep Water Bay, until I became good enough to play on the courses at Fanling. How often do you play? I average twice a week – once on the weekend and I try to get out for a midweek round, too. It all depends how busy I am. One of the advantages of being my own “boss” is that I can decide my own schedule. The disadvantage, however, is that I’m constantly working out of usual office hours, particularly late at night when I start receiving emails from my clients in the US and Europe. What’s been your best ever round? I’ve had a 61 on each of the three courses at Fanling (pictured). Those rounds were all during practice, although there may have been some money on the line [laughs]. My best tournament score was the 64 I shot over the New Course at Fanling in the second round of this year’s HKPGA Championship. Do you have a favourite course? The best course I think I’ve played is the National Golf Club of Canada, near Toronto. But my favourite course might be Shadow Creek in Las Vegas. I’ve enjoyed a few good money games out there! Alex Jenkins
Who would be in your dream fourball?
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Tom Watson, Arnold Palmer and Tiger Woods. I’ve always liked Watson. I think it’s amazing what he’s achieved, and he’s still playing great even though he’s in his 60s. I think everyone would have loved to have seen him win HK Golfer・MAY 2013
The Open and make history in 2009 when he came so close at Turnberry. How do you maintain focus during a round? It’s a cliché but I try and take each shot as it comes. It’s easy to become distracted with what you’ve done previously in your round but each hole presents a new challenge, a new opportunity. That’s what you have to focus on. How has golf helped in growing your business? When I stopped playing full time to start my company I was helped by the fact that I had met so many people from different walks of life through playing the game. Golf is a great way to network – more so than any other sport. I think spending four and a half hours on a course with someone gives you a good idea if you want to do business with them. How would you describe your overall investment philosophy? Fa irly conser vat ive. I made some poor investments during the Global Financial Crisis and I’m hesitant to invest in things I don’t know much about. Unless I’m familiar with how a company operates or have a good knowledge of its products then I’ll generally stay away. What key lessons have you learned through your personal investing experiences? It’s easy to be tempted by rumours of a particular stock – this led to some poorly judged investments in the past – so now I’ll only listen to professional advisors who I’ve built up trust with. HKGOLFER.COM