Summer Special: The Great British Golf Travel Guide
THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE HONG KONG GOLF ASSOCIATION ISSUE 66
HKGOLFER.COM JULY 2012
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HK Golfer Issue 66
July 2012
TO BREAK THE RULES, YOU MUST FIRST MASTER THEM. THE WATCH THAT BROKE ALL THE RULES, REBORN FOR
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2012. IN 1972, THE ORIGINAL ROYAL OAK SHOCKED THE WATCHMAKING WORLD AS THE FIRST HAUTE HOROLOGY
On the Cover:
The Claret Jug, the prize awarded to the winner of the Open Championship and one of the most recognizable trophies in sport. Photo by AFP
Features
Plus…
30 | Familiar Territory
17 | Tee Time
Normalcy returns to the US Open and the Olympic Club, thanks largely to the USGA’s course setup and Webb Simpson’s gutsy weekend play By Paul Prendergast
38 | Numbers Game
A numerical look at how the US Open was won and lost By Alex Jenkins
50 | A Right Royal Test
Royal Lytham & St Annes, host venue for this month’s Open, represents one of the toughest challenges on the championship rota By Alex Jenkins and Paul Prendergast
54 | Down, But Not Out
Darren Clarke has endured a disastrous time on the course since lifting the Claret Jug but in Royal Lytham, the defending champion will the returning to one of his most favoured haunts By Lewine Mair
60 | Tales from the Claret Jug
The game’s most recognizable trophy has a fascinating history all of its own By Dale Concannon Daniel Wong
64 | Great British Courses
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With the Open returning to the Lancashire coast for the first time since 2008, we highlight the best of Britain’s other golfing regions By Alex Jenkins and Mark Alexander
SPORTS WATCH TO TREAT STEEL AS A PRECIOUS METAL. TODAY THE NEW ROYAL OAK COLLECTION STAYS TRUE TO THE SAME PRINCIPLES SET OUT IN LE BRASSUS ALL THOSE
The history of Rolex is a triumph of both watchmaking excellence and brand assocation By Richard Reid
YEARS AGO: “BODY OF STEEL, HEART OF GOLD”.
20 | Liquid Assets
THE ALWAYS PURPOSEFUL ROYAL OAK ARCHITECTURE NOW
A review of the Old Bastard from Kaesler Winery, one of the most exquisite wines from the Barossa Valley By Robin Lynam
OVER 130 YEARS OF HOROLOGICAL CRAFT, MASTERY AND EXQUISITE DETAILING LIE INSIDE THIS ICONIC MODERN EXTERIOR; EXPRESSED IN 41MM DIAMETER. THE AUDEMARS PIGUET ROYAL OAK: CELEBRATING 40 YEARS.
22 | Single Malts
Our whisky editor raises his glass to the royally approved Lochnagar By John Bruce
24 | Driving Range
It’s easy to see why demand for the stylish new Range Rover Evoque has been colossal By Ben Oliver
26 | Golf & Investment Academy
For those investors out there, you might find that golf and investing share a lot of similar attributes By The Editors
28 | Property
Overlooking the Old Course at St Andrews, historic Hamilton Grand could set the benchmark for golf-related properties the world over By Alex Jenkins HKGOLFER.COM
ROYAL OAK IN STAINLESS STEEL. CHRONOGRAPH.
AUDEMARS PIGUET (HONG KONG) LIMITED Tel: +852 2732 9138 – www.audemarspiguet.com
HK Golfer
THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE HONG KONG GOLF ASSOCIATION JULY 2012 • Issue 66
Editor: Alex Jenkins email: alex.jenkins@hkgolfer.com Editorial Assistant: Cindy Kwok Playing Editor: Jean Van de Velde Photo Editor: Daniel Wong Contributing Editors: Lewine Mair Ariel Adams, Robert Lynam, Evan Rast David Cunningham III Published by:
TIMES INTERNATIONAL CREATION Times International Creation Limited 10A Lockhart Centre 301-307 Lockhart Road Hong Kong Phone: +852 3590-4153 Fax: +852 3590-4533
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HK Golfer Mailbag
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China Focus
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Asia Focus
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Global Focus
David Cannon/Getty Images
16 Divots 40
Around the HKGA
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International Scene
44
Local News
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Mid Summer Classic
85
Players to Watch
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Final Shot: Jean Van de Velde
HK GOLFER is published by Times International Creation, 10A Lockhart Centre, 301-307 Lockhart Road, Hong Kong. HK GOLFER is published monthly © 2012 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. 6
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Publisher: Charles McLaughlin Art Director: Derek Hannah Assistant Designer: Mimi Cheng Office Manager: Moira Moran Advertising: For advertising information, please contact: ads@hkgolfer.com For purchasing information contact: sales@hkgolfer.com For subscription information contact: subs@hkgolfer.com Hong Kong Golf Association Suite 2003, Olympic House 1 Stadium Path, So Kon Po Causeway Bay, Hong Kong Phone (General): +852 2504-8659 Fax: +852 2845-1553 Phone (Handicaps): +852 2504-8197 Fax: +852 2504-8198 Email: hkgolf@hkga.com handicaps@hkga.com In association with: www.thymedesign.hk
HK Golfer is available onboard all Cathay Pacific and Dragonair First and Business Class cabins and in Singapore Airlines First and Business Class lounges.
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HK Golfer Mailbag By the Book I would like to express my thanks to the Hong Kong Golf Association and Charles Schwab, Hong Kong Ltd for the Rules Seminar that took place at Fanling at the end of March. I attended the event and learned a great deal from it, particularly in terms of my personal Rules nemesis: adhering to the correct procedure when taking relief. My reasons for attending were quite simple. I have played golf for a few years but never really took the time to learn the rules fully. This wasn’t too much of an issue when I played social games with my friends, but it was a different matter in tournaments. In fact, I’m ashamed to say that I was once accused by my playing partner of cheating at an event. I would never knowingly cheat – rather, it was my lack of Rules knowledge that led to this extremely embarrassing situation. I immediately resolved to address this and have since reached the point, thanks in part to the Rules Seminar, where I am confident of taking the correct course of action during any given round. Learning the Rules to an adequate level for competition play doesn’t take an extremely long amount of time and is a very rewarding experience. I highly recommend every golfer to do the same. Name and address withheld
Etiquette Appeal I wanted to make an appeal through your fabulous publication to certain golfers in Hong Kong (and you know who you are): can you please apply a bit of common sense and awareness of others when you are on the course? Last month, as I was on a green having ducked a misfired drive I happened to notice from a nearby tee, a few pet peeves came to mind as my heart raced in relief: - Shout ‘fore’ if your ball looks like it is going anywhere close to a fellow player – much better to have needlessly bellowed that call for safety than hit someone - Rake bunkers. If you enter a bunker, you have some repair work to do – your footprints and the swoosh from your shot(s). Bunkers are by definition a hazard; extra obstacles are really not required. - Get off the green and away from that area as soon as you can so players behind can get on and play their shots. Marking up scorecards and analyzing the hole just finished, for example, can be done at the next tee (or in the 19th).
selfishness and danger caused by other players to add to the challenge of a leisurely round. Fiona Donnelly Happy Valley
Right on Resch I would like to congratulate Scott Resch for his fantastic article “Off the Rails at Olympic”, which appeared in the June issue. It was very well written indeed! It may have been a surprise to some to see top players like Bubba Watson, Luke Donald and Rory McIlroy missing the cut and Phil Mickelson scoring in the high 70s at the US Open, but Resch did a good job by telling us how difficult the course was playing in the lead up to the event. The agony and frustration that he went through during his own round was told with real feeling. As we saw, his was not the only train wreck at the Olympic Club. I hope HK Golfer will continue to publish more of these “reallife” stories in the future. KC Tew Via email We Want to Hear from You! Have something to say about an article in HK Golfer or a topic affecting golf in our area? Send your thoughts and comments to letters@hkgolfer.com. Please also include your address, contact number, email and HKGA #. The winner of the best letter will receive a bottle of Champagne Louis Roederer courtesy of Links Concept.
- Watch where your ball flies and finishes. It’s your game. You have a vested interest in knowing the result of your latest swing, even if it’s not pretty. Golf is a magnificent but antagonistic game in itself. We really don’t need the 8
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HKGOLFER.COM
China Focus China’s Maiden Major Shanshan Feng became the first player from mainland China to win a major thanks to a remarkable final round at the LPGA Championship last month. Feng, 22, who is from Guangzhou and won the Hong Kong Open Junior Championship in 2004, started the final round at Locust Hill Country Club well behind the leaders but fired a five-under-par 67 – the low round of the week – to take the title, her first in the States, by two shots. “Golf in China is growing,” said Feng, the World No 5. “I believe in the future, China will be one of the strongest countries.” Photo by AFP
Asia Focus Thongchai Wins in Wales Thailand’s Thonghcai Jaidee secured his first victory on European soil at the Wales Open in late May by holding off a resurgent Ross Fisher and Joost Luiten of the Netherlands on a rain-lashed final day at the Celtic Manor Resort. Jaidee, who has four previous wins on the European Tour – all attained at co-sanctioned events in Asia – shrugged off a troublesome back injury to hole a series of crucial putts on his way to a one-stroke victory. “Conditions were quite tough for me,” said the likeable Jaidee. “It wasn’t like playing in Thailand.” Photo by AFP
Global Focus Through the Eye of the Needle Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell finds a path through the trees after an errant drive at the 9th hole during the third round of last month’s US Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco. McDowell, who won the championship at Pebble Beach in 2010, would eventually finish in a tie for second, one shot behind Webb Simpson. The American (right), who shot a fine 68 in the final round, is seen here with Jack Fleck and Billy Casper, past winners of the championship when it was held at Olympic in 1955 and 1966 repsectively. Photo by Charles McLaughlin
divots
Caddie’s Actions Lands Lara with DQ
Reid Battles to Poignant Victory England’s Melissa Reid fought back the tears to record an emotional victory at the Raiffeisenbank Prague Golf Masters late last month. Reid, playing in her first tournament back since the tragic death of her mother, Joy, in a car accident in Germany four weeks previously, maintained her composure right until she holed her winning putt on 18. Needing to hole a six-footer for par to seal a one-stroke victory over Italian Diana Luna, she calmly rolled it in before l being embraced by friends and fellow competitors on the 18th green. “To be honest I wasn’t that nervous. I think with something like what’s happened to my family and me the last four weeks nothing really seems that difficult anymore,” said Reid, who finished on a nine-under-par total of 207, after rounds of 68, 67 and 72. “I spoke to my coach when I went back a couple of weeks after and he said to me, ‘I don’t know when it’s going to be, but this will make you a stronger person,’ and my best friends have said that as well and I honestly think it will.”
Former Hong Kong Open winner Jose Manuel Lara was disqualified from last month’s BMW International Open after his caddie tried to hide an extra club carried in the Spaniard’s bag. Argentine caddie Mathias Vinson tried to hide the club in thick bushes alongside the 2nd hole, having realised Lara was carrying 15 clubs. Lara was disqualified because a player is responsible for a caddie’s actions. European Tour chief referee John Paramor said: “We are satisfied [Lara] had no knowledge of what was going on.” The issue came to light when Vinson took a diversion from the fairway and Lara’s playing partners, Damien McGrane and Peter Hedblom, became suspicious. When challenged, the caddie admitted there had been one too many clubs in the bag. “It was clearly the caddie doing what he felt at the time was the right thing, but was clearly the wrong thing,” said Paramor, announcing Lara’s disqualification from the tournament.
CLUBHOUSE Away from the Fairways TEE TIME
A Crowning Achievement
Tour Gets Tough on Tweets
AFP
The European Tour has reminded players that they face disciplinary action for breaching social media rules after James Morrison of England recently criticized the Wales Open in an online post. The European Tour says sanctions will apply for any “offensive, threatening, disparaging, hurtful or otherwise” comments, and stuck a memorandum on a notice board at the BMW International Open in Germany last month to remind players of their responsibilities. Morrison wrote on Twitter to describe the Celtic Manor course as a “dump” and say “one more round and then can’t get over that bridge quick enough!” The 27-year-old Englishman apologized for his comments during the tournament but will still be fined by the Tour. The Tour also warns that players could face civil action from “any other parties who legal rights are affected by such comments.” 16
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HKGOLFER.COM
Ambassadorial Adam: Scott, the World No 16, is one of many Rolex testimonees from the world of golf HKGOLFER.COM
The history of Rolex, the largest single luxury watch brand in the world and a sponsor of this month’s Open Championship, is a triumph of both watchmaking excellence and brand association, writes Richard Reid
CONTINUED OVERLEAF HK Golfer・JUL 2012
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T
Founding father: Hans Wilsdorf registered the Rolex name in London in 1908.
he five pointed crown of the Rolex logo is recognized throughout the world as a symbol of quality. It has been the brand’s associations with historical accomplishments, though, that have taken it to such heights. The Rolex Experience in Shanghai includes an enlightening letter written by Hans Wilsdorf, the company’s founder. The watchmaker’s executives will tell you the letter is original, and although it’s possible, it does seem somewhat unlikely. Being such a valuable historic artifact, the original is most probably locked in a secret vault beneath the brand’s Swiss headquarters. The letter spells out, in Wilsdorf ’s own handwriting, the reasons behind the name Rolex. He explains that a good brand name should have no more than five letters; be easy to remember; look good on movements and
For years [Rolex founder] Wilsdorf submitted his modified movements to official testing institutes and, in 1914, the Kew Observatory in London awarded Rolex with an ‘A’ rating for accuracy. It was an accolade that, up until that point, had only ever been awarded to marine chronometers. 18
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dials and, perhaps most significantly, be easy to pronounce in every language. Today, of course, Rolex is the largest single luxury watch brand in the world. Back in 1908, though, when Wilsdorf, registering the company’s new name and seemingly plucked it from the ether, it meant absolutely nothing at all. Originally called Wilsdorf and Davis watches, the brand that would come to be known as Rolex was founded by the 24-year-old Wilsdorf, and his brother in law, Alfred Davis, in 1905. Back then, wristwatches were a relatively new commodity and the pair faced an uphill struggle to convince potential customers of their product’s accuracy. Wilsdorf was absolutely determined to make the very best product he possibly could. He was relentless in his pursuit of perfection and was constantly attempting to improve upon the blank mechanisms he purchased from Swiss suppliers. For years he submitted his modified movements to official testing institutes and, in 1914, the Kew Observatory in London awarded Rolex with an ‘A’ rating for accuracy. It was an accolade that, up until that point, had only ever been awarded to marine chronometers. Suddenly, the fledgling watchmaker was synonymous with accuracy and precision. Rolex remains a byword not just for accuracy but also quality, luxury and a mark of good taste. Whilst other watchmakers may come and go, Rolex remain a cherished and desired brand. Witness the countless fan clubs and online forums dedicated to the firm. There are few other brands that inspire such devotion. In 1919 Wilsdorf became the sole owner of Rolex and moved the firm to Geneva. This move started the company down the path toward complete control over the manufacturing process. Within a few short years, Rolex would become a true manufacture producing everything from cases to movements in house. This meant that Rolex had complete quality control but of course, accuracy and precision can only take a brand so far. That’s not to belittle the watchmaker’s innovations, for indeed, they are complex and numerous. It was Wilsdorf’s marketing clout, though that really carried the Rolex name around the world. Who today doesn’t associate Rolex with James Bond? Since 1962 and Dr No, the quintessential British spy has worn a highly modified Rolex submariner in no less than 11 outings. Before that, though, real-life men of action were wearing Rolex, with air force pilots frequently replacing their military issue timepieces with these more accurate devices. In fact, during World War Two, it came to light that prisoners of war were having their
Our Master Watchmaker never loses his concentration With his legendary concentration and 45 years of experience our Master Watchmaker ensures that we take our waterproofing rather seriously. Gilbert O. Gudjonsson, our Master Watchmaker and renowned craftsman, inspects every single timepiece before it leaves our workshop. As a privately owned and operated company, we have the opportunity and duty to give all our timepieces the personal attention they deserve.
www.jswatch.com
CONTINUED ON PAGE 78 HKGOLFER.COM
Official HK Agent: Times International Creation ltd. Contact: jswatch@timesic.com Tel: +852-3590-4153
Greenock Creek Winery
LIQUID ASSETS
What’s in a Name?
Often compared to Penfold’s Grange, Old Bastard from Kaesler Winery is one of the Barossa Valley’s most exquisite wines, writes Robin Lynam
I
would have thought that a pint of Old Peculier would be the ideal match for a wedge of Stinking Bishop, but I’m bound to admit that a glass of Old Bastard did the job surprisingly well. Stinking Bishop is a cheese, and it and Theakston’s Old Peculier, a beer, share ecclesiastical nomenclature. A ‘peculier’ is a parish independent of the jurisdiction of a diocese, and so cheese and ale can meet on equal terms. Cheese is invariably a feature of the informal wine tastings held from time to time in the HK Golfer offices, and Stinking Bishop (sourced from the local branch of Classified) is a favourite, although essentially so in its own right, rather than because it is a particularly suitable partner for any wine with much in the way of subtlety about it. It is a soft, washed rind cheese, and the wash employed is a perry made from the Stinking Bishop pear – so named, apparently, after the grower who bred it – not a malodorous cleric at all, but a civilian called Mr Bishop who was renowned for his evil temper. There is nevertheless a clerical link. The cheese is made by methods believed to have been employed by Cistercian monks, and even if the name is derived from fruit, the suggestion of an emphatic aroma is a good fit. There aren’t many wines with the bottle to face up to the Bishop. Which brings us to Old Bastard. The Kaesler estate, now called Kaesler Vineyards and Winery, in South Australia’s Barossa Valley, was established in 1893. It is no longer family owned. Since 1998 winemaker Reid Bosward has been co-owner and estate manager, and Old Bastard was the first wine he made there. Had he known for sure the quality of what he was going to come up with, he might have been less flippant with the name. Old Bastard has been compared to Penfold’s Grange and Henschke’s Hill of Grace, both of which just sound like more serious wines. Bosward wasn’t messing around with either his winemaking or his vineyard management however. Old Bastard is a single vineyard wine made from old vine Shiraz, hand pruned, hand picked and low yield. According to Bosward the wine was fermented in stainless steel and matured in Burgundian oak for 19 months, then bottled without fining or filtration. His description of the vintage reflects the same colourful cast of mind that gave the wine its name, and commissioned its highly distinctive label. Bosward describes the colour as being like “arterial blood” and says of the nose “once opened, and when it’s young, exhibits soy sauce, vegemite, mandarin rind and flowers. After a few hours with air, and more suggestive of its future, it leans slowly towards dark chocolate embedded with black, ripe yet still
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sour cherries. After five hours or more, small berried fruit, black and red, start streaming though, and vanilla lift adds a nice topping and ethereal afterglow”. I don’t know about you, but while there are many aromas I look for and like to find in a bottle of wine, Vegemite is emphatically not one of them. For t u nately by t he t i me we opened it the wine had spent six years developing in the bottle, and there wasn’t a hint of an Australian breakfast spread about it, although Bosward was spot on with the dark chocolate and cherries. Loads of both. On the palate this is a thick, luscious, almost overwhelming wine. It cries out for food and can certainly stand up to strong flavours if the successful partnership with Stinking Bishop is anything to go by. Think in terms of game, steaks and other strong cheeses. Although not sweet, this is a port drinker’s red. At 16.5 per cent alcohol by volume it packs a considerable punch, and it is unlikely that at a single sitting two, or even three, would proceed to a second bottle. It is one to sip and linger over, and a distinctly hard act to follow. Armagnac or Islay malt are perhaps the way to go. It is also not easily available in Hong Kong, which is why this magazine’s special reader offer (see below) will be particularly tempting for many.
The Open... "If I had to select the number one Australian winery, it would be hard not to choose the Greenock Creek Winery... the quality that emerges from this estate is extraordinary." - Robert Parker
Exclusive HK Golfer Offer* Email: wine@hkgolfer.com or call on: (852) 3590 4153 Please quote code: GreenockHKG 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon (WA 94) HK$400 2001 Alices Shiraz (RP 98) HK$900 2004 Alices Shiraz (WA 98) HK$500 SOLD OUT 2006 Alices Shiraz (WA 91+) HK$500 2006 Apricot Block Shiraz (WA 91+) HK$500 2006 Seven Acre Shiraz (RP 93) HK$550 2004 Creek Block Shiraz (RP 99) HK$1,450 2001 Roennfeldt Road Shiraz (WA 99) HK3,000
Special Reader Offer HK Golfer is pleased to offer this exceptional wine for sale at HK$1,300 per bottle for the 2005 vintage and HK$1,200 for the 2006 vintage. No minimum order required and professional storage available if required. Delivery at cost. Please order by email – wine@hkgolfer.com – or call (852) 3590 4153 HKGOLFER.COM
...and pour *Subject unsold. Terms & Conditions apply
At the end of a great day...
Single Malts
A Deeside Diamond Whisky editor John Bruce on the royally approved Lochnagar
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n 1848, while most of Europe and much of Latin America experienced uprisings in what became known as the Year of Revolution, Queen Victoria decided that it might be amusing to have a place in which to while away her holiday time. In search of this wee “but and ben”, the Royal party arrived on Deeside in Aberdeenshire and happened upon Balmoral Castle. Having deemed the property “small but pretty”, Victoria ordered for Balmoral to be rebuilt to rather more satisfactory dimensions and set about meeting the locals. The great Queen’s foresight in engaging with her populace ensured she avoided the fate of the rather more stand-offish second home owners of the following century. “Come home to a real fire – buy a holiday home in Wales,” went the joke from the 1970s, a play on British Coal’s television adverts at a time when Welsh nationalists were taking particular umbrage to the English penchant for snapping up country cottages. Like many present day holidaymakers, the monarchs thought it necessary to find a place for a wee tipple and fortunately enough, Lochnagar Distillery happened to be less than a mile from the castle. John Begg, the distillery owner,
demonstrating fine Scottish opportunism, had invited Prince Albert to visit, ostensibly due to the consort’s interest in all things mechanical. Apparently there was also great interest in lubrication as Victoria, Albert and their three eldest children arrived the next day. A Royal Warrant of Appointment as supplier to the Queen swiftly followed and Royal Lochnagar was to be a very successful distillery for many years. As with most of the Scottish distilleries, ownership changed as the industry flourished and waned but today the distillery is owned by Diageo, the global drinks company. The vast majority of the output from the distillery is utilized by Diageo in the production of their market dominating Johnny Walker Black and Johnny Walker Blue deluxe blended whiskies and, as the distillery is one of the smallest in Scotland, this means that no great amounts of the single malt itself are available. The distillery markets only three expressions and the 12 year old core expression is a great example of a highland malt. Traditional production values, fine spring water and carefully selected barley have produced a typically smooth, indeed sweet highland malt. 22
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Single malt whisky is a marvellous success story and much of that success is due to the careful control of quality and entitlement to the name, as well as the exponential growth in demand for something that is limited in supply. The boutique bottlers have been referred to before and they have found a particularly profitable but entirely beneficial niche in the industry. On the way back from a recent trip to Scotland I was looking for something new to sample and happened upon the Old Malt Cask Royal Lochnagar 14 year old, which Douglas Laing has put out as its Diamond Jubilee commemorative malt. The Old Malt Cask range was launched by Douglas Laing with 50 bottlings from various distilleries to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the company but they now have more than one hundred carefully selected fine malts in the range. Each single cask bottling is, by definition, limited in number with casks selected from all of Scotland’s great distilleries. Chill filtration is eschewed and the preferred strength is 50 per cent abv. Not everything falls entirely into place for the commemorative malt that I purchased however, as this strength is traditionally referred to as the “Golden Strength”. But I would suspect that a “Diamond Strength” might be less of a delight than this little gem. If this bottling is an example of the quality across the entire Old Malt Cask selection, then Douglas Laing have done a magnificent job. Sampled, unfortunately, with more than one friend, I only just managed to keep the last fifth of the bottle for myself. In keeping with the theme of this edition, I will readily say that this, with the exception of the HK$1,500 that I recently found in the pocket of a little worn jacket, was my best discovery of 2012. The nose is my least favourite part of the experience as it is somewhat too alcoholic, but this is an entirely minor complaint. Sweet but with hints of green fruit the initial taste morphs into a very rich and almost butterscotch middle that lengthens into a honey laden but warmly alcoholic finish. It demands a little water to bring all of these sensations to the fore and is, in this Olympic year, pure nectar. HKGOLFER.COM
... 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.
lastdrop@hkgolfer.com; (852) 3590 4153 lastdropdistillers.com
DRIVING RANGE
Perfectly Formed
It’s easy to see why demand for the stylish new Range Rover Evoque has been colossal, writes Ben Oliver
around the world. Perhaps the clearest indication that we shouldn’t think of this SUV in the same way as others is that the firm is actually giving serious thought to a convertible version, and concept for which has already been shown at motor shows in China and New York. A car you really wouldn’t expect, from a car company many didn’t expect still to be here.
Cute concept: it might be the smallest Land Rover to date but the Evoque's handling rivals that of sports cars, with quick steering, plenty of grip and a comfortable ride
Y
ou might have thought, given straitened economic times and near-universal concern about global warming and oil supplies that expensive, thirsty SUVs and the companies that make them would be out of favour. But then you look at the recent financial and sales figures from Land Rover – a British marque that makes only off-roaders – and wonder if we’re all really as concerned as we say we are. The Indian Tata Group’s purchase of Jaguar-Land Rover (or JLR) for US$2.3 billion in 2008 looked badly mistimed. The global downturn added to the pre-existing financial woes: Tata sought UK Government aid for its British outpost, and the closure of factories seemed certain, and of one or both brands not unthinkable. But in the last financial year, JLR contributed an astonishing US$1.6 billion in profits to Tata’s coffers, with both brands posting strong sales growth. Land Rover provided the bulk of those profits, thanks partly to its popularity in emerging markets such as China where pockets are deep but roads are poor. An SUV makes perfect sense in such areas, and there’s little or none of the social opprobrium that European SUV drivers often feel. And Land Rover has bounced back without the aid of significant new product: those profits have been made by the existing but excellent Range Rover, Discovery, Freelander and venerable Defender. But they will now be joined by
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a Land Rover like no other before: one whose styling and off-road ability make it technically an SUV, but which Land Rover hopes you’ll consider alongside style-conscious coupes like the Audi TT. And if it sells in the numbers the hype seems to suggest, next year’s profits will be even healthier. The new Range Rover Evoque, like the TT, is little changed from the concept car that previewed it. It is the smallest Land Rover to date and available as a three- or five-door: the former less practical but the more striking of the two. It looks sharp and aggressive but its smaller size stops it looking arrogant, as many SUVs do. And it doesn’t drive like a typical SUV: those dimensions make it a cinch to navigate and park in tight urban environments, such as Hong Kong, but its extra SUV height aids visibility, and bigger SUV tyres smother the worst urban craters and prevent kerb damage. When the traffic clears you’ll find that HKGOLFER.COM
SCORECARD How much? From HK$668,000 Engine: 1999cc Turbo Petrol 240hp @ 5500rpm Transmission: 6-speed automatic Performance: 7.6sec 0-100kph. 217kph How heavy? 1,640kg
the handling somehow rivals sports cars too: quick steering, plenty of grip, a taut but comfortable ride and virtually none of the roll that usually afflicts tall off-roaders through bends. The two-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine produces a prodigious 240hp with the aid of a turbocharger, enough to endow the Evoque with serious straight-line pace, but small enough to return very un-SUV-like fuel economy at a cruise. Demand for the Range Rover Evoque has been colossal as it makes its debut in markets HKGOLFER.COM
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Haney Golf Tip
SPECIAL FEATURE
I’ve always said that to get better at golf you have to have an approach – you need a system, you need to formulate a plan! Without one, you have no chance to improve. The first thing you need to have is a picture in your mind of where you would like to go. It works the same with me when I coach students. I look at someone’s golf swing and I plan where I want to take them, where they need to go, and how. A lot of times in golf, people’s goals are not really goals – they’re almost dreams. For me, a goal is like a stepping stone on the way to the end result. Maybe that end result is the dream.
Golf & Investment
Academy
For those investors out there, you might find golf and investing share a lot of similar attributes. Both require careful planning, patience, and discipline, to site a few examples. Charles Schwab, Hong Kong, Ltd., a financial services firm serving investors in Asia certainly believes so. #2
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For more on the connection between golf and investing, please visit: www.schwab.com.hk/golf
Course management can help improve your game and save you shots. The first rule of course management is to pick the right spot to tee off on every hole. Always tee off on the side of the trouble. Imagine there’s water and bunkers lining the right side of the fairway. In this case you’d want to tee the ball up on the right hand side of the tee box. This allows you to hit away from the trouble, which gives you a better angle and essentially allows you a wider margin of error.
Schwab Investing Tip
T
“The first thing you need to have is a picture in your mind of where you would like to go.”
Picking Your Spot
Formulating a Plan
he first and most critical step towards investment success is formulating a plan. Just as you wouldn’t drive to an unfamiliar destination without a map or GPS, you can’t expect to fulfill your investment goals without having a long term plan in place. With a plan you know where you’re heading – you need to have in mind your goals, your risk tolerance and your time horizon. An important part of having a plan is being able to focus on the big picture while implementing the individual investment decisions. As you pass through time, it will throw curve balls at you – markets go up and down, securities you hold go up and down. While you’ll have to adjust your tactics along the way, you still need to adhere to that long term plan, which is consistent with your goals, your risk tolerance and your long term objective. An investment professional who understands your plan, can provide you candid yet constructive feedback, and offers you tools to keep track of your investments can be a big value-added partner along your investing journey.
I teach a lot of players who want to be on the PGA Tour and win. To win a major championship is a goal, but it’s also a dream – it’s a long term place a player wants to get to. So you need to have a lot of intermediate goals, to help you gain momentum. For instance, if you’re shooting in the 100s, then your first goal should be to break that century barrier. Through practice, instruction and improved course management you can soon be carding rounds in the 90s. They may seem like little steps when you start, but before you know it you’re moving along, covering a lot of ground and keeping yourself on track for the long term.
“With a plan you know where you’re heading – you need to have in mind your goals, your risk tolerance and your time horizon.”
Hank Haney is a PGA Teaching Pro and a Charles Schwab client in the US HKGOLFER.COM
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PROPERTY
Golf’s Ultimate Residence Overlooking the Old Course at St Andrews, historic Hamilton Grand could set the benchmark for golf-related properties the world over, writes Alex Jenkins
A
Courtesy of the Old Course Hotel, St Andrews
s anyone who has ever played the Old Course at St Andrews will tell you, the walk up the 18th hole is a spiritual experience. Following the great champions’ footsteps as you cross the ancient Swilcan Bridge and traverse Granny Clark’s Wynd – the narrow gravel road that bisects the fairway – the scene that unfolds is without question the most famous in golf. It comes as no surprise to learn that even dyed-inthe-wool professionals admit to feeling a quiver of exhilaration every time they see they set foot in this most charming of towns. St Andrews is the Home of Golf, and from Tom Morris’ old golf shop tucked just yards from the 18th green to the Royal & Ancient Clubhouse that stands proudly behind the 1st tee, the history of the game confronts you at nearly every turn. Now, thanks to the vision of American entrepreneur Herb Kohler, there is an opportunity to invest in a unique piece of it. Among the most eye-catching landmarks in this “Auld Grey Toon”– and one of the most photographed buildings in golf – is Hamilton Grand, the large sandstone edifice that towers majestically over the 18th green. Opened in 1895 as the Grand Hotel, the property was commissioned by architect and avid golfer Thomas Hamilton, who, legend has it, had been rejected R&A membership. His riposte: build the most extravagant hotel in Scotland (replete with the country’s first pneumatic lift and hot and cold running water in every bathroom) and site it just yards from the R&A Clubhouse. If the story is true, Hamilton certainly made his point. High-profile guests that stayed at Hamilton Grand during its heyday of the Roaring Twenties included stylish Open champion Walter Hagen and the Prince of Wales. The building’s life as a luxury hotel was shortlived however. Taken over by the Air Ministry during the Second World War for use as the Royal Air Force’s training headquarters, Hamilton 28
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Hamilton Grand will comprise 26 luxurious apartments with sensational vistas of the Old Course and West Sands beach ... owners will be able to say they have the best view in the world of sports. HKGOLFER.COM
Grand was then bought by the University of St Andrews and served as a halls of residence – under the name Hamilton Hall – until as recently as 2005. Now, following Kohler’s purchase three years ago, Hamilton Grand has a new purpose. Kohler, who also owns the nearby Old Course Hotel, a five-star establishment that overlooks the fiendishly difficult and renowned Road Hole, and the highly-rated Whistling Straits course in Wisconsin, is in the process of refurbishing the Victorian-era building into what can only be described as the ultimate residence for golfers. When it is completed at the end of the year, Hamilton Grand will comprise 26 luxurious apartments, ranging from two-bedroom units to an expansive four-bedroom penthouse, offering sensational vistas of the Old Course and West Sands beach, which film buffs will recognize as the location of the opening scenes from Chariots of Fire. Apartment owners will rightfully be able to say they have the best view in the world of sports. As you might expect from an American-led project, the list of amenities and associated benefits is extensive. There will be a golf concierge, daily maid service and a personal assistant to handle residents’ travel and domestic arrangements, while an upscale restaurant and bar will occupy space on the ground floor. Residents will earn automatic membership to the Kohler-owned Dukes Course, a splendid heathland-style layout on the outskirts of St Andrews, and have full use of the Old Course Hotel’s award-winning spa and assorted leisure facilities. A shared rooftop garden (penthouse owners will have their own private terrace) with yet more of those stunning views will make an impressive venue in which to entertain guests, while owners who are permanent residents for more than six months a year are also eligible to apply for a coveted Links Ticket, giving them access to the Old Course and the other six courses run by the St Andrews Links Trust for a nominal sum. HKGOLFER.COM
Needless to say, golf’s ultimate residence, which is being marketed by Savills, comes at a price. A two-bedroom unit starts at £2.2 million (HK$26.8 million) with the penthouse priced at offers of more than £6.3 million, making it Scotland’s most expensive apartment. However, come 2015, when the Open Championship next visits St Andrews and you’re stood watching the action from your terrace with a glass of champagne in hand, this will seem like money very well spent.
SCORECARD How much? From HK$26.8 million Size: 1,133-2,780 sq ft No of bedrooms: 2-4 Property type: Apartment Tenure: Leasehold Address: St Andrews, Fife, Scotland For more information contact Jamie Macnab, Savills Edinburgh: jmacnab@savills.com / +44 (0) 131 247 3700
Living on the links (clockwise from opposite): Hamilton Grand overlooks the famous 18h hole at Swilcan Bridge; the jawdropping view from the property’s rooftop terrace; intricate ironwork; the show flat’s master bedroom HK Golfer・JUL 2012
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us open
Simpson on Sunday: the 26-year-old American, seen here chipping from a difficult lie to the side of the 18th green during the final round, finished with a flourish to earn his first major title.
AFP
Normalcy returns to the US Open and the Olympic Club, thanks largely to the USGA’s course setup and Webb Simpson’s gutsy weekend play, writes Paul Prendergast. 30
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Olympic, which had been tweaked, extended and thinned of trees since 1998, the last time it played host to the championship, provided an event whereby only two players – Jim Furyk and Graeme McDowell – were under par after three rounds. US Open Final Standings 1
Webb Simpson
USA
72 73 68 68
281
US$1,400,000
2=
Graeme McDowell
NIR
69 72 68 73
282
US$695,196
Michael Thomson
USA
66 75 74 67
282
US$695,196
4= Jason Dufner
USA
72 71 70 70
283
US$276,841
Jim Furyk
USA
70 69 70 74
283
US$276,841
Padraig Harrington
IRL
74 70 71 68
283
US$276,841
John Peterson
USA
71 70 72 70
283
US$276,841
David Toms
USA
69 70 76 68
283
US$276,841
9
Ernie Els
RSA
75 69 68 72
284
US$200,280
10= Kevin Chappell
USA
74 71 68 72
285
US$163,594
Retief Goosen
RSA
75 70 69 71
285
US$163,594
John Senden
AUS
72 73 68 72
285
US$163,594
Lee Westwood
ENG
73 72 67 73
285
US$163,594
Casey Wittenberg
USA
71 77 67 70
285
US$163,594
15= KJ Choi
KOR
73 70 74 69
286
US$118,969
Fredrick Jacobson
SWE
72 71 68 75
286
US$118,969
Martin Kaymer
GER
74 71 69 72
286
US$118,969
Adam Scott
AUS
76 70 70 70
286
US$118,969
Steve Stricker
USA
76 68 73 69
286
US$118,969
Aaron Watkins
USA
72 71 72 71
286
US$118,969 AFP
Olympic contenders: Tiger Woods plays a fine pitch to the 17th green on his way to a share of the second-round lead; Simpson (opposite page) was quick to point out former winner Graeme McDowell's name on the championship trophy
Charles McLaughlin
I
n the week after the grandstands and hoardings had been taken down from around the Olympic Club, you can imagine USGA Executive Director Mike Davis and his colleagues returning to their Far Hills, New Jersey headquarters and engaging in a collective ‘high five’ for restoring a sense of normalcy to the United States Open Championship. Sure, heavy rains before the tournament had much to do with Rory McIlroy setting a bunch of alltime records at Congressional last year, and you can bet the USGA had in their minds a plan to avert such free scoring conditions so soon after. Davis says the USGA make no bones about the fact that they want their flagship tournament to be the most difficult test of golf that the players face all year – and with the San Francisco weather complying, it was unanimous amongst the elite field that they got just that. Olympic was firm, fast and, to borrow a phrase, hard as nails – just as any venue for the US Open should be. “The Lake Course here at the Olympic Club played exactly the way that we believe a US Open Championship course should play,” said Davis following Webb Simpson’s gutsy come-frombehind victory. “It delivered a tough yet fair test of golf to the very best players and examined virtually every part of their games ... this week was classic US Open golf, and it clearly identified a national champion who excelled in every challenge along the way.” The USGA’s setup of the golf course and the already demanding design at Olympic, which had been tweaked, extended and thinned of trees since 1998, the last time it played host to the championship, provided an event whereby only two players – Jim Furyk and Graeme McDowell – were under par after three rounds. Eventual winner Simpson, with his belly putter working to full effect, lifted the trophy after posting a four-round total of one-over, helped by brilliant back-to-back rounds of 68 over the weekend. The 36-hole cut this year was set at eightover, the highest on the PGA Tour since the 2008 US PGA Championship at Oakland Hills. Incidentally, the highest cut since the Second World War (15-over) also came at the Olympic Club, during Jack Fleck’s 1955 Open. The defending champion was certainly put in his place after pulling the USGA’s pants down last year, saving his best work of the week for the opening pitch he threw at a San Francisco Giants’ baseball game before the championship. Rounds
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This was a US Open where the cream did rise to the top, but it was Simpson, his long game and putter working on all cylinders over the final 36 holes, who ended up as the crystallised cherry.
AFP
Fading Furyk: the 2003 US Open champion, who held the third-round lead with McDowell, is known as one of the best grinders on tour, which is why his lacklustre play during the final round came as so much of a surprise 34
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of 77 and 73 saw McIlroy’s defence cut short and a fourth missed cut since May. Pity for McIlroy that the Giants were on the road at Seattle over the weekend, though he might have slipped over to Oakland to catch the A’s taking on the Padres. He would have a few pals with time on their hands to join him in the bleachers too. World No 1 Luke Donald, who played with McIlroy and fellow Englishman Lee Westwood over the opening rounds, shot a disastrous birdiefree 79 to open his campaign. A second round 72 was not good enough to give him a chance of teeing it up at the weekend and he will head to Royal Lytham and St Annes, his eye still on that maiden major, with perhaps less belief in his game than before he arrived in California. But McIroy and Donald were not alone as Olympic maintained her track record of chewing up and spitting out high profile players, with Masters champion Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson, Louis Oosthuizen, Bill Haas and Geoff Ogilvy also relegated to watching the weekend action from the sidelines.Olympic was certainly unyielding but Davis and the Championship Committee got the delicate balance of thick rough and closely mown approaches and collection areas just about right, with slightly mishit or
shots of incorrect distance control being prone to punishment. Tiger Woods’ approach to the parfive 17th in round two was a fine example: his long-iron shot looked to have stopped at the back of the green, only to slip off the edge and spill down a slope to a position where he was faced with an uphill pitch of some 30 yards between trees from a tight lie. Woods made par after failing to hole his putt after an exquisite pitch, but was clearly rattled at what he’d just witnessed. Four bogeys in the first eight holes on Saturday dropped the joint second-round leader out of contention, but you can’t help but feel the 14time major champion’s grip on this tournament had been lost after what should have been a castiron birdie the day before. Ernie Els’ quest for a third US Open also came to grief in one of these collection areas over the back of the 16th in the final round. The USGA should be roundly applauded for this setup. The choking collars of thick rough around every green that we’ve grown accustomed to seeing year after year at the US Open has, to a large extent, taken short game skill out of the equation. Thick rough was still very much in existence at Olympic but – crucially – it was there in balance. Davis and his colleagues are progressively redefining the way their courses are being presented and in doing so, they have reintroduced a cerebral approach to the short game and have all but eliminated a reliance on the mindless gouge as the only greenside shot required for this great event. HKGOLFER.COM
As we saw, the course setup went a long way to helping the best short game and course management exponents to prosper. It was no coincidence that it was Jim Furyk, McDowell, Els and, to a lesser extent, Woods and Padraig Harrington – all major champions – who were all vying for the title come Sunday afternoon. This was a US Open where the cream did rise to the top, but it was Simpson, his long game and putter working on all cylinders over the final 36 holes, who ended up as the crystallised cherry. Given the Olympic Club’s history of producing fine winners who aren’t necessarily household names, this in itself was weirdly reassuring. “We are already looking forward to next year, when the tradition of golf’s toughest test will continue in the 2013 US Open at Merion Golf Club,” Davis concluded. Amen to that.
Youth and experience: China-born Andy Zhang (below) on his way to a 79 during the final round; Ernie Els (left) acknowledges the crowd after his eagle at the 7th on Sunday, but couldn't hold his game together to mount a serious charge
Chinese Amateur Zhang Lights up Olympic While Paul Casey’s continuing shoulder injury and subsequent withdrawal from the year’s second major was bad news for the 34-year-old Englishman, his absence enabled teenage amateur phenomenon Andy Zhang of China to become the youngest competitor at a US Open since the Second World War. Fourteen-year-old Zhang, who was born in Shandong province and attends school in Florida, broke the record previously held by Tadd Fujikawa by a year and impressed both the media and spectators at the Olympic Club with his game and humility. An opening 79 – which included a birdie at the 18th that brought one of the biggest cheers of the day – was followed by a 78 and a missed cut. But while there was moments of frustration, Zhang never got done. “It has been one of the most exciting, unforgettable and unbelievable experiences,” he said, noting encounters he had with such pros as Masters champion Bubba Watson, Aaron Baddeley – and especially three-time major winner Ernie Els.
Charles McLaughlin (Els); AFP (Zhang)
“I’ve always looked up to him,” the six-foot tall Zhang said. “I’ve always wanted to meet him and once I did, he’s actually like really nice to me. He’s kind of taken me on as a younger brother; it’s just really nice.” The toughest part of Zhang’s visit to San Francisco might have come after his first round, when a TV producer asked him to speak Mandarin in describing the experience. “Do I have to?” Zhang pleaded. “Because I don’t feel like my Chinese is as good as my English. –AJ
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NUMBERS GAME
US Open in Review
50
3
66
Charles McLaughlin (Woods and Olympic); AFP
The number of amateurs who made the cut at Olympic Club. Americans Jordan Spieth, Beau Hossler and Patrick Cantlay all made it through to the weekend action, with 17-year-old Hossler impressing in the early rounds with scores of 70, 73 and 70 to lie just four strokes off the lead with 18 holes to play. Unfortunately for the burly Californian, his final round 76 demoted him to a share of 29th, two strokes behind Spieth who fired final rounds of 69 and 70 to snatch low amateur honours.
5
The number of birdies that Luke Donald and Rory McIlroy, the two top ranked players in the world, made
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between them during the first two rounds. Perhaps not surprisingly, the duo, who were drawn alongside Lee Westwood, were never a force and missed the cut.
9 10
W ith his victor y, Webb Simpson became the ninth straight first-time major winner. In addition, Simpson is the 15th different player in a row to win one of golf’s grand slam events. The driveable par-four 7th, which measured just 288 yards, yielded this many eagles during the event. Only the par-five 17th, the easiest hole on the course, gave up more, with 13 players recording two-under-par scores.
18.18
Was Tiger Woods’ sand save percentage for the week. Woods, who held a share of the lead after the second round, got it up and down from greenside bunkers on only two of 11 occasions. Woods finished the championship in a share of 21st, six shots behind Webb Simpson.
19.7
The percentage of players who hit the sixth green in regulation during the tournament, which works out at less than one in five. The hellishly difficult 489-yard par-four played to an average of 4.54. HKGOLFER.COM
J ason Dufner hit this many greens (out of 72), which was t wo more than any other playing during the championship. The inform Dufner, who has two wins this season, averaged 12.5 greens per round and finished the event in a tie for fourth, two shots behind winner Webb Simpson, on a total of three-over-par. W a s t h e l ow r o u n d o f t h e week. The unheralded Michael Thompson, who eventually finished in a share of second place, fired the four-under-par total early on day one. Thompson finished the tournament with more birdies than anyone in the field – 16 – and closed with a sparkling 67, which offset middle round scores of 75 and 74.
190
The distance, in yards, that Nick Watney’s miraculous five-iron shot for an albatross on the 17th hole during the first round travelled. It was the third albatross
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– or double eagle – in US Open history following TC Chen’s in 1985 and Shaun Micheel’s in 2010.
281
Webb Simpson’s winning total – which equated to oneover-par – was the highest at a US Open held at the Olympic Club since Jack Fleck’s remarkable play-off win over the legendary Ben Hogan in 1955. Fleck and Hogan had been tied at 287 through 72 holes.
339.3
Was Nicolas Colsaerts’ average driving distance, in yards, during the tournament. The mega-hitting Belgian underlined his status as the longest player in professional golf by besting second-ranked Angel Cabrera by over 20 yards. Colsaer ts translated that power into a tie for 27th, although he could have finished much higher were it not for a lacklustre 76 in the final round.
344
The length, in yards, of the 18th hole at Olympic Club, which is considered short for a par-four but nonetheless conceded only six birdies during the final round. The hole was the sixth hardest, playing to an average of 4.3.
In the news (clockwise from top): Tiger Woods is all smiles during a press conference; the short par-4 18th at Olympic played harder than its yardage might suggest; Rory McIlroy, the defending champion, failed to make the weekend; Jordan Spieth earned low amateur honours; Michael Thompson finished in a tie for second; Nick Watney; the long-driving Nicolas Colsaerts; Jason Dufner HK Golfer・JUL 2012
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From the President A s t h e n e wl y el e c t e d president of the Hong Kong Golf Association I would first like to thank my predecessor David Hui, last year’s Executive Committee and all the staff at the HKGA for their efforts during what was another successful year for gol f in Hong Kong. The HKGA’s core goal is to promote a high level of amateur golf and junior development – and to that end, the past 12 months have been a productive time in the city. I look forward to working with HKGA Chief Executive Iain Valentine, National Coach Brad Schadewitz, our international squads and all our sponsors – most significantly, EFG Bank, sponsors of the junior development programme – in enhancing and building on the good work done so far with our junior and elite programmes. The highlights of the 2011/2012 season have been many and varied. The UBS Hong Kong Open, which was played in early December at its traditional Fanling venue, proved to be another fantastic tournament and underpinned its reputation as one of the European and Asian Tour’s most exciting. How thrilling it was to see Rory McIlroy finally come up trumps over a course he loves so much. His holed bunker shot on the final hole of the championship will live long in the memory. The same can be said of Jason Hak’s magnificent achievement in making his third straight cut at the tournament. Jason, who made headlines around the world when, aged 14, he first achieved the feat back in 2008, has blossomed into a truly world-class amateur and has enjoyed
enormous success on the American Junior Golf Association circuit. We wish him the very best when he starts college at Georgia Tech later this year. Speaking of the Hong Kong Open, another key focus of the HKGA is to work with our partner, the European Tour, in securing sponsorship for the 2012 championship and beyond. In September, Hong Kong hosted the Southeast Asia Amateur Golf Team Championship, which incorporated the Putra, Santi and Lion City Cups. Held at Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club, the event was a tremendous success, with Hong Kong – represented by Jason Hak, Shinichi Mizuno, Terrence Ng and Liu Lok-tin – coming very close to winning the Putra Cup only to be caught by Singapore in the closing stages. Nevertheless, the result was the best Hong Kong has had in a generation of team championships and represents how far we have come in recent times. Shinichi is back in the news this issue after recording a fabulous win at the Mercedes-Benz Junior Golf Asian Masters Final in Thailand. Competing against some of the region’s brightest talents, he held his nerve superbly to take home the trophy. Then just one week later Shinichi fired a brilliant 68 to win the Bushnell Mid Summer Classic at the Hong Kong Golf Club. The tournament, which was played over two days at the end of June, is the best attended of all HKGA events and this year saw over 320 participants take part. Congratulations must also go to amateur Terrence Ng who, at the time of press, finished second behind Asian Tour regular Scott Barr at the le coq sportif Golf Championship, a professional tournament held at Discovery Bay Golf Club. Happy golfing.
An intelligent filter The judgement to spot talent early; the expertise to nurture it. Blending the finest solutions for clients. Proud sponsors of the EFG Bank Hong Kong Golf Association Junior Golf Programme.
Peter Ahern President , HKGA
KSC Celebrates 2 Millionth Golfer
Golf’s increasing popularity in Hong Kong was underscored by the news that the Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Course hosted its two millionth golfer in early June. Now in its 17th year of operation, the facility, which is home to three courses – the Gary Player-designed North and South layouts and the East Course from Nelson & Haworth – has earned a reputation as the finest public golfing complex in the region – and one of the busiest anywhere. Since the opening of the East Course in 2008, there are now over 160,000 rounds played each year, and with course utilization running at 80 per cent, Kau Sai Chau management expects to welcome its three millionth golfer as early as 2018. 40
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Practitioners of the craft of private banking
Ms Ng Sau Fun, the two millionth golfer, seen with General Manager Cameron Halliday and award sponsors on 8 June HKGOLFER.COM
Hong Kong : 18th Floor, International Commerce Centre, 1 Austin Road West, Kowloon, Hong Kong, T +852 2298 3000 • 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
INTERNATIONAL SCENE
Mizuno’s Thai Delight
Think you've seen everything in Hong Kong?
Eighteen-year-old overcomes adversity to win Thai title
S
hinichi Mizuno held his nerve to clinch victory at the Mercedes-Benz Junior Golf Asian Masters Final in Thailand mid-June. Discovery Bay Golf Club member Mizuno, winner of the 2011 Hong Kong Amateur Close Championship, made a par at the demanding par-four 18th hole at the Burapha Golf & Resort on the outskirts of Pattaya to claim the boys’ 18 and under division by a shot from Thirwat Luangsuree. Mizuno, a regular Hong Kong international, fired rounds of 69, 73 and 77 for a three-day total of 219 (three-over-par). National coach Brad Schadewitz was full of praise for Mizuno, who unluckily incurred a two-shot penalty at the 6th hole after his caddie failed to remove the flagstick on a long range birdie putt that dropped into the hole. The penalty turned what would have been a birdie – and a three-shot lead – into a potentially disastrous bogey. “Shinichi played great and dealt with some major adversity,” said Schadewitz. “But he held his nerve, kept his emotions in check and pulled out the win down the stretch. I’m really proud of him.” Steven Lam, playing in the boys’ 23 and under category, gave Hong Kong more reason to cheer with a solid performance that earned him the runner-up spot in the division. Nineteen-year-old Lam, the reigning Hong Kong Amateur Close champion, closed with a threeover-par 75 to finish two shots back of local talent Pongsathorn Pengboonma. Michelle Lee also earned second place in the girls’ 14 and under division thanks to rounds of 86, 79 and 77. The tournament, which was sponsored by Mercedes-Benz for the 10th straight year, featured over 100 players from Thailand, Canada, China, India, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Taiwan and the USA.
Daniel Wong
Heliservices is the premier helicopter operater for commerical & utility aircraft services in Hong Kong & around the region. For bookings or enquiries, please contact +852 2802 0200 or e-mail: chp@heliservices.com.hk 42
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Over
years of Aviation Excellence
news
Hak Climbs the Amateur Rankings Hong Kong international Jason Hak reached a career high of No 16 in the R&A’s World Amateur Golf Rankings in mid-June before dropping back a few spots towards the end of the month. Hak started the year outside the top 50 but thanks to a tremendous season on the American Junior Golf Association circuit, which included a win at the highly-rated HP Boys’ Championship at Carlton Woods, the 18-year-old, who was born in Tsim Sha Tsui and now resides in Florida, is considered by American magazine Golfweek to be the best junior in the United States. To put that into context, Hak is ranked higher than Andy Zhang and Beau Hossler – the two amateurs who made such an impact at last month’s US Open. Tiffany Chan, Hong Kong’s sole women’s representative in the rankings, is placed at 374.
Hong Kong players and their world ranking: Jason Hak Motin Yueng Shinichi Mizuno Terrence Ng Steven Lam Tiger Lee Max Wong Michael Chong Mickey Chan
25 116 1392 1544 2785 2926 4833 5077 5664
Quality Field Expected for Faldo Series Hong Kong More than 100 competitors are expected to line up for the 2012 Faldo Series Hong Kong Championship at the Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Course on August 6-7. Now in its seventh year, the tournament has switched dates in order to create opportunity for more young golfers from Hong Kong and across the region. “The 2005 Faldo Series International Trophy in Hong Kong featured players including Rory McIlroy and Yani Tseng, so I am delighted to see the Hong Kong Championship now benefitting so many local golfers,” said Sir Nick Faldo (pictured). “I thank the HKGA and Kau Sai Chau for sharing my vision and I look forward to spending time with the winners at the Grand Final next March.” The Faldo tournament will run concurrently with the Kau Sai Chau Junior Open, which is sponsored by now TV. “Our thanks must go to now TV for their sponsorship of the event over the past eight years and Sir Nick Faldo for the opportunity to host a Faldo Series event as part of the JCKSC now TV Junior Open, a move which will surely attract a high quality field,” said Mike Carey, head of golf operations at Kau Sai Chau. “We’re very much looking forward to getting things underway.” Golfers aged 13 to 21 will compete over two rounds on the challenging North Course for the title, won last year by Terrence Ng. Established in 1996, 38 Faldo Series tournaments now take place in 28 countries worldwide with more than 7,000 golfers participating each year.
Around the Clubs Mark Ho was the gross winner of the June Medal at the Hong Kong Golf Club with a 77 over the Old Course; Simon Lee earned nett honours with his 66. On 3 June, Ian McKirdy teamed up with Masahiro Sato to claim the Shanghai Visitor’s Cup following a 62; Simon Westbrook and Kester Ng finished in second place, missing out on the top spot on count back ... At Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club, Cheung Kim fired a 77 to win the gross prize at the Captain’s Cup, which was played on 9 June; James Fung emerged as the nett champion following his round of 70. In the Chairman’s Cup, Benedict Tang’s 41-point haul was good enough to claim a narrow one-point victory over Peter Kwan in second place ... William Chung’s 75 won him the gross division prize at the May Medal Competition at Discovery Bay Golf Club on 27 May, while Rungnapa Winchester’s claimed the ladies’ gross division with an 82. SY Lee’s 68 and Roberta Tan’s 71 earned them the nett division titles. 44
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Mid Summer Wins for Shinichi and Christy Shinichi Mizuno continued his recent run of fine form to ease to victory in the Bushnell Mid Summer Classic in late June. Mizuno, who won a youth event in Thailand the previous week, fired a fine 68 over the New Course at the Hong Kong Golf Club to establish a six-stroke margin of victory. Jeffrey Wang, Michael Regan Wong and Jonathan Yeap tied for second place with 74s, while Shinichi’s younger brother Shinya placed fifth with a 75. Defending champion Charles Stone finished back in the pack after a lacklustre 84. In the Ladies’ division, Christy Chong edged out Emilie Vickie Leung on count back for the title after the pair recorded matching 32-point hauls. Cathy Chung earned third spot, a point further back. The long-running tournament is the most popular event on the HKGA calendar, with over 320 players taking part. For a full list of results visit hkga.com
Men’s Gross Stroke Play Results 1
Shinichi Mizuno
68
2=
Jeffrey Wang
74
Michael Regan Wong
74
Jonathan Yeap
74
5
Shinya Mizuno
75
6=
Tom Scott
77
Daniel Wan
77
8=
John O’Doherty
78
Justin Lok
78
10= Linus Lo
79
Chow Kar Fai
79
Sebastian Cheng
79
Ladies’ Gross Stableford Results 1
Christy Chong
32*
2
Emily Vickie Leung
32
3
Cathy Chung
31
4
Rita Chan
30
5=
Chan Ching Yee
28
Elsie Roberts
28
7
Estee Vivian Leung
27
8
Ruby Yim
26
9
Bonnie Yen
24
10
Lee Wing On
23
Daniel Wong
* Denotes win on count back
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profile
Combining Talents Alex Jenkins talks to Sunny Kang, the lady captain at Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club and a world-renowned clarinetist
S Courtesy of Sunny Kang
ome people are lucky enough to take to golf like a duck to water but even so, Sunny Kang’s rise is by anyone’s reckoning little short of amazing. Setting foot on a course for the first time in 2006, Sunny reached a single-figure handicap at Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club within the space of just two years, winning numerous tournaments along the way. Such has been her progress and commitment to the game that she is now the club’s lady captain. “Although Koreans are crazy about golf I thought the game was just for old people, says Sunny, who was born in Seoul but studied and subsequently lived full time in the US before moving to Hong Kong. “Golf just wasn’t within the realms of my thinking.” That all changed after her husband joined Clearwater Bay and, attracted by the picturesque setting of the seaside course, she thought she’d give it a try. It didn’t take long for her to become hooked. “Golf has become my second passion,” she affirms. “Every time we return to Hong Kong after a trip the first thing we do is go to Clearwater Bay. It’s so beautiful and I miss playing there when I’m away.” Sunny’s first passion is classical music, an art in which she has excelled. After learning to play the clarinet at the age of 12, Sunny graduated from the Eastman School of Music and then completed a master’s degree and artist diploma programme at Yale University, where she tutored by a number of the
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genre’s greats. Touring extensively – from the Hollywood Bowl to Osaka’s Symphony Hall – Sunny was selected in 1990 as one of three clarinetists to represent the United States in the American-Soviet Youth Orchestra World Tour, which took her to Moscow and to venues throughout Europe. In 2000, Sunny released her debut album, Brava, to critical acclaim having previously been acknowledged by San Franciscobased classic radio station KDFC as one of the top 30 classical stars under the age of 30. Sunny – who is known in the music world by her birth name, Seunghee Lee – believes her musical background has been a key reason for her ability to pick up golf so quickly. “Golf is just like music,” she says matter-offactly. “Both require coaching, a routine and discipline – but most importantly they’re both all about rhythm and tempo. Also, knowing what to practice makes you more efficient.” But while music has helped improve her game, golf has also helped – indirectly at least – her music. HKGOLFER.COM
After the first of her two sons was born, Sunny became a full-time mother. And while she didn’t give up the clarinet, she knew where he priorities lay. “I looked at Brava as almost a retirement album,” she admits. That was until last year when, one day, she was thinking ahead of her tenure as lady captain. “At the drive-in [the captain’s first official event], it’s normal for the captain to give away gifts to all the participants as souvenirs. I was thinking about what I could do that might be a bit different,” she remembers. “Then it struck me: I’ll make a new CD!” The result – which saw Sunny return to the recording studio for the first time in over a decade – is Embrace, an 18-track album featuring her take on a range of beautiful classical compositions from the likes of Chopin, Schumann and Dvorak. And like Brava before it, Embrace has won stunning praise from those within the industry. Released last November in the US, the album reached the top 10 of the classical charts in Hong Kong earlier this year, where it jockeyed for position with offerings from artists such as Lang Lang, Katherine Jenkins and Andrea Bocelli, reaching a high of No 4. While Sunny has no personal ambitions of a return to music full-time, she has been using her talents as a way of raising funds and awareness for charitable concerns, something that is also at the centre of her captaincy goals. On the back of the success of Embrace, Sunny has held private concerts with the money raised going to a number of different causes. In her role as captain, Sunny will be involved with at least two charities that she holds in particularly high regard. The first – Box of Hope (boxofhope.org) – is an annual project aimed at providing gifts to underprivileged children at Christmastime, while she will be actively working with Mother’s Choice (motherschoice. org) in the hosting of the charity’s golf event at Clearwater Bay on October 12. The event open to all golfers. “To be honest I never really saw my future in music because I could never meet my own expectations,” says Sunny. “I’ve since learned that you can never achieve perfection in music, which is exactly the same with golf. But I take a great deal of satisfaction in the knowledge t hat I ’m giv i ng back a nd cont ribut i ng [to charity] through my performances. That is very fulfilling.” Embrace by Seunghee Lee is produced by Summit Records and is available at HMV and at a number of online music stores. Personally autographed CDs can be ordered through Sunny’s own website, seungheeleeclarinet.com HKGOLFER.COM
"I've since learned that you can never achieve perfection in music, which is exactly the same with golf. But I take a great deal of satisfaction in the knowledge that I'm giving back and contributing [to charity] through my performances. That is very fulfilling."
Embracing her role (clockwise from opposite): Sunny became lady captain at Clearwater Bay just six years after taking up golf; at her Hong Kong home, which has been the venue for a number of her charitable concerts; the CD cover for Embrace , which hit the top 10 in the Hong Kong classical music chart HK Golfer・JUL 2012
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open preview
A Right Royal Test Royal Lytham & St Annes, host venue for this month’s Open, represents one of the toughest challenges on the championship rota, write Alex Jenkins and Paul Prendergast
E Alan Birch (Royal Lytham); David Cannon/Getty Images (Ballesteros)
uropean players have, by and large, fared well at Royal Lytham & St Annes, but no one in history has been more successful around this difficult, heavily bunkered layout than the late Seve Ballesteros. The club and the R&A are planning on recognising the threetime Open champion’s deeds at Lytham and the part he played in the championship’s history with, amongst other things, a commissioned portrait to be unveiled in his memory during Open week. And rightly so. Ballesteros’ victories in 1979 – with the famous ‘car park’ shot in the final round – and his titanic battle with Zimbabwe’s Nick Price in the 1988 Championship – capped off by a marvellous chip shot from the left of the final hole to within inches – have, of course, become the stuff of Open legend. In a Ryder Cup year with Ballesteros’ great Cup partner José María Olazábal at the helm, there could be not better way for European players to honour his memory and book their place on the team than to secure victory on the Lancashire coast. In the 11 previous Opens held at Lytham dating back to Bobby Jones’ victory in 1926, American winners had been scarce until Tom Lehman’s victory in 1996, which also saw Tiger Woods collect the Silver Medal for finishing as the low amateur. At the 1926 Open, the great amateur Jones played a remarkable 175-yard blind shot to the green from a sandy lie on the penultimate hole, demoralising the chances of countryman Al Watrous, to win the Open on only his second attempt. A plaque marks the spot from where Jones struck his imperious shot and the mashie club he used is displayed in Lytham’s attractive Victorian clubhouse. The champions at Lytham in the intervening years were among the finest of their respective eras: Bobby Locke (1952), Peter Thomson (1958), Bob Charles (1963), who was the first left-handed major champion, Tony Jacklin (1969) and Gary Player (1974); before consecutive victories by the swashbuckling Spaniard. With such an impressive list of past winners, there can be no questioning Lytham’s ability to identify truly great champions, not to mention its habit of witnessing so many memorable shots. Forgetting Ballesteros’ catalogue of wonder moments for a second, who could forget Player’s left-handed putt from against the wall of the clubhouse or Jacklin’s booming drive down the middle of the 18th fairway that wrapped up his maiden major?
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Forever linked: Royal Lytham & St Annes, seen here at the 18th hole, and threetime Open champion Seve Ballesteros Lytham is also unique for being the only course on the Open Championship rotation to start with a par-three, a robust 206 yard opener that is infamous for the events that occurred in the final round in 2001. Ian Woosnam, the co-leader standing on the tee in the final round, hit a marvellous approach to within inches of the cup for a castiron birdie only to be alerted by his caddie on the 2nd tee that they had 15 clubs in the bag. Woosnam hurled the offending extra driver into the bushes in frustration and the subsequent two-shot penalty effectively ruined any hope of the diminutive Welshman, who won the Masters 10 years previously, adding to his major haul. In the end it was World No 1 David Duval who cantered to his one and only major success thanks to a brilliant 67. Given Woosnam’s misfortune, the American might have been an unpopular winner with the British golfing public had he not given such a heartfelt and gracious speech upon receiving the Claret Jug. Duval, a somewhat misunderstood character HKGOLFER.COM
At the 1926 Open, the great amateur Bobby Jones played a remarkable 175-yard blind shot to the green from a sandy lie on the penultimate hole, demoralising the chances of countryman Al Watrous, to win the Open on only his second attempt. showed the utmost class and dignity that day. Lytham is a pure links but urban development has resulted in the course being surrounded by housing and a railway line that borders the property, unlike other Open layouts which retain a mostly uninterrupted relationship with the shore. But what it lacks in seaside vistas it more than makes up for in golfing quality. Chief Executive of the R&A, Peter Dawson, says players familiar with Lytham will notice a few changes to the golf course since 2001. “The R&A have embarked on a programme over the past 10 years of upgrading our Open venues, only slightly here and there, to give the modern professionals the best possible challenge,” he said. At Lytham, that means new back tees installed on the two par-fives – the 7th and 11th – and also the par-four 10th. The 7th green has also been moved back approximately 30 yards to extend the hole to 589 yards, while the 11th has been stretched to over 600 yards. Reports indicate the upgrade work has settled in well after helpful winter conditions and the tweaks also includes the creation of three new dunes systems on HKGOLFER.COM
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Royal Lytham’s Open Highlights
1974 - Player Prevails
1926 - Jones’ Master Stroke Bobby Jones, whose only previous Open appearance saw him walking off the Old Course at St Andrews in disgust following an outward nine of 46 – which he would later call his “most inglorious failure in golf” – comes from behind to overhaul fellow American Al Waltrous thanks to a superb approach to the 17th green from a sandy lie to the left of the fairway. An amazed Waltrous three-putted the hole for bogey and then bogeyed the last to lose out to Jones by two shots. It was the first of Jones’ three Open titles.
1988 - Ballesteros’ Double
1952 - Locke Cuts it Fine South African Bobby Locke eased to his third Open Championship victory at Lytham but only after a mad panic on the morning of the final 36 holes. After breakfasting at his Blackpool hotel, Locke realised that his golf clubs were stuck in the boot of his car which was locked inside a private garage – which he didn’t have a key to. Luckily for Locke a friendly milkman knew the garage owner and scarpered off to find him. After retrieving his clubs Locke made a dash for the course, changed his shoes in the car, and made it to the 1st tee with only moments to spare.
1958 - Thomson Makes it Four The fourth of Peter Thomson’s five Open titles came after a 36-hole play-off with a powerful 23-year-old Welshman, Dave Thomas. After the pair recorded record 72hole total of 278, Thomson went out and shot a fine 68 to Thomas’ 69 in the morning round before prevailing in the afternoon. The win gave Thomson his fourth Open in just five years; he would add his fifth in 1965.
Seve Ballesteros and Nick Price contested arguably the finest major shootout since Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus’ famous ‘Duel in the Sun’ at Turnberry 11 years earlier with a gripping final day battle. Trading birdies and eagles around the turn, Ballesteros broke the deadlock with a brilliant 9-iron to within inches of the cup on the 16th before getting up and down at the 18th with a wonderfully deft chip that he nearly holed. Ballesteros’ winning 65 was at the time the lowest final round score ever posted by an Open champion.
1996 - Lehman Hangs On A young amateur named Tiger Woods won the Silver Medal for low amateur, but it was his fellow countryman Tom Lehman who took home the Claret Jug thanks to a two-shot win over Ernie Els and Mark McCumber. A flawless 64 in the third round gave the Minnesotan a six-shot lead with only 18 to play, and despite not being at his best on day four, Lehman was able to hang on for his first and only major championship win.
2001 - Duval Shows His Class
1963 - Lefty Putts to Victory New Zealand’s Bob Charles became the first left-hander to win a major championship after a sensational putting display in his 36-hole play-off with Phil Rodgers of the USA. Charles took just 26 putts in the morning 18 holes and scrambled superbly, wearing out Rodgers, who had fired a fine 69 in the final round of regulation. Charles ended up winning by eight.
1969 - Jacklin Gives Brits a Boost
A near flawless 67 from World No 1 David Duval gave the American a deserved first major but it was Ian Woosnam’s two-shot penalty after his caddie discovered an extra club in his bag on the 2nd tee that garnered almost as much attention. To his credit, Woosnam, who had birdied the 1st after a splendid tee shot to take the championship lead, didn’t collapse, but the quality of Duval’s play on that final day was too much for the Welshman and the rest of the field. Sadly for Duval, his victory at Lytham, which many thought would be the first of many major titles, preceded a terrible slump in form and he has never been the same since.
There hadn’t been a British champion of the Open since Max Faulkner in 1951 but Tony Jacklin changed all that with an accomplished display over the Lytham links. Taking the lead in the third round, Jacklin withstood the challenge of 1963 winner Bob Charles well and arrived on the 18th tee with a two-shot lead. After Charles missed the fairway to the right, Jacklin hit a bullet of a drive down the middle of the fairway to become the first British winner in 18 years. It would take another 16 years more the next British winner – Sandy Lyle at Royal St George’s in 1985.
1979 - King of the Car Park Seve Ballesteros was only 22 when he won the first of his Open Championships – and he did it in the style that made him a fan favourite all over Europe and beyond. Despite finding only one fairway with his driver in the final round, Ballesteros rescued the situation time after time thanks to magnificent shot-making and a brilliant short game. The highlight of his performance came at the 16th when his tee shot came to rest under a car. He was awarded a free drop before pitching to the green and holing the birdie putt from around 25 feet. Ballesteros won by three from Ben Crenshaw and Jack Nicklaus.
Hero and villain: David Duval (opposite) played sublime golf in the final round in 2001 to claim his so-far only major title; Sergio Garcia (left) is often a popular if occasionally petulant contender on British seaside links
AFP
the 2nd, 3rd and 16th holes. At 7,086 yards and playing to a par of 70, Lytham will measure around 200 yards longer than it did in 2001. Lytham is a course that favours the strategic, says Dawson. “There’s always disaster lurking (at Lytham) with over 200 bunkers. You’re not going to win this Open from the bunkers, that’s for sure.” And like at all Open venues, players face the prospect of fluctuating weather conditions, such is the unpredictability of the British summer. Lytham, the work of numerous architects over the years including the brilliant Harry Colt, is routed so that few holes play in the same direction, while shifting winds means the very real likelihood of holes playing differently from the morning to the afternoon sessions. Getting through the tough opening six holes without calamity should allow for opportunities to pick up shots over the more middle of the round, before Lytham bears its teeth again with a difficult finishing run of par fours from the 14th onwards. But what of the contenders? Defending champion Darren Clarke, who finished third here in 2001, has relished his 12 months as the Open champion, getting married to his girlfriend Alison in a beachside ceremony in the Bahamas the week after the Masters and
Gary Player was cruising to his third Open victory until the penultimate hole when the South African missed the green and his ball fell deep into knee-high rough. It was only with the assistance of the galleries that he located it, and it was only narrowly within the five-minute time frame. Then, his approach to the 18th hole ran through the green and up against the clubhouse wall. With a healthy lead, he could have elected to take a penalty drop, but instead elected to play the shot left-handed. Successfully accomplished, Player calmly two-putted for his eighth of nine major championships.
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proudly touring the Claret Jug to tournaments throughout the world. Sadly, he has endured a difficult year on the course but links golf clearly brings out the best in him and, while he won’t start as one of the favourites, it will take a brave man to bet against the likeable Ulsterman. Despite Americans winning the last three majors, the chance of another European victory must be seen as good. Luke Donald and Rory McIlroy, fresh off extremely disappointing US Open performances, will be determined to underline their world ranking positions with strong showings, while Lee Westwood, the most consistent performer in major tournaments over the past three years, has to believe he’ll be in the reckoning come Sunday. Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell and Justin Rose all have the games to take home the Claret Jug. Included in this heavyweight group is Sergio Garcia. The gifted Spaniard loves the challenge of an Open Championship, although he has much to prove. After this year’s Masters, the World No 21 told Spanish reporters “I’m not good enough, I don’t have the thing I need to have. I had my chances and opportunities [in the majors] and I wasted them. I have no more options. I wasted my options.” Garcia’s closest shaves among 17 top 10 finishes in majors date back to his runnerup finish to Tiger Woods in the 1999 PGA Championship at Medinah, site of this year’s Ryder Cup, a play-off loss to Padraig Harrington in the 2007 Open at Carnoustie and a second place finish, again to Harrington, at the 2008 US PGA at Oakland Hills. Heading to Lytham, Garcia is 0 – 55 in majors. Were these statements at Augusta simply refreshing candour or a resigned acceptance of fate from the 32-year-old? Garcia need only look back to the then 42-year-old Clarke’s victory at Royal St George’s 12 months ago however to realise that he has time very much on his side. Fred Couples, Tom Kite, Davis Love III, Phil Mickelson and Corey Pavin were all older than the at-times petulant Garcia when they bagged their majors. Perhaps the inspiration of Ballesteros will visit Garcia at Lytham, where you can be sure he’ll receive thunderous support from the most knowledgeable galleries in the game. After his many near misses and his impassioned Ryder Cup exploits for Europe, his would be as popular and emotional victory as any.
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interview
Down, But
Not Out Darren Clarke has endured a disastrous time on the golf course since lifting the Claret Jug twelve months ago, but as Lewine Mair explains, in Royal Lytham & St Annes, the defending champion will be returning to one of his most favoured haunts
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lmost everywhere Darren Clarke has played since winning last year’s Open, he has been invited to bring along one or both of Alison Campbell and the Claret Jug. To have Alison at his side – the pair were married after the Masters – is a long-term scenario. The same, though, does not apply to the Claret Jug. If the Ulsterman’s game does not kick in pretty quickly, he has no chance of hanging on to the prized silverware for another 12 months. Showing the trophy around the world has prompted any amount of pride on the player’s part. At every stopping-point, Clarke has reiterated how honoured he is to have won the greatest championship of them all: “If, when I set out to be a professional, anyone had asked me which title I wanted the most and which was the one where I would have my best chance, I would have gone for the Open on both counts,” he said. During trips home to Portrush, the trophy has been prominently placed in his kitchen. Initially, it gave him a delicious early-morning dose of memories; more recently, it has prompted a degree of alarm. Clarke being Clarke, it is immensely important to him that he looks the part of a defending champion when he tees up at Lytham and, so far this year, he
AFP
Rollercoaster year: The everpopular Clarke hasn't had too many reasons to smile with his play on the golf course since his win at Royal St George's, but he's determined to get back to his best 54
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anxiety was hardly helping his cause. He sacked his caddie, John Mulrooney, at the end of January in the hope that that would make a difference but, once again, there were no dramatic after-effects. In fairness, he and Mulrooney were unlikely to have enjoyed a long and peaceful arrangement in any circumstances. The pair had one of a handful of rows on the Sunday prior to Royal St George’s as Clarke came unstuck in the final round of the Scottish Open at Castle Stuart. In which connection, the often tempestuous Clarke revealed at the recent annual European Tour awards dinner that he fell out with rather more than merely Mulrooney at that point. His Royal St George’s practice companions – Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell – were similarly targeted. “I wasn’t speaking to anyone,” laughed Clarke of that improbable prelude to the biggest week of his golfing life. Phil “Wobbly” Morbey, who used to work
During trips home to Portrush, the Claret Jug has been prominently placed in Clarke’s kitchen. Initially, it gave him a delicious early-morning dose of memories; more recently, it has prompted a degree of alarm.
Scintillating at Sandwich: the big Ulsterman battled the tough conditions at Royal St George's during the final round better than anyone else to claim the most coveted prize of them all – the Claret Jug
43-year-old Clarke and Steve McGregor, Lee Westwood’s fitness coach. “I felt that Steve could talk to him about the difference it would make if he started to go in for some serious training, not just for his immediate future but for the plans he has for the Senior Tour,” Chandler said. (Clarke’s Open win will pave the way for a fiveyear exemption on the US senior circuit when he turns 50.) McGregor wasted no time referring Clarke to his opposite numbers in Northern Ireland, Jonny Bloomfield and Professor Eric Wallace and, in a matter of weeks, Clarke was more like his former buoyant self. He was shedding pounds and sticking to a number of new rules, with no alcohol in a tournament week among them. “Jonny,” he noted at the time, “doesn’t let me away with anything.” By early February, Clarke was reporting back that he was feeling stronger and mentally fresher towards the end of the round, while the progress was reflected in his scoring when he had two sub-70 scores over the weekend at Doral, a WGC event where there is no cut. Alas, the improvements in his play were not on-going. He was working as hard as ever – Clarke is considered in the same league as Vijay Singh when it comes to graft – but his growing
AFP
has missed every cut going. It was at the World Match Play Championship in May that a gentle reminder along the lines that he had not been playing that well prior to Royal St George’s last year, prompted him to say what was really on his mind. “Things could suddenly turn round,” he said a tad doubtfully, “but there was one big difference between last year and this. Then, I’d got a win under my belt. This year, there’s been nothing. My golf has been rubbish. Utter rubbish.” Chubby Chandler, Clarke’s manager of 21 years, made the perfect assessment of his player’s situation at the end of 2011. “Darren,” said Chandler, “had a good period of celebration after his triumph and that was entirely understandable. But there’s no getting away from the fact that it affected his golf a bit.” Chandler decided that the best course of action was to set up a meeting between the now
with Ian Woosnam, took over Clarke’s bag in February, while the Ulsterman’s next positive move was to marry his fiancé, with the ceremony taking place on a beach on the Bahamas. Clarke says of Alison, a former Miss Northern Ireland, that she knows how to deal with his “strops”. Asked to expand, he said, lightly, that she tended to ignore him. It was following the PGA Championship at Wentworth, where he was once again redundant at the weekend, that Clarke pulled out of the US Open because of a groin injury which had first made itself felt during the Houston Open. “I am extremely disappointed,” he said at the time. “The thing is that I have to make sure I am 100 per cent ready for the Open – and to do that I’ve been advised not to play for a month.” It is just possible that four weeks’ of rest and recuperation will serve the same purpose as the fortnight’s holiday which Chandler
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There is no question that the odd flicker of form could ignite into something more substantial once Clarke gets to Lytham, the links where he finished in a share of third place behind David Duval in 2001. He has said more than once that he felt more comfortable there than he did at Royal St George’s. 58
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recommended just over a year ago when his man was talking of giving up the game for good. On his return, Clarke went straight out and won the Iberdrola Open in Spain. There is no question that the odd flicker of form could ignite into something more substantial once Clarke gets to Lytham, the links where he finished in a share of third place behind David Duval in 2001. In truth, he has said more than once that he felt more comfortable at Lytham than he did initially at Royal St George’s. With two to play, he was only a couple of shots off the lead. That was when he hit what he deemed the perfect drive from Lytham’s penultimate tee, only to watch, in horror, as the ball rolled into a left hand bunker he had thought was comfortably out of reach. He suggested that Billy Foster, his then caddie, would almost certainly be able to recall the circumstances in greater detail. Over to Foster, who nowadays works for Westwood, though this famous bag-carrier is currently out of action with a badly wrenched knee. Yes, Foster could remember the incident to which Clarke was referring, though his memories did not exactly tally with that of his old employer. “I told him to take a three-wood and he insisted on taking his driver!” said Foster, feigning a touch of the exasperation he had felt all those years ago. Chandler believes that Clarke’s best hope of a repeat win is if the weather at Lytham is in the same mischievous league as it was in Kent last year. No-one who was there will forget that exhibition of quail-high drives he hit on the practice range in advance of his Sunday starting time. There were 12 of them, with each boring as effectively into the elements as its predecessor. Clarke claimed afterwards that it was just a drill, one he did every day. But to those of his fellow-leaders who paused to look, the blows served as so many warning shots across the bows. Chandler and Bob Rotella, the golf psychologist who had some meaningful chats with Clarke at Royal St George’s, will doubtless say all the right things to the defending champion before the off on 19 July. However, even they will be thinking that the sound of a rough and roaring wind could do rather more to have the old warrior pricking up his ears. Dazzling Darren: Royal Lytham suits Clarke's eye more than even Royal St George's ... it might sound unlikely, but it would take a brave man to rule out his chances of back-to-back Open Championship victories HKGOLFER.COM
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open championship history
Tales from the
Claret Jug
The game’s most recognizable trophy has a fascinating history all of its own, writes Dale Concannon
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Held aloft by the winner of the Open Championship each July, the joy of ownership of the Claret Jug is obvious. Some cradle it in their arms like three-time winner Nick Faldo. Others smother it with kisses like John Daly and Darren Clarke. While at Carnoustie in 2007, Padraig Harrington famously handed it to his eldest son Patrick who demanded they catch ladybirds in it!
Courtesy of Dale Concannon
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t stands just over 20 inches (512 mm) tall and weighs approximately 5.4 pounds (2.45 kg). Made from sterling silver in the style of an 18th century drinking vessel, the legendary Claret Jug – or to give its correct title of the ‘Golf Champion Trophy’– remains one of the most recognizable prizes in sport today. Held aloft by the winner of the Open Championship each July, the joy of ownership is obvious. Some cradle it in their arms like three-time winner Nick Faldo. Others smother it with kisses like John Daly and Darren Clarke. While at Carnoustie in 2007, Padraig Harrington famously handed it to his eldest son Patrick who demanded they catch ladybirds in it! What perhaps none of them knew at the time, is the historic trophy they had in their hands was little more than a copy of the original. One of the best kept secrets in golf, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club admit commissioning five Open trophies over the past 139 years. “We have the first claret jug made in 1873, a replica made in 1927 and three relatively modern versions,” said Hannah Fleming, assistant curator of the British Golf Museum. Perfect replicas down to the tiny hyphen in the name of 1991 champion Ian Baker-Finch, the later versions made in the last 25 years include one made for the British Golf Museum in St Andrews, one for the World Golf Hall of Fame in Florida plus another for travelling exhibition purposes. So which version does the winner of the Open receive each year? “The new champion receives the ’27 version,” confirms Fleming. “At least that way they get to keep the same trophy that (Bobby) Jones, (Walter) Hagen and (Gene) Sarazen all won. We think that is quite a good compromise …” Now totally synonymous with golf’s oldest major, the Claret Jug was a relative latecomer in Open terms. The first “General Tournament for Scotland” was played over 36-holes at Prestwick Golf Club on the 17 October, 1860. On offer was an attractive red Morocco leather belt adorned with a large silver buckle and ornately engraved panels. Under the rules it became the permanent property of Young Tom Morris in 1870 after he racked up three consecutive victories. Left without a winner’s prize to play for in 1871 Prestwick faced an embarrassing dilemma. The original ‘Challenge Belt’ had cost the huge sum of £25 - the equivalent of £100,000 today - and the members proved reluctant to pay for another. Instead they turned for financial help to the R&A and the Honourable
One of five: the R&A have commissioned five Open trophies in the past 139 years; the winner at Royal Lytham will take home the second of these, which was made in 1927. The 1873 original rests in a secure glass cabinet in the front hallway of the R&A clubhouse HKGOLFER.COM
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Within weeks of Tom Lehman’s victory at Royal Lytham, the Claret Jug was a subject of a police investigation after a Minneapolis tavern owner reported it stolen. A 1.00 am phone call to Lehman’s home revealed that it had been taken on a bar crawl by a member of his management company following a charity dinner where it had been on display.
Company in April that year. The request was greeted with a stony silence and left with no alternative Prestwick was forced to cancel the Open scheduled for mid-October. There was better news on 11 September, 1872 when a deal was finally struck between the three clubs to host the Open in alternate years at St Andrews, Musselburgh and Prestwick. More significantly, they all agreed to donate £10 each toward the cost of a new trophy with the R&A taking responsibility for its design. The idea of providing a new Challenge Belt like those given out to bare knuckle boxers of the time was quickly dismissed. Golf was perceived as a game for gentleman and the new trophy must reflect that. In 1857, the R&A had organized a “Grand Invitational Tournament” at St Andrews where the prize for the winning pair was an ornately decorated silver claret jug made by Edinburgh silversmiths Mackay Cunningham & Company. It seemed logical to order another which is exactly what they did. Not ready in time for the next ‘Open’ at Prestwick in October 1872, the winner, Tom Morris Jnr for a fourth consecutive time was compensated with an oval shaped gold medal with the wording “Golf Champion Trophy” stamped on the rim. It was same title that would adorn the new Open trophy when it made its first appearance 12 months later at St Andrews. The first recipient of the silver Claret Jug it was an illiterate local caddie named Thomas Kidd. Using local knowledge to carve out a one-stroke victory over Jamie Anderson, Kidd must have looked at the elegant new trophy with mixed emotions. No doubt he would have much preferred the gold medal that Young Tom had received for winning the previous year. At least that way he had something to sell if times got hard! The jug stayed in constant use for just over half a century. Then after Bobby Jones’ victory at St Andrews in 1927 the R&A took the unusual (and secret) step of commissioning a replica. An exact copy in every way except for the 1927 hallmark required by British law, the original trophy was quietly retired and never used again. (Today it rests in a secure glass cabinet in the front hallway of the R&A Clubhouse.) Even today the R&A suggest replacing the original Claret Jug with a later copy was simply down to five decades of “wear and tear.”
To the victor go the spoils (clockwise from top): 1926 Open Champion Bobby Jones with the original 1873 silver Claret Jug; Thomas Kidd, an illiterate caddie from St Andrews, was the first recipient of the Claret Jug after winning the 1873 championship; Padraig Harrington's son famously demanded that he be allowed to use the trophy as a ladybird catching utensil; following his third consecutive victory in 1870, Young Tom Morris was allowed to keep the Open Championship Belt, the original winner's prize
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“Complete nonsense!” argues golf antiquities expert, Graham Rowley. “Bobby Jones had just won his second Open in succession and was challenging Walter Hagen as the dominant force in the game. Without a creditable home challenge it must have seemed the Claret Jug would be permanently on display overseas. That’s why the R&A made the swap. They simply could not guarantee that it would not get lost or damaged …” Today, you could argue that the R& A Championship Committee face a similar dilemma with the historic 1927 version. In 1982 Tom Watson caught it flush with a 6-iron while practice swinging at his home in Kansas City. “I heard this crashing sound as it hit the floor behind me,” he admitted years later. “I was stunned for a moment. I picked it up and noticed the fall had bent the neck of the jug. I did feel it was repairable so I took it downstairs to my workshop. Then after clamping it into a vice I somehow bent it back into place. I did a good job. Nobody knew the difference.” The same trophy that Robert T Jones Jnr won during his ‘Grand Slam’ year of 1930 took a similar battering in 1997. Newly crowned Open Champion, Tom Lehman, came home one evening to find his five-year old daughter Holly had accidentally bent it about 45 degrees at the base. A rapid visit to a local silversmith helped straighten it out but it was not the only adventure the famous trophy suffered that year. Wit hin week s of his victor y at Roya l Lytham, the Claret Jug was a subject of a police investigation after a Minneapolis tavern owner reported it stolen. A 1.00 am phone call to Lehman’s home revealed that it had been taken on a bar crawl by a member of his management company following a charity dinner where it had been on display. Not that it compared with the post Open celebrations enjoyed by 2012 winner, Darren Clarke. Barely stopping for sleep the popular Ulsterman admitted: “bending the Claret Jug back into shape with my bare hands after it kept being dropped on the floor.” Not that drinking a few “Buds” from the famous trophy is considered that outrageous these days. Each new champion has his own favourite celebratory drink – from Tiger Woods’ Dom Perignon in 2000, to Darren Clarke’s whisky and Guinness in 2012. Add to the list Diet Coke (John Daly, 1995) and Rum and Blackcurrant (Ernie Els, 2002) and the only liquid that has rarely been drunk from the Claret Jug is claret. Yet even the most celebratory of winners would baulk at the idea of tangy barbecue sauce which is what Stewart Cink poured into it during a Fourth of July Celebration in 2009. “It made a great condiment holder,” said Cink. “Then I noticed that some of it was still in the Jug when I was about to hand it back in 2010. That was some panic as we scrubbed it hard to get it all out. It was the claret jug after all…” No doubt 14 decades of claret jug history would agree with him ... HKGOLFER.COM
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GOLF ATRAVEL Player’s Guide
Great British Courses
With the Open returning to the Lancashire coast for the first time since 2008 when Royal Birkdale hosted the championship, Alex Jenkins and Mark Alexander highlight the best of the island’s other golfing regions
David Cannon/Getty Images
The lighthouse by the links: Turnberry, which has hosted the Open Championship on four occasions, is one of the most captivating courses on the planet. The ghostly image of Ailsa Craig, a uninhabited island formed by an extinct volcano, can be seen in the distance 64
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Southwest England The counties of Devon and Cornwall offer travellers with clubs in tow an exciting alternative to the well-trodden and more traditional links golf routes of the Scottish and Lancashire coasts. Here you’ll find a number of cracking layouts that are veritable hidden gems when compared with their more famous northern brethren. If the powers that be broke new ground by decided it was time for the West Country to hold an Open Championship, the East Course at Saunton Golf Club would almost certainly be the chosen venue. Laid out over wonderfully undulating links land on Devon’s unspoilt north coast, this is a full-strength championship track that winds its way through dramatic dunes and demands accuracy from the tee. Further down the coast in Cornwall, far beyond the old-world links at Royal North Devon, lies Trevose, an exhilarating course that offers great variety and wonderful views of the rugged coastline. While certainly no pushover, Trevose offers a relatively kind introduction to those unfamiliar with the “bump and run” game, thanks largely to the generosity of its fairways. Just across the Camel Estuary from Trevose, the James Braid-designed Church Course at St Enodoc could be the finest in the county and is set amidst
towering sand dunes clad with wild sea grasses. The best of the holes here – and one of the most wonderfully quirky holes anywhere – is the 6th, a mid-length par-four that features a blind drive and requires the approach to be played over a mammoth dune called “Himalayas” some 100 yards from the green. St Enodoc is named after a small church that lies nearby, which is the final resting place of Sir John Betjeman, the Poet Laureate, who penned his famous poem Seaside Golf after a rare birdie at the 13th. Contacts Saunton Golf Club sauntongolf.co.uk Royal North Devon Golf Club royalnorthdevongolfclub.co.uk Trevose Golf & Country Club trevose-gc.co.uk St Enodoc Golf Club st-enodoc.co.uk
Cornish cracker: St Enodoc Golf Club and its famous churchyard
Heathland special: the Old Course at Sunningdale Golf Club
Around London
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magnificent ancient oaks and its wonderfully kept turf is a delight to hit off. An extensive renovation programme led by Ernie Els, a Wentworth member, took place in 2009, which drew criticism from some quarters but recent tweaking to soften some of the more severe features has recaptured the golfing public’s imagination in what is undoubtedly a very fine layout indeed. Other not-to-be-missed heathland courses in the region include Walton Heath, St George’s Hill and Woking. Contacts Sunningdale Golf Club sunningdale-golfclub.co.uk Wentworth Club wentworthclub.com Walton Heath Golf Club waltonheath.com St George’s Hill Golf Club stgeorgeshillgolfclub.co.uk Woking Golf Club wokinggolfclub.co.uk HKGOLFER.COM
David Cannon/Getty Images
Courtesy of Sunningdale Golf Club
While Britain is rightly known throughout the world for its unbeatable line up of classic links courses, the counties of Surrey and Berkshire to the west of the nation’s capital are home to some of the best examples of a different style of golf – heathland. Characterized by free-draining sandy soil and framed by swathes of heather, in their early days these courses provided London golfers who didn’t want to travel to the coast with places to play. Nowadays, these clubs are regarded as amongst the countries best, with lengthy membership waiting lists in place at the most revered. Lined with pine, birch and oak trees, the Old Course at Sunningdale Golf Club is a Willie Park masterpiece, and is rightly considered one of the foremost examples of heathland courses in the world. It was here in 1926 when Bobby Jones compiled what was described at the time as the perfect round of golf during Open Championship qualifying. Jones, who would go on to win the Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes shortly after, went round the Old Course in 66 strokes – 33 out, 33 in – with 33 putts and with only threes and fours on the card. The club’s New Course, which was designed by Harry Colt, a former secretary and captain at Sunningdale, is another majestic test, one that features Colt’s imaginative bunkering and umpteen memorable holes. Less than three miles down the road from Sunningdale lies the West Course at Wentworth Club, probably the most televised course in Britain thanks to its long-time association with the European Tour’s PGA Championship and numerous other professional events. Another Colt design, the West is lined by
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High living: the Glenagles Estate in Perthshire
Ayrshire The Ayrshire coast has become synonymous with golf and is one of Scotland ’s most recognised golfing destinations. Its reputation has been bolstered by a series of dramatic conclusions to the Open Championship held at Turnberry, the latest of which saw Tom Watson narrowly miss out on becoming the oldest winner of the Claret Jug in 2009. The beguiling Turnberry Resort is a place where golf is surrounded by the traditions of the game, and of Scotland. For instance, the lone piper whose haunting lament at the end of each day echoes around the dunes is an aural delight few will forget. While Turnberry has hosted some remarkable Open Championships, it could be argued that Ayrshire itself has justifiable claim to be the home of the oldest major. After all, the quirky and testing links of Prestwick hosted the inaugural Open Championship while Royal Troon has recently been announced as the venue of the 2016 tournament. Indeed from 2014 onwards, Glasgow Gailes will become the sole Scottish Open qualifying course. Elsewhere there are plenty of links tracks to whet your golfing appetite. Kilmarnock Barassie and Dundonald Links, for instance, have well-earned reputations for providing rewarding rounds. Indeed the beauty and variety of the region is perhaps best captured in the words of Ayshire’s most famous son Robbie Burns. “O Scotia! my dear, my native soil! For whom my warmest wish to Heaven is sent.”
Contacts Turnberry Resort turnberry.co.uk Prestwick Golf Club prestwickgc.co.uk Royal Troon Golf Club royaltrooon.co.uk Glasgow Golf Club (Gailes) glasgowgolfclub.co.uk Kilmarnock (Barassie) kbgc.co.uk Dundonald Links dundonaldlinks.com
Seaside spectacle: the magnificent Ailsa Course at Turnberry Resort
David Cannon/Getty Images
As the venue for the Ryder Cup in 2014, the lochs and glens of Perthshire will provide the perfect backdrop for the most anticipated tournament in golf. One venue that takes full advantage of the region’s dramatic views is the sprawling Gleneagles estate which is set in 850 acres of rolling countryside and boasts three championship courses, an award-winning spa and an array of outdoor activities. As well as hosting the Ryder Cup, the resort is also home to a number of renowned restaurants including the famed two-Michelin star eatery run by Andrew Fairlie. Elsewhere, the James Braid course at Blairgowrie – known as Rosemount – is a perennial favourite with connoisseurs of the game, while nearby Pitlochry Golf Club offers a warm welcome and a challenging round through stunning scenery. Another example of Braid’s work is Alyth Golf Club which opened in 1894 after Old Tom Morris laid out the original nine holes and Braid extended it 40 years later. As well as a bounty of picturesque golf courses, Perthshire is also home to 250 miles of waymarked paths that ramble through Roman camps, medieval castles and whisky distilleries. The Cairngorms National Park also provides a stunning playground for those with outdoor pursuits in mind. 68
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Contacts Gleneagles gleneagles.com Blairgowrie Golf Club theblairgowriegolfclub.co.uk Pitlochry Golf Club pitlochrygolf.co.uk Alyth Golf Club alythgolfclub.co.uk
David Cannon/Getty Images
Perthshire
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Fife It is no co-incidence that the Home of Golf is located in the Kingdom of Fife . Golf in this part of Scotland has been played for over four centuries and stretches back to the very origins of the game. St Andrews is the epicentre where the famous Old Course and Swilcan Bridge are surrounded by six other courses run by the St Andrews Links Trust. All of them are expertly maintained and beautifully presented. The feeling of playing on the hallowed turf of St Andrews simply can’t be replicated anywhere else. There are others courses nearby such as Kingsbarns which was opened 12 years ago but feels like it has been around for centuries. Spectacularly beautiful, it is well worth a visit. Further down the coast is Crail, the seventh oldest golf club in the world, and further still is Leven Links, venue of the world’s oldest open amateur stroke play championship. All exemplify the very finest traditions of links golf. If you fancy something different, look no further than Ladybank Golf Club – a beautiful parkland track originally laid out by Old Tom Morris and one of a number of secluded Fife courses that find shelter from coastal breezes.With a long coastline, Fife is also well endowed with a plentiful supply of seafood, which is great news for the region’s restaurants. To indulge yourself in some local produce, try out the Seafood Restaurant, The Peat Inn or Ostlers Close. All provide interesting and varied menus that delight and gratify.
Contacts St Andrews Links Trust standrews.org.uk Kingsbarns Golf Links kingsbarns.com Crail Golfing Society crailgolfingsociety.co.uk Leven Links Golf Course leven-links.com Ladybank Golf Club ladybankgolf.co.uk
Big sky kingdom: Leven Links in Fife
Modern marvel: the brand-new Trump International Links
There’s a buzz about Aberdeen. The place is booming and not simply because of oil. Golf is the new prize with Donald Trump raising the area’s profile with his £750 million development, Trump International Links, incorporating one of the finest new courses in Scotland. Nearby, Royal Aberdeen Golf Club, the sixth-oldest club in the world and host to the 2011 Walker Cup, ensures this part of the country is rich in golfing options. Close-by Murcar Links, an Archie Simpson-designed course, clings to the northern fringes of the city, and despite its proximity to the hustle and bustle, has the feel of a country club. Twenty-two miles north of Murcar is Cruden Bay, a renowned links that follows a figure of eight around a magnificent bay that at one end harbours a colourful collection of fishermen’s cottages while at the other, golden stretches of sand play host to hundreds of seabirds. The views are jaw-dropping, the golf is even better. Inland offerings don’t come any better than Meldrum House – a parkland course with more than a hint of exclusivity about it. Built on a 13th century baronial estate, Meldrum is a classy set-up with a 27-room country hotel, awardwinning restaurant and an impressive golf academy. The resort is completed by the 14-year-old championship course which fits comfortably into the historic landscape like an old pair of shoes.
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Contacts Trump International Links trumpgolfscotland.com Royal Aberdeen Golf Club royalaberdeengolf.com Murcar Links Golf Club murcarlinks.com Cruden Bay Golf Club crudenbaygolfclub.co.uk Meldrum House meldrumhouse.com Courtesy of Trump International Links
Mark Alexander
Aberdeen
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East Lothian East Lothian is home to a remarkable collection of links courses. North Berwick, Gullane and Muirfield are among 22 courses carved out concertina fashion along the region’s busy and dramatic coastline. Not surprisingly, this remarkable stretch of land has become a golfing treasure trove for lovers of salty air and sandy soils. Muirfield, venue for next year’s Open Championship, is the jewel in the crown. Golf was first played here in 1891 on holes laid out by Old Tom Morris. Restricted by stone walls that completely surrounded the course, the original layout occupied 117 acres. Stone walls also play their part at North Berwick which despite being the 13th oldest club in the world, isn’t showing its age. In fact its forward-thinking open-door policy, which lets visitors tee off between 10am and 4pm on weekdays and from noon at the weekends, results in more than 35,000 rounds being played there annually. Another course with immaculate credentials is Luffness New Golf Club, which was founded in 1894 and once again had the legendary Old Tom Morris to thank for its layout. Luffness is a bona fide links course that holds tradition
close to its heart. Indeed, despite the pressures of the modern game, the 18 holes have stayed true to their creator’s original vision while remaining enjoyable and testing. With over 40 miles of magnificent coastline, golden beaches, rolling countryside, spectacular cliffs, award-winning tourist attractions and a fine selection of links golf courses, East Lothian combines the very best of Scotland in a compact package. Contacts Muirfield muirfield.org.uk North Berwick Golf Club northberwickgolfclub.com Luffness New Golf Club luffnessgolf.com
Northern highlight: Narin Golf Club is situated on the Moray coast
Highlands
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one of the finest closing holes in golf. Without doubt, Moray is a must-play course. The Moray Firth is a remarkable destination. It has quiet, sandy beaches where you can watch dolphins or dive into a variety of water sports such as windsurfing and surfing. On land, fishing, walking and mountain biking are the order of the day. To relax, the Speyside Valley provides whisky lovers with a kaleidoscope of choices and numerous castles, museums and Pictish stones to explore.
Contacts Castle Stuart Golf Links castlestuartgolf.com Nairn Golf Club nairngolfclub.co.uk Moray Golf Club moraygolf.co.uk HK Golfer・JUL 2012
Mark Alexander
Mark Alexander
Lucky for some: North Berwick is the 13th oldest course in the world
When Mark Parsinen decided to build a follow-up to his first Scottish creation, Kingsbarns, he left nothing to chance. Located six mile seast of Inverness and banking onto the Moray Firth, Castle Stuart Golf Links is blessed with fantastic outlooks to the Kessock Bridge and the Black Isle, both of which are skilfully weaved into the golfing experience. Such is the quality of the design that this relatively new track has hosted the Scottish Open for two years on the trot. It shares the Moray coast with Nairn Golf Club – a challenging championship course that can boast sea views from almost every hole. It is certainly special. After all how many courses have been shaped by four of the giants of the game? Remarkably, Nairn has that claim to fame with its undulating greens and rippling fairways being the upshot of the combined talents of Archie Simpson, Old Tom Morris, James Braid and Ben Sayers. Set against a stunning natural backdrop, the old-style links holes provided the perfect setting for the 37th Curtis Cup held there last month. Further along the coastline is Moray Golf Club which is located on the northerly-most point of the Speyside Valley where whisky distilleries mix freely with fabulous golf courses. Moray is a wonderful exponent of this genre, not simply due to its fast-running fairways and smooth greens, but because it has
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Wales Previously overlooked by the travelling golf tourist, Wales is starting to garner attention thanks in part to its hosting of the 2010 Ryder Cup, which took place at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport. But while Celtic Manor, which is home to three 18-hole courses and a 400-room five-star hotel, holds definite appeal, the real stars of the country are its links courses, of which they are many. There are around 200 courses in Wales, all packed into a country that’s only 60 miles wide and 170 miles long, meaning you don’t need to travel far in search of quality golf. Arguably the pick of the bunch is Royal Porthcawl, an unyielding links set hard by the ocean in Mid Glamorgan. The venue for many high profile events over the years – including the 1995 Walker Cup, which saw Great Britain and Ireland defeat a US side that included Tiger Woods – Porthcawl offers one of Britain’s finest challenges. Aberdovey Golf Club, situated on the west coast overlooking the Irish Sea, is another top-notch links, one that makes up for a relative lack of length with its imposing dunes and wonderful design. A favourite of the legendary golf writer Bernard Darwin, who was a member here for many decades, the course is surely among the most idyllic in the land.
For pure wow factor, few places in the world can rival Nefyn & District Golf Club located on the northwest coast. A unique 26-hole course, with a view of the sea on every hole, eight of these run along a narrow peninsula surrounded on one side by secluded coves, rocky outcrops and the sea and on the other by a glorious stretch of sandy beach. Play a round here and you’ll quickly realise why Nefyn has been described as Wales’ answer to Pebble Beach. Contacts Celtic Manor Resort celtic-manor.com Royal Porthcawl Golf Club royalporthcawl.com Aberdovey Golf Club aberdoveygolfclub.co.uk Nefyn & District Golf Club nefyn-golf-club.com
Welsh wonder: the spectacular Nefyn & District Golf Club
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EFG Presents Ernie Watts
Omega HK Golf Day
EFG Bank, the proud sponsors of junior golf in Hong Kong, also support several other artistic endeavors and sponsored an evening on 30 May with Ernie Watts and The Jeremy Monteiro International Trio at Hong Kong’s Foreign Correspondents’ Club. Hosted by Albert Chiu, Chief Executive Officer, EFG Bank Asia, cocktails were followed by dinner and an outstanding evening of jazz. Highlight was the appearance of multiple Grammy award winning Watts, a legendary figure whose resume reads like a who’s who of the music scene. As well as playing with many of the leading jazz musicians of his generation, Watts has also appeared with the Rolling Stones, Buddy Rich, Frank Sinatra, Marvin Gaye and even Frank Zappa as well as featuring on movie soundtracks from Grease to The Color Purple. Supported by the superb trio of Jeremy Monteiro (keyboards), Christy Smith (bass) and Shawn Kelley (drums), the attendees were treated to some exceptional sax playing from Ernie, before Albert rounded off the evening by announcing that EFG Bank have once again been voted Best Pure Play Private Bank in Asia.–CM
Omega, makers of luxury Swiss watches and one of the world’s biggest sponsors of sport, held a golf day at Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club in early June to celebrate, among other things, its five-year marketing and sponsorship agreement with the PGA of America Featuring a combination of Omega clients and members of the Hong Kong golf media, the event was played under sunny skies on a course that was in first-rate condition. After a fairly sweltering four hours on the course, a delightful buffet was served, followed by the traditional award giving ceremony. Caroline Ruga, marketing manager of Omega Hong Kong, was on hand to dispense prizes to the lucky winners, which I’m glad to report included HK Golfer. Omega’s new partnership with the PGA, which provides for multiple “Official Timekeeper” designation, formally began at the US PGA Championship last August and will extend through the PGA’s Centennial in 2016.–CM
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Away from the theatre of war, Rolex has also been a staunch supporter of exploration. The Rolex Oyster was t he world’s f irst waterproof and dustproof watch. It was therefore fitting when, in 1960, a unique edition of the Oyster called the Deep Sea Special reached the very depths of the Earth’s ocean. Strapped to the hull of the diving bell Trieste, the timepiece made the 10,916 foot descent to the bottom of the Mariana Trench where it operated under a pressure equivalent to 1.25 tonnes on every square centimeter of it’s structure. At the other extreme, Sir Edmund Hilary is reported to have worn a Rolex during the first ever successful attempt on the summit of Everest. Higher still, Jack Swigert wore a Rolex into space during the ill-fated Apollo 13 flight in 1970. The spacecraft ran into serious danger when an oxygen tank exploded causing catastrophic life support failure. Although the crew returned to Earth unharmed it took very careful timing to propel the craft around the moon and re-enter Earth’s atmosphere. While Rolex continues to sponsor intrepid explorers the brand also has strong associations in the fields of art and sport. Indeed, the company
Through the ages (clockwise from top): the 2012 version of the enormously popular Submariner model; the very first Rolex Submariner, which was launched in 1953; Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus, all Rolex ambassadors, with Masters Chairman Billy Payne at Augusta earlier this year; an early advert from the Londonbased Daily Mail newspaper 78
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treasured timepieces stolen by their captors. Wilsdorf announced that he would replace the watches, waiving payment until after the Allies had won. It may sound shrewd, but Wilsdorf’s move demonstrated confidence at receiving payment and, more importantly, confidence in an allied victory. It gave a much need boost to the soldier morale and, following the surrender of the Germans, it was noted that Rolex actually collected next to nothing by way of payment. One incredible example is of Corporal James Nutting, one of the masterminds behind the infamous ‘great escape’ from the prison camp Stalag Luft III. In 1943 Nutting actually ordered a new Rolex whilst still a prisoner of war. The watch was delivered under the guise of a Red Cross first aid parcel. This may sound far fetched but a reported 3,000 Rolex timepieces were actually delivered to one single camp, Oflag V11 B POW, during the conflict. Unlike many of his fellow prisoners, most of whom ordered the cheaper, smaller and easier to hide Air King model, Nutting ordered a Rolex Oyster 3525 Chronograph. This more complex model, at the time, cost £1,200. Although Nutting himself didn’t take part in the escape, it is believed he used the watch to time the movements of the guards as the others made their way down the tunnel. Wilsdorf himself corresponded with Nutting while he was held captive and, at the end of the war, Rolex invoiced the corporal for just £15. HKGOLFER.COM
AFP
The relationship has also grown to include major competitions and for 30 years Rolex has been a sponsor and official timekeeper of the Open Championship. The brand also has strong partnerships with the Masters, the US Open, the Presidents and Solheim Cups as well as the European Ryder Cup team.
currently supports a huge variety of sporting events, teams and individuals in disciplines that include sailing, motorsport, tennis and, of course, golf. In 1967, Arnold Palmer became a Rolex ambassador, marking the start of the brand’s association with the game. Today, the Rolex roster of golf sponsorships has grown to include the names of some of the game’s best known players: Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Tom Watson, Adam Scott, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Annika Sorenstam and Lorena Ochoa. The relationship has also grown to include major competitions and for 30 years Rolex has been a sponsor and official timekeeper of the Open Championship. The brand also has strong partnerships with the Masters, the US Open, the Presidents and Solheim Cups as well as the European Ryder Cup team. Rolex is also very much behind the drive to bring golf into China. Despite the long heritage and traditions associate with golf in the west, just over 25 years ago, the sport was practically non-existent in the world’s most populated nation. In 2010 Rolex signed a partnership agreement with the China Golf Association and sponsored the first official translation of the Rules of Golf into Chinese. It marked a determination by the brand, not just to be associated with sport but to further its reach into what is world’s fastest growing and most exciting nation. It seems inconceivable that when starting out Hans Wildorf could have known his company would have gone on to such success. He died in 1960 though lived to see many of the historical accomplishments his Rolex brand was part of. Now, more than ever, though, the brand represents the absolute last word in quality and precision watch making. With continued determination for innovation and by fostering the future’s explorers, athletes and artists it seems certain that the brand Rolex will remain recognizable for generations to come.
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Cartier – The Home of Exceptional Gifts Cartier, the luxury jewelry and watchmaker, is known throughout the world for its exquisite attention to detail – no Hollywood starlet could possibly be seen without wearing one of the brand’s elegant necklaces or timepieces on Oscar night. But for over 160 years, Cartier has also been creating a vast array of accoutrements using the same skilled craftsmanship and invention that have made their jewelry and watches so alluring. Indeed, in bygone years, the house was synonymous with the creation of one-of-kind works of art that graced the dressing tables of the aristocracy. At the ViA Giorgetti showroom in Wan Chai last month, Cartier’s latest superlative accessories – including eyewear, handbags, cufflinks and precious object d’art – were unveiled to an adoring public. Displayed here are a selection of favourites from the event.
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“It’s more in adversity that you see what a guy’s made of. There are up and downs in the middle of the round or the middle of the week, but it’s when you hit the wall – and we all do – then you really see what the guy’s made of. There’s no hiding in golf.”
AFP (Ryder Cup); Courtesy of the Ballantine's Championship (Ballantine's)
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Magnificent memories: Van de Velde with José María Olazábal (top), one of the players he most admires, enjoy a laugh during a practice round prior to the 1999 Ryder Cup; thirteen years later at the Ballantine's Championship in Korea (opposite) 82
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Can this ‘true character’ also be revealed off the course? There are exceptions, but what you see out there is a great reflection of the man. A lot of people in the business world love playing golf because they can see what they’re dealing with. You spend four and a half hours with someone and you can get a great reflection of what you can anticipate off the course. The way in which you conduct yourself and react to situations in golf seems to be almost as important as the score you shoot. Why do you think that is? You’re going to have a mixture of good performances and bad performances through your career. Golf is also a sport in which you lose more than you win. No one in golf is ever
going to be as consistent or as successful as the top tennis players like [Roger] Federer or [Rafael] Nadal and win a third or half of the big tournaments you compete in. In golf, you’re not going to reach the top four for 20 or 30 majors in a row, like they do. Of course, you’re going to be remembered for your performances, but it’s more important to conduct yourself well. To me, that’s the biggest message. Do you think the manner in which you win is as important as the winning itself? Without a doubt. It’s more important. If you win, but you’re miserable to other players and the spectators, then what kind of image do you give? I don’t agree with the saying, ‘winning is everything’. Winning is everything in competition terms, but not at every cost. Would you agree that the true greats of the game have left their mark as much by the sort of characters that they were as by the titles that they won? In golf, almost all the guys who have won on the world stage – but for a few exceptions – are to be admired for their dedication and the passion they show and inspire on and off the course. I don’t think there are too many surprises when you see the character of people HKGOLFER.COM
PLAYERS TO WATCH
who win very often for a very long time – they are usually well balanced, very dedicated. They know what it takes and the responsibility they have. Sometimes, you miss out on other characters if you only focus on winners. That’s what makes golf such an incredible sport, followed and played by so many. Sometimes, we forget to promote the guys in the middle of the pack who do more good for our game than some of the elite players. They give a lot of time to charity, for the crowd, for amateurs in the proams. I understand the top players can’t give up every spare minute for this, otherwise they don’t have time to go to the bathroom, but we should always look out for those who are always giving back to the game.
“I’m only accountable to myself. I kept true to myself. I wasn’t going to make a deal with the devil. Why? Simply because it’s against the way I am, who I am, the way I think. I’m not going to hit an iron off the tee. If I feel like I have a high percentage chance of hitting the shot, I will go for it. That’s me.” There’s no evidence, yet he called a penalty on himself and he finished 11th instead of seventh. There are lot of guys out there who know the responsibility of sportsmanship in golf. The people in golf who don’t call penalties on themselves are in a small minority.
AFP
Fulfilling ambitions: Van de Velde devoted a great deal of his time to France's successful bid for the 2018 Ryder Cup 84
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Which golfers do you most admire, and what was it about their character that most impressed you? I n my g e n e r at io n , I l ove d t h e way [Jose Maria] Olazábal not only played but conducted himself. Of course, there’s the likes of [Jack] Nicklaus and [Arnold] Palmer, a different generation and also from across the pond. But historically, Seve was the reason I played golf. Literally. He was born 150 kilometres from where I was born. He had everything – he had flair, he had charisma, he had panache. He was actually the guy who stood on the tee and said, ‘Can I hit that shot? Yes, I can hit it. If so, why wouldn’t I hit it, then?’ Sometimes, mathematics or percentages were not involved. Just a guy who truly followed what he felt was right for him.
Why this 30-year-old from Jiangxi province is worth looking out for when the OneAsia Tour resumes from its summer break at the Thailand Open
You also have players like Bernhard Langer and you could barely tell any emotion on his face or the way he walked. We’ve been fortunate in Europe to be playing with those guys. Jiménez is an inspiration, [Rory] McIlroy’s an inspiration for the young guys, and there’s [Lee] Westwood. There are so many different characters. Is there a moment you can remember when you first started playing golf where another player or someone in the game did something that left a lasting impression on you? Something good or something bad? [Laughs]. There have been a lot of moments like that. To be honest, the best thing I remember or appreciate is when someone takes the time out of their own lives to give it to someone else and help. Money is one thing, but giving time to others, to make sure you can contribute to somebody else, is important, just to make them a better chipper or anything. I’m always amazed by good people who are very busy, but who do that. Is there a wide range of different characters currently playing on the tour? There’s a whole range out there, but I guess everyone is attracted to a certain type of person, one who’s more similar to you, that you may have more common ground with. That doesn’t mean you don’t respect people not like you. I was not like Bernhard Langer, but I have the deepest respect for the man on every level. It takes a lot of people to make the world go round. I might like red hair, black hair, whatever. It’s the variety of characters that attract people to the game. Another reason is you don’t need to be 190cm, 110kg – there are all sorts of physical shapes and sizes and the fact anyone can play and be good is another reason golf is so popular. HKGOLFER.COM
Quick learner: Huang went from being a caddie at Chung Shan Hot Spring Golf Club to making the cut in the Volvo China Open in the space of a few short years
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hen Chinese golfer Huang Wenyi talks about building a career from the foundations up, he knows better than most what that means. After leaving school with few qualifications, Huang toiled for years as a labourer on construction sites, using his strength to carry materials up and down rickety scaffolding. Today, just eight years after picking up a golf club for the first time, Huang has been a member of the country’s elite Team China, taken part in the 2010 Asian Games and has set his sights on competing for Olympic gold in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Huang has yet to record his first victory since turning professional nearly two years ago, but will nevertheless be one to watch at OneAsia’s US$1 million Thailand Open at Suwan Golf and Country Club from August 9-12 – if only for his unique back story. He hails from Jiangxi province in the south of the country near a town famed for its chinaware. His parents were simple country folk, but disaster struck the family when his father was seriously hurt in a building accident and fell into a coma. To make ends meet his mother took the family to Guangzhou where Huang, as the eldest child, was expected to work. “I had to carry bags of cement from the ground to the sixth floor just to make RMB12 renminbi,” he recalls. But Huang landed an easier job as a caddy in 2002 at Chung Shan Hot Spring HKGOLFER.COM
Golf Club – China’s first golf course, built in 1984 just as the country began emerging from years of isolation. Later that year he moved to The Masters Golf & Country Club in Guangzhou, where he first started to practice. “Even though I just picked up a golf club at 22, I believe passion is the best teacher,” he said. “I practiced very hard and hoped one day to be a real sportsman.” That sacrifice came at a price – literally. Huang was earning just RMB800 renminbi and was allowed to hit 1,000 practice balls a month free of charge, but that wasn’t enough for the ambitious 30-year-old. “Sometimes I hit the 1,000 balls in two days,” he said, and ended up spending all of his meagre savings at the driving range. But the hard work paid off. By 2007 Huang was performing well on the amateur circuit, regularly featuring in the top 10 and good enough to finish runner-up in the national championship. In 2010 he was selected for the Asian Games, which took place in Guangzhou, something that still fills him with pride. “At the opening ceremony, the national song played and I saw the China flag rising and I was very touched,” he said. “I was very lucky. When I joined Team China I got a lot more chance to play professional golf tournaments and have expert coaching.” Having turned pro after the Asian Games, Huang is now engaged full time in making a name for himself. “I have not won since I turned pro, so my first aim is to win China events,” he said. Huang made the cut at the European Tour cosanctioned Volvo China Open earlier this year and finished joint 52nd – the best ranked of the local players. That earned him US$10,862.69, which puts him at 39th place on the Order of Merit. Having missed the cut in the past two OneAsia events in Korea, Huang is nevertheless confident he is gaining from the experience. “I think I have learned a lot so far,” he said. “It is all good for the future.”– David Fox HK Golfer・JUL 2012
Courtesy of OneAsia
Can you think of a great golfing moment when a golfer’s true character was revealed by something they did – either on or off the course? Earlier this year, Victor Dubuisson, who’s French, called a penalty on himself when you can’t even see on TV that the ball moved.
Huang Wenyi
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Jean Van de Velde
GREAT GOLF STARTS WITH GREAT ADVICE
As part of Ballantine’s campaign about the importance of character in golf, we interviewed some of the biggest names in the game about the moments when true character has been revealed on the golf course. This month, Hong Kong-based Frenchman Jean Van de Velde, who rocketed to attention at the 1999 Open Championship after coming unglued at Carnoustie’s final hole. H ow m u c h d o e s a p l aye r ’s character influence the way they play golf? Golf reveals the character of the person. The way that he plays is totally linked to his DNA. You look at a guy like Seve [Ballesteros], for example, and the panache that he had. That really was a reflection of his own personality coming out of him and you saw it when he interacted with the crowd or the way he played on the golf course. Ian Poulter is the same, while [Miguel Angel] Jiménez is also very flamboyant. The way he plays – he hits left to right, right to left, the high shot, the low shot – that’s what he is. He plays like a matador and is not afraid of delivering the shots. It’s very unlikely that what you see on the golf course is not a reflection of the real person. Does a golfer need to play the game true to their own character to achieve success? Totally. It’s a job and you have to compromise, but all of us players all took up the game because we love the game and we love playing a certain way. If you look at a guy like Jiménez, he’s a great athlete and he makes a lot of sacrifices for the game, but he smokes a cigar once a day, he drinks a whisky – a Ballantine’s – once a day. It doesn’t go against his performance, it helps him to perform better because he’s always being true to himself. Sure, if someone drinks a whole bottle of Scotch, it might not be a smart thing to do if you’re playing at 8.00am the next morning, but if you have a glass, then fine.
AFP
Do we only ever really see a golfer’s true character in moments of pressure or difficulty? It’s more in adversity that you see what a guy’s made of. There are up and downs in the middle of the round or the middle of the week, but it’s when you 86
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Burned at Carnoustie: Van de Velde says that when he's on the golf course he's only accountable to himself C
hit the wall – and we all do – then you really see what the guy’s made of. There’s no hiding in golf because of all the cameras and journalists and fans, and then you see what you’re made of. Your most high-profile moment was at the 1999 Open Championship when you suffered under enormous pressure. When you look back, does this reflect on your true character? Many individuals say I would have done this, I would have done that – fine, but I didn’t do that. I’m only accountable to myself. I kept true to myself. I wasn’t going to make a deal with the devil. Why? Simply because it’s against the way I am, who I am, the way I think. I’m not going to hit an iron off the tee. That’s the way I am. If I feel like I have a high percentage chance of hitting the shot, I will go for it. That’s me. At the end of the day, I totally assumed my choices. I didn’t go out there and hide. I’m going to live with my choices. Would I like to have my name on the trophy? Yes, of course, that’s why you play golf, but it’s always a little more than that. You know what you’ve done, what you can do, who you’re accountable to, and I wake up in the morning and I’m happy with who I am. Don’t get me wrong, that’s why we play sports. We like the adrenalin, the challenge, the emotion. We’re emotion junkies. We like to push ourselves, put ourselves in uncomfortable positions to get the best out of ourselves. CONTINUED ON PAGE 82 HKGOLFER.COM
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