From the President It might only be October but the Hong Kong Open is already upon us. The tournament ’s new date, before t he European Tou r ’s Fi na l S er ie s, i s proving beneficial and I am delighted to say that in Ernie Els and defending champion Miguel Angel Jiménez we have attracted real star quality. For whatever reason, Fa n l i n g h a s pro du c e d more than its fair share of amazing finishes, which you c a n read ab out i n this issue of HK Golfer, and who is to say the same won’t happen this time around. Certainly, with the best players from both the European and Asian Tours making their way to the Hong Kong Golf Club the stage is set for another brilliant week. E l s , t he t a l l S out h A f r ic a n who ha s fou r major championship victories to his name, will be making his debut at Hong Kong’s oldest professional event, but he has experience of Fanling, having played in the Alfred Dunhill Championship back in the 1990s. I’m sure he’ll
be one of the fan favourites during the week and many of the spectators, both young and the not-so-young alike will go away from the event trying their best to replicate his silky-smooth swing. To stage a n event of t he magn it ude of t he Hong Kong Open requires many hard-working individuals and organizations, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank both the Hong Kong Golf Club for their generous support as well as the Government’s Major Sports Events Committee (MSEC) for providing us with “M” Mark status for the 10th consecutive year. The volunteers, the majority of whom are HKGA subscribers, deserve great credit too and I hope to see you out at Fanling from 16-19 October. Joining the professionals in the field at the Hong Kong Open will be three Hong Kong amateurs: Martin Liu, who won the Hong Kong Close Amateur title over the Lunar New Year holiday, Doug Williams, who earned his place through qualifying last month and Michael Regan Wong, who secured his spot after winning last month’s Hong Kong Open Amateur Championship at Discovery Bay. I would like to congratulate them on their fine achievements and wish them the very best of luck. I, like many of fellow amateur enthusiasts, will be cheering them on from behind the ropes. Enjoy the week. Ning Li President
HK’s Isabella Scoops First College Title
Daniel Wong
Hong Kong’s Isabella Leung captured her f irst US college event since joining the University of Hawaii when she cruised to a three-stroke win at the season-opening Oregon State Invitational last month. Leung was the only golfer to f inish the tournament under par at one-under 215. She opened up with a blistering 67 before closing with rounds of 75 and 73 over the course at Trysting Tree Golf Club. She became the first University of Hawaii women’s golfer to win a tournament title in eight years. 60
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“I was kind of shocked to be honest because I didn’t think I played that well today,” Leung said. “I guess everyone else struggled out there with the tough pin placements. I’m happy because this is my first college win and I’m glad to get it out of the way.” With more than 10 junior titles in Hong Kong, Leung lists this victory among the top moments of her young career. “This is pretty special and it ranks right up there, especially because I broke my personal best in this tournament,” added Leung. HKGOLFER.COM