HKGolfer0901 by Times International Creation Ltd

HK Golfer Fanling Thriller: Full coverage of the UBS Hong Kong Open

THE OFF I C I A L P U B L I CAT I O N O F T H E H O NG KO NG GOLF ASSOCIATION

HKGA.COM

ISSUE 38

JAN/FEB 2009

$40

Changing of the Guard:

Lam Clinches Close

DISPLAY UNTIL MARCH 15

Butch Harmon Q&A Best Bunker Shots Driver Guide

From the President Dear Golfer, Happy New Year. I hope you enjoyed your holiday and were able to get on the course for a much-deserved round or two. Steven Lam certainly enjoyed himself as he won the Montrose Fine Wines Hong Kong Amateur Close Championship in style at Fanling over the Lunar New Year [see page 16]. It was an excellent performance and, following on from Lin Wen-tang’s magnificent victory at the UBS Hong Kong Open just two months previously, underscores Hong Kong’s uncanny knack of hosting thrilling golf events. Speaking of Lin, you can read more about the wonder shot he hit on the first playoff hole to keep himself in title contention on page 44. I, for one, won’t be forgetting that amazing effort or indeed any part of the 50th edition of the Hong Kong Open anytime soon. It surely ranks up there as the greatest championship in Asian golf history – and judging by the feedback the HKGA has received, you clearly think so too. In junior golf, the last couple of months have proved very fruitful for our young players. At the end of 2008, Tiffany Chan became the first ever golfer to receive a Hong Kong Sports Institute Outstanding Junior Athlete award, while there were also some exceptional performances at the recent China Junior Open. Through the hard work and commitment of both players and the HKGA’s junior development staff, I believe we can look forward to seeing more and more Hong Kong junior golfers making both progress and headlines over the months and years ahead. Richard Siemens President Hong Kong Golf Association

C ONTR IBUTORS JASON DASEY

Writer-Broadcaster / HANDICAP: 24

Jason’s love affair with golf began as a teenager, playing the narrow and hilly suburban courses in his hometown of Sydney. He's covered the sport for more than two decades as his career as a former BBC, CNN and SKY broadcaster took him to the UK and the US. In 2008, he made his second trip to the Masters where he interviewed Trevor Immelman for ESPN just minutes after he was presented with the green jacket. Jason's in-depth chat with Nick Faldo [page 50] was his first with the six-time Major winner in eight years.

PATRICK LEUNG

Photographer / HANDICAP: 14

A frequent contributor to HK Golfer and the Hong Kong Golf Association, Patrick’s first swing of a golf club took place at Kai Sai Chau over ten years ago. “I wanted to play a sport that I could enjoy for the rest of my life,” he says. Now a handy 14-handicapper, Patrick, a member of Sand River Golf Club in Shenzhen, specializes in tournament photography. “As a golfer myself, I love shooting players in action and am always looking out for that unique shot.”

HK Golfer THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE HONG KONG GOLF ASSOCIATION Jan/Feb 2009 • Issue 38

Editor: Alex Jenkins email: alex.jenkins@timesic.com Sub-editor: Linda Tsang Playing Editor: Jean Van de Velde Contributors: Brad Schadewitz (Junior Training), Dr. Brian Choa (Rules), Iain Roberts (Instruction), Patrick Leung (Event Photography), Robin Moyer (Course Photography), Arthur Hacker (Cartoons) Published by:

TIMES INTERNATIONAL CREATION Times International Creation Limited 20/F, Central Tower 28 Queen’s Road Central Hong Kong Phone: +852 2159-9427 Fax: +852 3007-0793 Publisher: Charles McLaughlin Art Director: Mimi Cheng Office Manager: Moira Moran Accounting Manager: Christy Wong Advertising For advertising information, please contact: The Media Representative Company at +852 2838-8702; advertising@hkgolfermagazine.com For purchasing information contact: sales@hkgolfermagazine.com For subscription information contact: subscription@hkgolfermagazine.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 HK GOLFER is printed in Hong Kong by Regal Printing Limited, Good Prospect Factory Bldg, 33-35 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Hong Kong.

HKGolfer Fanling Thriller: Full coverage of the UBS Hong Kong Open

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE HONG KONG GOLF ASSOCIATION

HKGA.COM

ISSUE 38

JAN/FEB 2009

$40

Changing of the Guard:

Lam Clinches Close

ARTHUR HACKER

Writer-Cartoonist

After working as a graphic designer for the Evening Standard in London, Arthur moved to Hong Kong in 1967, where he became Creative Director of the Hong Kong Government Information Services. He has written hundreds of historical articles for regional newspapers and magazines and has published eleven books on the history of China and East Asia. This edition of HK Golfer features two of Arthur’s typically humorous cartoons [Liquid Assets, page 9; Rules, page 21]. 4

HK GOLFER・JAN/FEB 2009

DISPLAY UNTIL MARCH 15

Butch Harmon Q&A Best Bunker Shots Driver Guide

HK Golfer is available onboard all Cathay Pacific and Dragonair First and Business Class cabins.

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Contents

HK Golfer Issue 38

January/February 2009

Ü>À` 7 }Ê Ý«iÀ i ViÊ Ê > - ViÊ£ nx

16 Features

Plus…

16 | HK Close Amateur Championship

06 | From the President

16-year-old Steven Lam came of age at Montrose Fine Wines Hong Kong Close Amateur Championship but it was presence of other junior golfers in the top-10 that signalled a defining shift in men’s amateur golf in the SAR.

26 | The 10 Greatest Bunker Shots

The definitive list of the best shots from sand of the modern era.

36 | Interview: Butch Harmon

We sit down with the world’s number one-rated golf instructor to discuss Tiger and Phil at the new Butch Harmon School of Golf at Caesars Golf Macau.

44 | The Greatest Open

HK GOLFER・JAN/FEB 2009

Style, news and stats

20 | Tournament Update

The latest event news from around the region

21 | Rules

Dr Brian Choa answers your questions

32 | Junior Golf

Event news, reviews and training with National Junior Coach Brad Schadewitz

43 | Golf Punting

50 | In Good Nick

56 | Course Report: Fenghuangshan

On the Cover:

08 | Clubhouse

Relive the drama of the 2008 UBS Hong Kong Open with this compilation of the major moments. Six major championships. 30-plus tour wins. The best Ryder Cup record in history. A skilled broadcaster. A burgeoning business empire. With Valhalla behind him, Nick Faldo has every reason to be happy.

With HKGA President Richard Siemens

Steven Lam with the coveted HK Close Amateur Championship trophy at The Hong Kong Golf Club, Fanling. Photo by: Charles McLaughlin

2009 Major Season Preview

ÜÜÜ° «} v°V

This memorable course offers an intriguing blend of the sublime and the ridiculous

60 | Profile: Samuel Clayton

15 minute Q&A with Discovery Bay Golf Club’s General Manager

``ÀiÃÃ\Ê£x£ÎÊ }iÀÊ À Ûi]Ê i Ì]Ê Ê {ääÓÊ1- /i \Ê£ Èxä ÈÓä ÈÇäÊ Ê >Ý\Ê£ Èxä ÈÓä ÇäÇ

61 | Turf Talk

With Archie Albatross

>Ê/i \ÊnÈ £ÎÈ Èä£n ÈÎÈÈ

66 | Final Shot

With Jean Van de Velde, HK Golfer’s new playing editor WWW.HKGA.COM

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HK GOLFER・JAN/FEB 2009

Golf and fashion go hand in hand – and that even extends to belts. Take the latest offerings from Druh Belts & Buckles. The brainchild of touring professional Simon Hurd (Druh is Hurd backwards), the brand offers a selection of stylish handmade leather and snakeskin belts in a wide variety of classic and chic casual styles. Worn by over one hundred professional golfers, including six major winners, these are just the thing to get you noticed on the course. HKGA member offer: Two for the price of one exclusive deal. Visit www. druhbeltsandbuckles.com, choose any 1.5” belt valued at US$100 and email Gareth Jones at gareth@druhbeltsandbuckles.com stating your HKGA number to claim a complimentary black or brown 1”leather belt. For every belt purchased, US$5 will be donated to the HKGA’s Junior Golf Programme.

 LIQUID ASSETS

WHEN I WATCH GOLF ON TV, THE COMMENTATORS OFTEN TALK ABOUT THE GRAIN ON THE GREEN. WHAT IS “GRAIN” EXACTLY AND HOW DOES IT AFFECT A PLAYER’S PUTT?

For the Pleasure

Enough nonsense, let’s talk about some serious wine enjoyment

Grain is simply the direction in which the individual blades of grass are growing on the green. A putt struck against the grain will be slower; a putt struck with the grain will be faster. If the grain is running across the line of the putt, it can cause the putt to move in the direction of the grain. Historically, grain has occurred with all putting green turfgrass, but it tends to be especially pronounced with warm season grasses like Bermuda that is prevalent at the majority of courses in Southeast Asia. ‘Reading’ grain is considered an art form, but the influence of grain at professional tournaments is a matter of some debate. While grain can certainly be a factor on greens that are covered with a lot of grass, greens that are cut very low (as on tour) shouldn’t be affected as much. That doesn’t stop the pros from blaming the grain after missing short putts, though!

Couple’s Amazing Double Two swings, two aces - two balls in the same cup. Moments after John Wong scored a hole-in-one, his wife Christine stepped to the tee and matched it on the second hole of the Pete Dye Course at Mission Hills Golf Club on 28 December. “We did not see the balls rolling into the cup when we teed off since it was uphill with a ridge in front of the hole,” explained Christine. “We rode the buggy to left of the green but couldn’t see either of them, so I told John to have a look in the hole. We were thrilled when we found both balls there and did something we shouldn’t have done – yelled so loudly that the flight before us came to complain about the noise.” The odds of a golfer scoring an ace are about 5,000-1. But the odds of two players in the same foursome doing it are 17 million to 1, according to a Golf Digest article in 2000. “We were in a rush for a party that evening and so there was no celebration on the actual day,” sad Christine. “However, two nights later we held a small champagne party for the Hong Kong Police Golfing Society which we’re both members of. Getting a hole in one has been one of my birthday wishes as I’ve never had one before, but this was John’s second after he made his first ace last June.” The couple is now checking to see whether their achievements will earn a place in the Guinness Book of Records. 8

HK GOLFER・JAN/FEB 2009

In order to ensure local historical golfing images are preserved for future generations, we have launched an initiative to professionally scan all historical pictures hanging in golf clubs across Hong Kong. The scans are given to the clubs to provide them with a digital backup of their original image, and as an added protection a copy is placed in the HK Golfer archive. In addition, should the image be deemed of special historical significance, HK Golfer will fund the creation of a professionally restored digital file. Clubs have already commenced submitting images. We are pleased to announce that we are now expanding this initiative to include items in private hands in Hong Kong. If you have any old golf-related photographs, art or memorabilia we would like to see it. Items deemed historically significant will be scanned and added to the archive, with a scan copy supplied to the owner. In each issue, we will feature the most interesting item received from our readers. In the first instance, please send a description of items you feel should be preserved to archive@hkgolfermagazine.com. If possible, please include an image of the items. Alternatively, please send items to: HK Golfer Archive Times International Creation Ltd 20/F Central Tower 28 Queen's Road Central

Getty Images

HK Golfer Image Archive

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, by now readers of this column w i l l have figured out t hat I am not a fan of the practice of hoarding wine ad infinitum in order to earn a profit. Wine is meant to be consumed and enjoyed with good food and good friends, not to sit in a dark cellar to be occasionally paraded before an adoring public who generally could never afford to buy it. Sure, I think it is great if anyone can earn money from collecting wine, but I always advise clients to only buy what they know they would be happy to consume in the future should the investment road prove to be rougher than anticipated. Wine investment can be hugely profitable and really good fun, but few are good enough to succeed at it. Having said that, collecting wine to cellar and ageing it in order to optimise its enjoyment is one of Man’s noblest pursuits. I am sure that God is a collector. I doubt he is an investor. I mark the beginning of the Asian fa sci nat ion wit h esoteric wi nes to September 2005, when Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao toasted UK Prime Minister Tony Blair with Lafite at a widely televised dinner in Beijing. Immediately after this, the demand for first growth Bordeaux went crazy. Alas, like every other asset bubble the wine investment bubble has also burst. The warning signs have been there for a while and I must admit that I am annoyed with the upbeat, self-serving nonsense that has been emanating from industry doyens of how wine is not adversely effected by the global financial cesspit we have just been pushed into by the conspiring fools who dug it. That is rubbish. That which was over US$1200 per bottle only six months ago is now offered at US$700 - and prices are falling. If you don’t believe me, try asking your supplier of 2005 Bordeaux at what price he would like to re-own them. Take a restraining device as all you are likely to see is a puff of dust as he runs for the nearest exit. For avid consumers of wine this is a very welcome development. Even for disappointed WWW.HKGA.COM

investors it is a healthy correction that might attract new buyers and thus add market depth. Hopefully the madness has disappeared for at least another generation. It will no doubt return. Greed is a much more potent force than fear. Let’s move on. Many readers have asked that I recommend more wines for drinking. At the risk of seeming too commercial, I am going to suggest one that I think every serious consumer of wine needs to try. But first the background story. About two years ago the Wine Exchange Asia team was at a fabulous dinner at Raffles in Singapore hosted by a very select group of privately owned wine houses, including such venerable names as the house of Tattinger, Sassicaia, Antinori, JJ Prum and Gaja. Glugging down as much of their wonderful produce as we could, we stopped to ask what they drank at home when not consuming their own wines. Three immediately answered that they were very interested in the wines coming from Margaret River in Western Australia. A very animated discussion then ensued so we retreated to a neutral corner and polished off a delightful bottle of Tignanello. Soon after we went on wine safari to Margaret River. We visited everyone and tried just about everything and put together a collection of our top-20 reds and

whites that we then lined up against each other in a blind tasting. There were some absolutely stunning wines, with the very best not surprisingly coming from the more familiar names that are the flagbearers of the region: Cullens, Leeuwin, Moss Wood, Pierro and Vasse Felix. Truly world-class wine without the ridiculous Bordeaux price tags. The quality of the chardonnays was outstanding, but we were primarily here to hunt down reds. In that category, the very clear winner was from a tiny producer that we had never heard of and that we had literally found by accident. It was the Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 of a winery called Gralyn. Huh? Who? HK GOLFER・JAN/FEB 2009

Illustration by Arthur Hacker

Belting Offer for HKGA Members

Q+A

Clubhouse

 Style, News and Stats

Some quick research revealed them to be one of the pioneers of the region, first planted in 1973. We raced out the next day and met the proprietors, Graham and Merilyn Hutton (hence Gralyn), and asked whether we could get an annual allocation for our clients. They looked back at us blankly and explained that they produce 500 cases per year of reds and that all were sold exclusively at cellar door to delighted wine tourists who then went on their private mailing list and religiously reordered annually. There was nowhere else the wine could be purchased. Somewhat deflated, we bought six dozen various reds and joined the mailing list. Ever since we have told all our clients that they simply must drop in to Gralyn should they ever travel to Margaret River. The overwhelming majority also ended up on the mailing list! We kept cajoling the Huttons, exhorting them to let us help them expand their audience to a more international clientele. Well, I am delighted to inform that they have finally agreed to an exclusive offer to readers of HK Golfer, at a significant discount to their mailing list price. My personal favourites are the Cabernets but the Shiraz is also an excellent wine. All are outstanding value on a world comparative basis and should be in the cellar of any serious collector. Try them in a blind tasting against your favourite French wines and I am convinced you will be converted. For good measure, here are some snippets of what the critics have to say about Grayln and its produce.

James Halliday accorded the winery his top 5 star rating in the Australian Wine Companion and of the Cabernet wrote the following: “A very rich and supple medium to full-bodied palate, with layers of black fruits rippling within a framework of cedary French oak and fine but persistent tannis. Rating 94. To 2025.” Robert Parker Jr, writing in Wine Advocate, hailed the wine as: “One of the finest Cabernets I have ever tasted from Margaret River.” Ray Jordan, in the 2008 edition of his Guide to Wine, wrote: “Poised and elegant Cabernet with a delightful fragrance and perfume of minty blackcurrant and dark spicy plum. Powerhouse palate is delivered with restraint and style with the fine ripe tannins and quality oak supporting the stunning fruit. Great wine. 96/100.” Enough said.—Robert Rees Robert is founder of Wine Exchange Asia, a wine auction website serving customers in Singapore and Hong Kong.

 FANCY THAT If you’re the type of golfer who simply has to have the latest clubs on the market, spare a thought for Neil McLellan. When McLellan, a retired investment banker from Dunblane, Scotland, died four years ago at age sixty-nine, relatives discovered two large sheds on his estate filled with top-of-the-line drivers, wedges, putters and irons. There were more than three thousand clubs in all, each purchased new, plus innumerable instruction books, balls, bags, shoes and other golf items. McLellan, a bachelor, took up golf at the age of forty and was determined to bring his handicap below nineteen. He never did. Most of the clubs were used just once and abandoned. “He was more of a golf enthusiast than a skilled player,” pointed out the pro at his club in Dunblane. At an auction in March 2005, the equipment fetched $55,000.

SPECIAL OFFER For a very limited period we will be offering readers of this column Gralyn Cabernet Sauvignon 2005, including delivery to your nominated address in Hong Kong, at the special price of A$90 per bottle (approximately HK$465 at time of press). Minimum order is 12 bottles. To place an order, or if you have any other enquiries, please email Robert at

wine@hkgolfermagazine.com

HK GOLFER・JAN/FEB 2009

The age of Jack Nicklaus when he won the Masters in 1986. Nicklaus is the oldest Masters champion in history.

chips and putts

The first course in the world to bear the Tiger Woods signature, the Al Ruwaya Golf Club in Dubai, has commenced grassing. The 7,800 yard, par 72 layout, which is part of The Tiger Woods Dubai, an exclusive 55 million sq ft golf community development, is due for completion at the end of the year. Said the world number one: “It’s exciting to see my first ever course design coming to life. My vision is being realized.” Built over virgin desert, Al Ruwaya, which is Arabic for “serenity”, will feature dramatic elevation changes and several large water hazards; but with six tees on every hole, it has been built with recreational players in mind. Although a signature hole hasn’t been announced, the mighty 507 yard par-four 18th (pictured here) is sure to wreck more than its fair share of scorecards. Membership of t he club will be limited to 200, with residents of t he US$1.1 bi l l ion community being given priority. Although whether the club will allow visitors to tee it up remains to be seen. Watch this space.

 NEW TAYLORMADE STORE TaylorMade-Adidas Golf has opened its first concept store in Hong Kong. Situated at Sino Plaza in Causeway Bay, the outlet stocks the latest equipment, apparel and accessories, although the focus, says TaylorMade, will be on clubfitting. To that end, customers will have use of MATT (Motion Analysis Technology by TaylorMade), a stateof-the-art indoor fitting system which was originally developed for use by the brand’s legion of tour players.

TIM SLOAN/AFP/Getty Images

 PRESIDENTIAL GOLF John F. Kennedy reputedly played off a handicap of eight, while Dwight D. Eisenhower has a tree named after him at Augusta National where he was a member (the Eisenhower Tree at the 17th, because he kept hitting it with his driver). Whether Barack Obama will ever get down to single figures or, for that matter, ever be invited to join Augusta is uncertain, but one thing is for sure: he won’t ever hold the title of the fattest golfing president in history. That honour, if you can call it that, goes to William Howard Taft, who at nearly 350 pounds (and a 54 inch waistline) doesn’t look like losing that particular record any time soon. President Obama, a lefty, seen here playing at the Mid Pacific Country Club while on vacation in Hawaii prior to his inauguration, might not have the most elegant of actions, but top instructor David Leadbetter was quick to offer praise. “He moves well and doesn't look tense or stiff,” the guru said of the President, whose first sporting love is basketball. Butch Harmon, Phil Mickelson’s coach, wasn’t so impressed, however. “The problem is he’s got no body turn at all,” said Harmon. “It’s a handsand-arms swing. He lunges at impact. His head lifts, his spine angle pops straight up and he pulls the club across the ball. I wouldn’t think he has much consistency.” So what should the world’s most powerful man do to fix his swing? “I’d have him make a better turn going back with his hips and shoulders, so that when he comes down, everything doesn’t unwind so early. He needs more windup,” suggested Harmon.

 TIGER’S DUBAI COURSE

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“ “Never bet with anyone you meet on the first tee who has a deep suntan, a one iron in his bag and squinty eyes.”” - Dave Marr, former commentator and winner of the 1965 USPGA Championship

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HK GOLFER・JAN/FEB 2009

Hong Kong’s New Superstar Jason Hak, 14, tees off on the 18th hole at the UBS Hong Kong Open. Hong Kongborn Hak would become the youngest ever player in European Tour history to make the halfway cut. PHOTOGRAPH by CHARLES MCLAUGHLIN

HK GOLFER・JAN/FEB 2009

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HK GOLFER・JAN/FEB 2009

Boats in the Bay A fleet of Marine Department vessels motor past Kau Sai Chau’s notoriously tricky-to-reach 14th green on a training exercise. PHOTOGRAPH by ALEX JENKINS

HK GOLFER・JAN/FEB 2009

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HK GOLFER・JAN/FEB 2009

hk close championship

A Changing of the

Guard

16-year-old Steven Lam came of age at the Montrose Fine Wines Hong Kong Close Amateur Championship but it was the presence of other junior golfers in the top-10 that signalled a defining shift in men’s amateur golf in the SAR. STORY BY ALEX JENKINS PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHARLES McLAUGHLIN

e had all seen it coming, of course. Since bursting onto the local scene four years ago, Steven Lam has been considered the next big thing in Hong Kong golf. The only problem for the likeable Lam was that he had failed to translate his success in countless junior events into tournament victories Lok-tin with his caddie/father in the men’s bracket. There had been significant performances. A stellar debut for Hong Kong at the Eisenhower Trophy in 2006 was followed by a runner-up finish to Max Wong in the Close Championship the following 15-year-old Liu had finished with brilliant year. But in this game it is wins that count and, by his own admission, Lam, rounds of 67 and 70 to take the clubhouse had flattered to deceive when playing against older opposition. Until now. lead on a four round total of 289 (nine-overIn winning the Montrose Fine Wines Hong Kong Close Amateur par), Lam reached the par-3 17th with a two Championship over the Lunar New Year, the stroke cushion. An errant tee shot into the 16-year-old showed a composure that has been front bunker resulted in a bogey and his lead In trouble... lacking from his game in the recent past. Five was cut in half. Knowing he needed to par the shots behind overnight leader Stuart Murray last to win, Lam guided his drive down the entering the final thirty-six holes, the St Joseph’s fairway to leave himself 165 yards from the College student overcame an indifferent display pin, which was cut tight to the right side of the with the putter to fire consecutive rounds of 69 green. Choking down on a 7-iron, Lam struck a to grab the title by two from fellow junior Liu majestic approach that cleared the large bunker Lok-tin and seven from defending champion that fronts the putting surface and checked up Roderick Staunton. As performances go, this just eight feet short of the hole. If he had looked was arguably his best. uncomfortable on the hole before, Lam played “I wasn’t nervous,” said a typically confident the 18th like a champion. Two putts would have Lam afterwards. “I had been playing well; done, but he calmly stroked his birdie putt into I’ve been hitting my irons really good but my the centre of the hole and celebrated with a fist putting was letting me down. It feels great to pump and a hug from his sister/caddie, Sharon. finally win.” “Playing in the UBS Hong Kong Open last Lam sealed his victory in some style. After year really helped me,” admitted Lam, who 16

HK GOLFER・JAN/FEB 2009

WWW.HKGA.COM

...until his masterful finish

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HK GOLFER・JAN/FEB 2009

earned a return invitation to the European Tour event in November thanks to this win. “I learnt a lot from watching the professionals. They were very calm on the course and never got angry, even if things went wrong. I’m trying to follow their example. It’s very exciting to know I’ll be going back to play again this year.” The results from the Close Championship would have made great reading for Brad Schadewtiz, the HKGA’s national junior coach. Five of the top nine finishers were juniors, including Anthony Tam and Terence Ng (tied for seventh) and Shinichi Mizuno (ninth). But it was the performance of Liu Loktin that really caught the eye.

At 6 foot 4, Liu has long had the ability to crush the ball vast distances, but he hasn’t always been as solid in the short game department. That all changed during the final two rounds of the Close where he outplayed everyone, including Lam. After opening up with rounds of 73 and 79, the 15-year-old went on a birdie blitz in his third round of 67, which could have been even better had it not been for an unfortunate double bogey at the 16th. A composed 70 over a pressure-packed final 18 holes was equally impressive and one thinks that if he can continue to show the same mental strength in future tournaments, he’ll be a Close champion sooner rather than later. I n t he M id-A mateu r Cha mpionsh ip, which was played concurrently with the Close Amateur, Doug Williams defeated Stuart Murray on the second hole of a sudden death playoff after the pair finished on a total of 295 (15-over-par). Williams and Murray, both former Close champions, made birdie threes at the first playoff hole, before Williams’ solid par at the second won him the title.

Sponsors of the

Montrose Fine Wines Hong Kong Close & Mid Amateur Championships 2009 Please quote your HKGA membership number to receive 10% discount on all wines

HKGA 2008/2009 Order of Merit 1 Steven Lam 77 points 2 Doug Williams 59 3 Liu Lok-tin 41 4= Stuart Murray 40 Roderick Staunton 40

Montrose marvels (from top): Roderick Staunton made a stout defence of his title; Doug Williams accepting the MidAmateur Championship trophy; former champion Stuart Murray had a final round to forget.

Flavours of the vineyard - direct to your door

HK Amateur Close 2009 – Leading Scores 1 Steven Lam 74-75-69-69 287 2 Liu Lok-tin 73-79-67-70 289 3 Roderick Staunton 74-72-73-75 294 4= Doug Williams 70-75-77-73 295 Stuart Murray 73-71-73-78 295 6 Adrian Leung 75-78-73-77 303 7= Anthony Tam 75-75-80-77 307 Terence Ng 73-76-76-82 307 9 Shinichi Mizuno 76-72-77-83 308 10= Donald Nimmo 74-77-82-77 310 Michael Stott 75-75-82-78 310 Tang Kei-hin 74-76-81-79 310 John Ball 79-77-78-85 310 18

HK GOLFER・JAN/FEB 2009

Montrose Fine Wines

over 300 wines online at

www.montrose.com.hk WWW.HKGA.COM

Hong Kong t : 2555 8877 | e : wines@montrose.com.hk | Shanghai t : [021] 6281 2929

tournament update

rules

Ask the Rules Expert

Sri Lankan Star Prevails in Playoff Mission Hills Asia Pacific Amateur Open World Cup Course, Mission Hills Golf Club 13-16 January 2009

Sri Lanka’s Mithun Perera overcame high winds and a strong field to win the Mission Hills A sia Pacif ic A mateur Open. Colombobased Perera, 22, edged Alexandre Kaleka from France and Scotland’s G ordon Yate s at t he s e c o n d p l ay o f f h o l e after the trio finished regulation play on a oneover-par total of 289. Steven Lam finished as Hong Kong’s best placed player in a share of 31st, 18 shots adrift. Perera, whose father, Nandasena, is recognized as the best amateur golfer in the island nation’s history, said: “I thought to myself that my father had been in this position many times before and had won the trophy, so I picked the line and stroked the putt [to win].” 1 2=

Mithun Perera* Alexandre Kaleka Gordon Yates 4 Ryan McCarthy 5 Wu Wen-ting 31= Steven Lam 51= Liu Lok-tin 67 Shinichi Mizuno 73= Leung Yiu-ming * Won on second playoff hole

SRL FRA SCO AUS TPE HKG HKG HKG HKG

289 (76-76-68-71) 289 (73-73-71-72) 289 (71-70-76-72) 290 (72-77-71-71) 291 (72-71-71-76) 307 (80-73-77-76) 322 (81-78-81-82) 332 (84-82-82-84) 348 (90-87-87-84)

With Dr Brian Choa, Chairman, Rules & Decisions, Hong Kong Golf Association

Collins Clinches Singapore Seniors Title

Singapore Open Senior Amateur Championship Masters Course, Laguna National Golf & Country Club 16-18 December 2008

HKGC member Terry Collins won the 19th Singapore Open Senior Amateur Championship with a three-round total of 233, becoming the first Hong Kong golfer to achieve the feat. Compiling rounds of 76, 77 and 80 over the water-laced Masters Course at Laguna National, Collins, pictured here with SGA President Dr Ong Leong Boon, pipped local favourite Teo Keow Seng by two shots. Collins, a 4-handicapper who held a four-stroke lead heading into the final round, said: “It was very windy on the last day, so my goal was to keep mistakes to a minimum. Fortunately I was able to do that and managed to cling on at the end.”

Overseas Tournament Calendar

Keen amateur golfers interested in competing overseas should take note of these upcoming events:

February 16-22: 108th All India Amateur Championship (Men), Royal Calcutta GC, Kolkatta March 1-6: 6-9: 18-20: 18-25:

GLACIER South African Amateur Championship (Men), Benoni CC, Johannesburg The 114th Riversdale Cup (Men), Riversdale GC, Melbourne The 19th Thailand Ladies Amateur Open Golf Championship (Ladies), Bangkok GC, Bangkok Srixon Australian Men’s & Women’s Strokeplay and Amateur Championships, Royal Queensland GC & Virginia GC, Brisbane

April 20-23: 20th SLGA Amateur Open Golf Championship (Ladies), Tanah Merah CC May 21-24: The 107th Malaysian Strokeplay Championship (Men), Sarawak June 2-5: 9-10:

2009 Singapore Junior Golf Championship (Juniors), The Keppel Club Selangor Ladies Amateur Open 2009 (Ladies), TBC

HK GOLFER・JAN/FEB 2009

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O n a b l i n d driving hole, I hit my drive left of my intended target and presumed I would be in the left rough. After cresting the hill that blocked my view of the fairway, I realized that there was a water hazard in line with the direction of my drive. After looking in the rough in front of the hazard without finding my ball I came to the conclusion that my drive must have entered the hazard. (The murky water prevented me from seeing any balls in the hazard). I then proceeded to take relief from the hazard. My playing partner, however, stopped me a nd said that because I couldn't be 100% sure that the ball had entered the water, I shou ld treat it as a lost ball and return to the tee under penalty of stroke and distance. While it was true that I wasn't "100% sure", I was confident it must be in the hazard because of the line the ball was on and the fact that I couldn't find it in the rough. Who's right?

It really depends on the depth of the rough. Knowledge or virtual certainty (this phrase is a term that has come into the 2008 edition of the Rules) that the ball is in the hazard is required before the player can proceed under the water hazard rule. So, if there is fairly deep rough surrounding the hazard, or the ground is so wet that the ball might have embedded itself in the rough, the player cannot assume the ball to be in the hazard. Decision 26-1/1 refers.

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In a round last mont h I hit my approach shot just short of the green and, despite being in the fairway, I wanted to use my putter for my next stroke. But because it had been ra i n i ng and conditions were soft there were quite a few deep pitchmarks both on the green and on the fairway in front of my ball. Because I wasn't sure if I could fix either the pitchmarks on the fairway or green I elected to chip the ball instead, as a put t wou ld more than likely be affected by the pitchmarks. What's the rule? Could I have f i xed t he pitchmarks?

Pitchmarks af fecting the line of play or the area of intended swing may only be repaired on the put ting green. The ball does not have to be on the green. Otherwise the player is in breach of Rule 13-2 for improving his line of play or area of intended swing by "removing an irregularity of surface". [Rule 16-1c and 13-2]

Got a rules question?

Send it to rules@hkgolfermagazine.com

HK GOLFER・JAN/FEB 2009

major moments

The 10 Greatest Bunker Shots

Mak Lok-lin finds inspiration at the bottom of a steep-sided pit, but does he discover enlightenment? PHOTOGRAPHY BY GETTY IMAGES

et over the bunker, get over the bunker, get over the… Doh! Shoot! Straight in and – wouldn’t you believe it? – plugged again. Strolling towards my buried ball, the trap’s near vertical face casts a dispiritingly gloomy shadow, which does nothing but darken my already sombre mood, I start seeking inspiration from my memories of the best bunker shots of modern times. Unlike the shot I faced, it wasn’t too difficult to find my top 10.

Ernie Els, 2002 British Open, Muirfield

The Big Easy actually played two critical bunker shots enroute to winning his first – and so far only – Open Championship. After seeing off Steve Elkington and Robert Allenby in the 4-hole playoff, Els and Frenchman Thomas Levet went down the 18th again in sudden death. Bunkered in two, the South African got up and down for a winning par after Levet could only bogey. A great shot given the circumstances, certainly, but not the one that wins my vote. Instead, that accolade goes to the shot he hit earlier on in the day at the 13th. Leading by two, the South African found himself in an unenviable position at the bottom of a deep greenside pot bunker. With his left foot resting on the riveted wall, the face towering over his mighty frame, and with barely any green to work with, he somehow managed to deftly pop the ball up to 18 inches and save par. Given later dropped shots, this stunning effort kept him in the tournament and was quite rightly voted “Best of the Year” by the British Press.

Ernie Els blasts out at the 13th on his way to winning the 2002 British Open 22

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HK GOLFER・JAN/FEB 2009

into one of two fairway bunkers that protect the left side of the landing area. Seemingly out of the title hunt, Lyle hit a stunning 145-year 7-iron recovery to the heart of the green, which, thanks to Augusta’s severely contoured greens, rolled to within 12 feet of the cup. The only negative moment after he sank the lightning fast, snaking putt was the sad little dance he performed in lieu of a fist pump.

Seve Ballesteros, 1983 Ryder Cup, PGA National

Sandy Lyle, 72nd hole, 1988 Masters

Paul Azinger, 1993 Memorial Tournament, Muirfield Village

Adding to a fabulous last few months for the victorious US Ryder Cup skipper, Zinger finds two of his efforts from sand among our top 10. The pick of these is undoubtedly his blast to win Jack Nicklaus’ Memorial Tournament in 1993. Playing alongside good chum Payne Stewart, both players found the same bunker with their approaches to the 72nd hole. Despite playing poorly all day, Stewart still maintained a one-stroke lead over Azinger, and even after an indifferent shot to eight feet, he remained the favourite for the title. But up stepped Captain America. With the ball in the face, and with a lump of sand and grass stuck to the bottom of it, Azinger pulled off the impossible: barely clearing the lip, his shot landed as softly as a butterfly, barely a foot on the putting surface, before rolling into the centre of the cup. Sheer brilliance. What wasn’t quite so impressive was his Jim Carrey-esque celebration, which Stewart would later mimic in jest. In the event, Stewart proceeded to 3-putt for double bogey and slip to third, while Azinger was crowned champion. To his credit, Stewart never blamed Azinger’s overreaction, saying: “On a good golf course like this, the cream comes to the top…I curdled.” Visit www.tinyurl.com/zinger1 to watch the video.

Sandy Lyle, 1988 Masters, Augusta National

The Scotsman had been playing fairly erratically since giving up the lead halfway through the final round of the 1988 Masters. Needing a par at the 18th to tie clubhouse leader Mark Calcavecchia, he yanked his 1-iron tee shot

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Renowned for countless escape shots, the swashbuckling Spaniard nevertheless outdid even himself at the 1983 Ryder Cup at PGA National in West Palm Beach. Coming down the 18th in his match against Fuzzy Zoeller, he found his ball under the lip of a fairway bunker. Throwing caution to the wind, he took a 3-wood and somehow managed to launch the ball 245 yards to the fringe of the green, where he was able to get up and down for an improbable half. Unfortunately for Seve and the European team, the shot was in vain as the US fought back to defend the Cup by just one point.

Paul Azinger, 2002 Ryder Cup, The Belfry

There a re some who t h i n k t he most memorable Ryder moment in 2002 was when Winona Ryder got caught shoplifting during her “difficult time”. But not us at HK Golfer. Two holes down to Niclas Fasth, when a loss would hand the Cup to the Europeans, Azinger produced a sensational birdie, par, birdie finish to halve the game and keep the match alive. A gutsy 10-foot putt at the 17th kept the deficit to just one hole, before the coup de grace – an incredible 45-foot bunker shot at the 18th which nestled into the bottom of the hole for an unlikely win. With the ball below his feet and under the kind of pressure that only the Ryder Cup can induce, Azinger’s shot was perfect. Lee Westwood later called it the “best bunker shot I’ve ever seen.” Had the US been able to overturn the Europeans on that final day it would have been a legendary moment. As it was, it remains another example of Zinger’s amazing tenacity.

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Bob Tway 1986 USPGA, Inverness Club

Tway became another Great White Shark killer when he took the 1986 USPGA from under the nose of Greg Norman by holing out from a greenside bunker for birdie on the 72nd hole at Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio. Perhaps unfairly seen as excessively lucky, many forget that Tway won four times on tour that season and was voted PGA Player of the Year. Further to our “Sensational Sawgrass” article [Sep/Oct 2008], Tway also holds the record for most shots on the infamous 17th at Sawgrass – a tasty 12 in the 2005 PLAYERS Championship.

B r i a n Wa t t s , 19 9 8 O p e n Championship, Royal Birkdale

Watts was a relative unknown when he arrived at the Open in 1998. A journeyman who plied his trade on the Japan Tour, where he won 12 events in the three years leading up to the championship, the Canadian-born American played brilliant golf on his way to a narrow playoff loss to veteran compatriot Mark O’Meara. He earns his place on this list thanks to his magnificent bunker shot on the final hole of regulation play. Needing a par to force extra holes, Watts, standing with one leg out of the deep greenside pit and his ball on a downhill lie, somehow conjured the ball up over the face of the bunker and onto the green where it very nearly tricked into the hole for a birdie and an outright win. After his Birkdale bravery, Watts finished the season inside the world’s top-20, but has since faded into obscurity. He is, of course, also noted for his 1993 victory at the Hong Kong Open.

Birdie Kim 2005 US Women’s Open, Cherry Hills Village

When people talked about Kim winning the 2005 US Women’s Open, most were referring to Kim Clijsters, the Belgian tennis ace, who triumphed at Flushing Meadow that year. Noone gave the self-named Birdie Kim a chance when the LPGA arrived at Cherry Hills, but she surprised all and sundry, including Michelle Wie, her playing partner, by holing a 30-foot blast on the very last hole of the tournament to claim the title by two-strokes from Morgan

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Pressel to become the third Korean to win a major. Like Watts, Kim has since disappeared off the radar screen but is exempt on tour until 2011 by virtue of her solitary victory.

John Daly 2004 Buick Invitational, Torrey Pines

This was Daly’s “comeback” win after a series of traumatic incidents in his personal and professional lives. He himself called it his “biggest win ever, given all that I’ve been through”. In the first playoff hole, a beast of over 600 yards, Big John almost holed his 100-foot bunker shot, leaving a six-inch birdie tap in to secure victory over Luke Donald and Chris Riley. Appropriately, Daly also led the field in sand saves that week, recording 13 up and downs from 15 attempts. The “Wild Thing” had also just signed a deal with Dunlop, and posed afterwards, to the delight of his new sponsors, saying “Who needs fitness when you’ve got great equipment?”

Tiger Woods, 2002 USPGA, Hazeltine

No show without Punch, the Great One had to appear on this list somewhere! Fittingly, it is a shot he himself describes as the “best I’ve ever hit”. In what was an annus mirabilis for bunker shots, Woods found himself under the lip of a fairway trap with an awkward stance and over 200 yards to go. Hitting against a 30 mph wind, Tiger unbelievably found the green with

Seve Ballesteros, 18th hole, 1983 Ryder Cup HK GOLFER・JAN/FEB 2009

Phew! Well, t here t hey are. Inspirational reading perhaps but, sadly, not so helpful to me on the course at the time. After flailing ineffectually several times and getting nowhere, I took a leaf out of the Winona Ryder playbook. I looked around to make sure no-one was watching, then stealthily put the ball into my bag and walked away.

Paul Azinger, 18th hole, 1993 Ryder Cup …and a few of the worst The worst bunker shots? Well, apart from my own regular disasters, there are only too many examples of spectacular meltdowns. Any duffer can hit bad bunker shots, so it’s perhaps only fair to focus on three major moments when very good players did very, very bad things. Top of the list is, of course, Tsuneyuki “Tommy” Nakajima. I say “of course” because Nakajima is in fact an excellent player, one of the finest golfers Japan has ever produced. Having posted top-10 finishes in all four majors, his consistent play continues even now having racked up three Japan Senior Opens and a Senior PGA title between 2006 and 2008. Even more impressive was his victory at the regular Japan PGA Championship just two years ago at the age of 52 with Sergio Garcia in the field. I also say “of course”, because Tommy is infamous for taking a very, very bad nine at the 17th at St Andrews (the dreaded Road Hole) when contending in the third round of the Open Championship in 1978. Having played a great “safety” shot by not risking landing on the road beyond the green, whilst avoiding the notorious bunker and having a chance for a three, he then managed to somehow put his birdie attempt into

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the bunker. The culprit was a swale guarding the pin which gathers up less than perfectly hit shots. His first attempt escaped from the bunker, up the swale…and back down into the trap once more. He failed to get out twice more before blasting out beyond the hole and two putts later was signing for a quintuple bogey. The press immediately christened the bunker “The Sands of Nakajima”, after the 1949 movie “Sands of Iwo Jima”.

a minor miracle on the 17th, Duval went into the Road Hole bunker on the fly with his approach. Four shots later – including a sloppy back-handed effort that almost hit him – he escaped and putted out for a ghastly snowman – 8 – that took him from second place to eleventh. Interestingly, the R&A has since lowered the face of the Road Hole bunker by approximately eight inches since Duval’s one-man excavation project. Finally, when Thomas Bjorn blew a three shot lead with four holes to play at the 2003 Open at Royal St. Georges (won by Ben Curtis), people may recall that he bogeyed the 15th after being in a fairway bunker. They almost certainly remember that he took three to get out of the greenside bunker on the 16th for a double bogey. He also bogeyed 17 and finally missed David Duval, a five-foot putt on the last that 17th hole, would have forced a playoff. 2000 British Open What fewer people recall is that he did astonishingly well Twenty-two years later another to lead the tournament at all. In the opening round, Bjorn had a run-in with outstanding talent, albeit with less long-term consistency, came a cropper a pot bunker on the 17th where he left in the same tournament, on the same the ball in a bunker for what he said hole, in the same bunker. In the 2000 later was the first time in ten years. He Open, David Duval was the closest then hit the sand with his club, incurring thing to a threat to a rampant Tiger a two-stroke penalty and eventually Woods who was replacing Duval as the walked away with a quadruple bogey world’s number one player. Going for 8.—Mak Lok-lin

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Byron Nelson’s 1937 Masters HK Golfer delves into the archives to remember the heroic achievements of the legendary Texan

yron Nelson has a strong claim to being the greatest golfer who ever lived. Even in this Tigerdominated era, his record from 1945 looks unbeatable. In what was a curtailed season, “Lord” Byron won 18 PGA events – including 11 in a row – and finished second on 11 occasions. One of those wins, it should be noted, was the USPGA Championship, which was the only major to be played that year. His scoring average for the season was a mind-boggling 68.33, a record that stood until only nine years ago when Tiger – who else? – had the chutzpa to beat it on his way to winning three majors and nine regular PGA events in 2000. But perhaps more tellingly, Nelson’s final round stroke average was a miserly 67.45 – and, even more incredibly, his average margin of victory was over seven strokes. But it was his first major win, at the Masters in 1937, that he remembered most fondly. After firing a “perfect” 66 in the first round – Nelson hit every green in regulation and would later describe it as the best of his career – the softly spoken Nelson entered the final day some way back of fellow Texan Ralph Guldahl. A very fine player in his own right, Guldahl would go on to win three majors, including the US Open the very next year when, amongst other things, he became the last major champion to wear a necktie on the course. Trailing Guldahl by three shots after the long par-4 11th on that final day, Nelson proceeded to complete the next two holes in only five strokes. A neat 6-iron at the famous par-3 12th (“Golden Bell”) set up a birdie, which was then followed by a majestic 3-wood that cleared Rae’s Creek at the par-5 13th (“Azalea”). Twenty feet from the pin in two, Nelson, knowing Guldahl was struggling, then chipped in for a an eagle three – which gave him the lead and effectively sealed his maiden major win. “Was I rewarded for my ‘courage’? I don’t know about that,” said Nelson referring to the second shot on the 13th many years later. “But I was blessed to chip in for eagle, and just like that, I was up on Ralph. I made par on number 14, three-putted for par on the 15th, where he WWW.HKGA.COM

birdied. We both made pars the rest of the way, and I won by two strokes with 32 for the back nine. I shot 70, Ralph 76. For the first time in my career, I felt my game could handle pressure situations.” From 1944 to 1946 Nelson played in 75 events and finished outside the top-10 only once. Retiring at the peak of his career in 1946, at the age of 34, he won a total of 54 PGA tournaments and five major championships. Nelson died in September 2006, but his legend remains.

Augusta National/Getty Images

a 3-iron. Although he didn’t win the USPGA that year (Rich Beem had the temerity to hold him off), his shot deserves its place among modern golf’s best.

Lord Byron, Augusta National, 1946

HK GOLFER・JAN/FEB 2009

hk seniors open amateur championship

ustralia’s Anthony Gresham fired three straight rounds of 72 to win the Hong Kong Seniors Open Amateur Championship at Fanling early November. Gresham, a former Australian international, carded a three-day total of 216 (6-over-par) to finish ahead of Joe Pethes by six strokes. Japan’s Junichi Manai, Gresham’s compatriot Ian Vidler and K.C. Choo of Canada finished in a tie for third place, a further six shots adrift. “I’ve come close here before, so to win is very satisfying,” said Gresham, 67, who finished second in the championship last year. “It’s been a great week; the tournament was superbly run and it’s always nice to come to Hong Kong. I’m delighted.” Leading by six shots going into the final round, Gresham secured his wire-to-wire victory with a solid display of ball striking over the New Course at The Hong Kong Golf Club. Pethes, the reigning MacGregor Hong Kong Seniors Close champion, sealed second place with a determined 72, while Terry Collins combined rounds of 74,77 and 78 to finish in solo sixth. Michael Grimsdick was the next best placed Hong Kong player, his 231 total earning him a share of seventh. Defending champion Alan Evans, also from Australia, finished in a tie for 11th, 18 shots behind Gresham. For a full list of all the results visit www.hkga.com

Consistent Gresham Claims Senior Open Success Former Aussie international takes title by six shots from Joe Pethes HK Seniors Open Championship – Leading Scores 1 2 3=

6 7= 9 10 11=

14 15

Anthony Gresham Joe Pethes Junichi Manai Ian Vidler K.C. Choo Terry Collins Michael Grimsdick Tatsuo Asai Iggy Clavecilla Su Ting Pang Yat-wei Yeh Shi-tang Alan Evans Geoffrey Davey Masanobu Murakami

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AUS HKG JPN AUS CAN HKG HKG CAN PHL TPE HKG TPE AUS AUS JPN

72-72-72 77-73-72 79-75-74 73-78-77 76-75-77 74-77-78 75-77-79 76-74-81 79-78-75 74-77-82 79-80-75 78-79-77 78-77-79 75-82-78 85-77-74

216 222 228 228 228 229 231 231 232 233 234 234 234 235 236

Michael Grimsdick

Joe Pethes

Terry Collins

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HK GOLFER・JAN/FEB 2009

hkga pairs

Rungnapa and Richard Connect for Pairs Win

Winchester and Phoebus take Gross honours; Cuvelier and Reid shine in the Nett divsion

Perfect partnership (clockwise from above: the winning duo receive their rewards; Patrick Leung celebrates holing a curling putt; Eric Lee extracts himself from sand; points mean prizes; Roy Lee, in harness with Domine Ko, would finish the Nett Division in third place.

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Gross Division – Leading Scores 1 R Winchester & R Phoebus 38 points 2 N Keating & C Roussow 37 3 J Won & SG Kim 37 4 J-P Cuvelier & D Reid 37 5 CL Chiu & KH Tang 36 6= S Ho & CS Leung 35 A Adler & A Lau 35 8 J Lo & M Stott 34 9= CM Chan & WH Lung 31 LO Jim & CP Sit 31

n team golf, it pays to be connected with your partner. Appropriate then that the ever popular HKGA Pairs tournament, held every December at Discovery Bay Golf Club, had a new sponsor for 2008: ConnectedGroup, the executive search firm. Not that Rungnapa Winchester and Richard Phoebus, winners of the Gross Division, required any recruitment assistance for their team. Playing in one of the last flights of the day, the duo blended their games perfectly to come in with a better ball score of 38 stableford points over the Diamond/Ruby Course, which was good enough for a one point victory. Neil Keating and Carel Roussow, with 37 points, finished in second place, edging out last year’s winners Jay Won and Kim Suk Gul on countback. In the Nett Division, Jean Paul Cuvelier and Dallas Reid recorded an impressive 47 point haul to outlast brothers Albert and Patrick Leung by the narrowest of margins. Domine Ko and Roy Lee placed third, a further point adrift. “Because of the format and the fine weather at the end of the year, the ConnectedGroup Pairs Tournament is always one of the most oversubscribed HKGA events of the year,” explained HKGA Chief Executive Iain Valentine. “Congratulations to all the winners and our thanks to ConnectedGroup. Their support of golf in Hong Kong is greatly valued.” WWW.HKGA.COM

Nett Division – Leading Scores 1 J-P Cuvelier & D Reid 47 2 A Leung & P Leung 46 3 D Ko & R Lee 45 4 R Winchester & R Phoebus 44 5= S Ho & CS Leung 43 T Greene & T Yuen 43 J Ho & E Yung 43 YK Chan & V Law 43 M Leung & R Yim 43 B Haskett & R Smits 43

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HK GOLFER・JAN/FEB 2009

junior news

Tiffany Wins Top HKSI Award After an excellent summer in which she won the Malaysian Junior Open and finished fourth at the at the prestigious Callaway Junior World Championship in San Diego, Tiffany Chan has been selected as one of the four winners of the Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI) Outstanding Junior Athlete Awards for the third quarter of 2008. 14-year-old Tiffany, who became the first Hong Kong junior golfer to win the award, is seen here alongside Dr Trisha Leahy, HKSI chief executive, and Hu Fa Kuang, vice president of the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee. Said HKGA Chief Executive Iain Valentine: “This is deserved recognition for Tiffany’s exceptional play over the recent months and I am personally delighted for her. It is a wonderful achievement.”

HK win China Junior Open Team Event

mizuno winter junior championship

Juniors Tough it Out at The Mizuno Winter Championship Tricky conditions at Kau Sai Chau as Tiffany and Anthony come out on top

Sihao Yan

2009 HSBC China Junior Open Nansha Golf Club, Guangdong 21-23 January 2009

Hong Kong won the coveted team event at the recent HSBC China Junior Open thanks to a string of impressive individual performances. 16-year-old Stephanie Ho holed a 20-foot birdie putt to prevail against good friend and fellow teammate Tiffany Chan in a sudden death playoff to win the Girls Group A division, while Kitty Tam won the Girls Group C by four shots after firing rounds of 73,73 and 80. In the Boys A Group, Steven Lam was unlucky to lose out to local favourite Ou Zhijun after missing a 4-foot putt on the first playoff hole to finish second, but he would redeem himself with victory at the Montrose Fine Wines Hong Kong Close Amateur Championship a week later. Special mention also to Chiang Kai-chiu who finished third in Boys Group E.

Michelle Cheung

Anthony Tam and Tiffany Chan

Photo courtesy of HKSI

Amazing Aces for Junior Golfers Six-year-old Jason Wu and eight-year-old Max Ting fired sensational holesin-one during practice for the Clearwater Bay Executive Nine Junior Winter Tournament early December. Jason, who is thought to be the youngest ever player in Hong Kong to record the feat, holed out at the 91-yard second hole, while Max managed to find the bottom of the cup in one at the 77-yard fifth. Max was able to carry his form over to the tournament proper by winning the Boys 8 and under division with a nine-hole score of 28. Jason Wu

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Max Ting

Stephanie and Steven Solid in Florida

2008 Junior Orange Bowl International Championships Biltmore Hotel Golf Course, Coral Gables, Florida 27-30 December 2008

Stephanie Ho and Steven Lam held their own against some of the world’s top junior golfers in Florida, finishing the illustrious tournament with respectable totals. Ho fired rounds of 83, 78, 73 and 79 for a total of 213 and a share of twenty-ninth place, while Lam, fresh from his debut appearance at the UBS Hong Kong Open, managed rounds of 72, 79, 68 and 74 to end the event in a tie for thirty-third. The Junior Orange Bowl, which brings together nearly one hundred players from over thirty countries, was played over the historic Biltmore Hotel Golf Course, a Donald Ross design, which has hosted some of the game’s most famous golfers, including Walter Hagen and Gene Sarazen. WWW.HKGA.COM

he rain did little to dampen the spirits of the large field which gathered at Kau Sai Chau for the Mizuno Winter Junior Championship at Kau Sai Chau late December. Played over the South Course, tough conditions meant really low scoring was kept to a minimum, but there were several notable performances. Tiffany Chan and Anthony Tam came up trumps in the Overall Girls and Boys categories, firing winning two-round totals of 146 and 151 respectively, while Michelle Cheung carded solid rounds of 76 and 77 to claim the Girls 13-14 age division. Mimi Ho and Sibo Yan also excelled, the duo finished at the top of the 11-12 age divisions, with Sibo firing a tournament best 70 on the first day. In the lower age groups, the competitors played nine holes each day. Estee Vivian Leung and Colette Szeto picked up the silverware in the Girls divisions, and Tony Jiang and Jason Au WWW.HKGA.COM

won their divisions with encouraging scores of 71 and 76. The Hong Kong Golf Association would like to thank Ken Takafuku and his team at Mizuno for their continued support of junior golf.

Mimi Ho

Girls Results Overall Champion: 15-19 Age Group: 13-14 Age Group: 11-12 Age Group: 9-10 Age Group: 7-8 Age Group:

Tiffany Chan Tiffany Chan Michelle Cheung Mimi Ho Estee Vivian Leung Colette Szeto

73-73 76-77 79-72 40-45 46-49

146 153 151 85 95

Boys Results Overall Champion: 15-19 Age Group: 13-14 Age Group: 11-12 Age Group: 9-10 Age Group: 7-8 Age Group:

Anthony Tam Jason Ho Anthony Tam Sibo Yan Tony Jiang Jason Au

77-76 78-73 70-76 35-36 38-38

153 151 146 71 76

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junior training

Staying Focused During the Round In this, the second of a three part series on managing competitive play, we learn about some of the keys to avoid late round fatigue

By Brad Schadewitz National Junior Coach

Your water consumption should be consistent throughout the round (Photo 2). If you feel thirsty you’re already becoming dehydrated. If it’s hot, make sure you have a drink on every tee at least. Even if it’s not too hot and you don’t think you’ve lost that much in the way of fluid, you should still take on water every hole. Watch any pro tournament and regardless of the temperatures, those guys are constantly keeping themselves hydrated. They’re pros for a reason. You might want to copy their swings, but you’ll do well to copy their on-course nutrition practices.

The Pro’s Final Thought

o you ever feel tired late on in your round? Do you have a tendency to leak a few shots over the final few holes? In Hong Kong, the generally hot and humid conditions make adequate hydration and nutrition paramount – at any level of golf you play at. Whether it be a match with your buddies, a monthly medal or even if you’re playing at the UBS Hong Kong Open, ensuring your body is fully “fuelled” is crucial – and it also happens to be the easiest part of your game to manage. Whenever I go out and watch juniors play, I’m constantly amazed at the lack of food and water – your “fuel” – that is taken onboard. If you don’t replenish the loss of water and nutrients that you lose through sweating, you’re destined to lose energy – and therefore strokes. Depending on the time you tee off, it can be up to four hours since you had your last meal, so you need to be thinking about a snack by the 3rd or 4th hole. A banana, trail mix or “energy” bar is always a good option. Always avoid foods like candy bars, potato chip and hot dogs that are high in both fat and sugar. There are far better options available to you. Ideally, you want to take on nutrition every one and a half hours (Photo 1). As a result, your next snack should be taken by around the 10th or 11th hole. To keep you fully energized for the all-important final stretch of holes, eat again on the 15th tee. Losing a tournament because of a bad break is one thing; losing a tournament because you lost focus through a lack of energy is inexcusable. To reiterate: it’s the simplest thing you can control. 34

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Every time you go to the course, regardless of the type of round you’re going to play, make sure you pack your bag with two pieces of fruit, two nutrition bars and a bottle of water, which you’ll need to refill throughout. Before a morning or afternoon tee time, make sure you have a balanced breakfast or lunch, and arrive at the first tee fully hydrated. Follow this simple formula and you’ll have much more energy during your round, which, crucially, will keep those wasted shots to a minimum.

2 WWW.HKGA.COM

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HK GOLFER・JAN/FEB 2009

the interview

The

Master

ofMacau

He might have reached retirement age but Butch Harmon, one of the most recognized names in golf over the last 15 years, shows no signs of hanging up his video cameras and training aids just yet INTERVIEW BY ALEX JENKINS

o say that Claude “Butch” Harmon has something of an outgoing personality is an understatement of epic proportions. I’ve just walked into the interview room at Caesars Golf Macau, the radically revamped club owned by casino giant Harrahs, and am introduced to the legendary swing guru, coach to some of the biggest names in golf, including the likes of Mickelson, Els, Scott and Couples. Gripping my hand with a strength that belies his 65 years, Harmon, a wide smile forming at his lips and a twitch in his eye, says, “So you’re the a**hole I was warned about,” before emitting a rich, hearty laugh, loud enough to cause a waitress carrying a trayful of drinks outside the door to buckle and nearly upend the whole lot. “I’m only kidding around,” he continues. “It’s great to meet you. Sit down and hit me with your best.” This is Harmon’s first visit to China, he cheerfully tells me, and he’s here to unveil his state-of-the-art teaching centre, the Butch Harmon School of Golf. But it isn’t his first visit to Asia. In the mid-1960s, after a falling out with his father, 1948 Masters winner Claude Harmon Sr, young Butch ran away to the army and spent the last six months of his three-year service in Vietnam. The twitch, indeed, is thought to be a legacy of the war, in which he led a mortar crew. Understandably, it’s not a topic he enjoys talking about, and I’m not feeling brave enough to bring myself to ask him, especially since he’s in such jovial 36

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mood. “This place is great,” he beams, wafting his hand in the direction of the course and the semi-construction site that is the Cotai strip beyond. “But what I’m really excited about is helping the young golfers of Macau. Who knows, the next Tiger Woods could be out there. It’s possible.” The reference to Tiger is hardly surprising. For a decade, from Woods’ junior golf days in 1993 until 2003, by which time he had collected eight major championship titles, Harmon and the world number one enjoyed arguably the most successful playercoach relationship in the history of the game. That came to an abrupt halt, it was reported, after Harmon disagreed with Woods’ wanting to implement yet further swing changes. The break-up, which the former says was “very amicable”, lead to Woods joining up with Texan Hank Haney while Harmon went on his merry way, coaching, commentating (Harmon has been a welcome addition to the Sky Sports broadcasting team in the UK) and writing (his autobiography, The Pro, came on the back of a veritable library’s worth of instruction manuals bearing his name). As luck would have it, Steve Williams, Tiger’s caddie, had made some rather unsavoury comments about Phil Mickelson at a charity golf day in New Zealand just two days previously, saying, “I wouldn’t call Mickelson a great player ‘cause I hate the p****.” Given Harmon’s involvement with both players this seemed like a good starting off point. And so it proved to be… WWW.HKGA.COM

Butch Harmon, Caesars Golf Macau, December 2008 WWW.HKGA.COM

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L e t me tel l you something else: Phil Mickelson is one of the most liked players on tour. Around the world, he’s maybe as popular as Tiger Woods. He hangs around for an hour after his round signing autographs for the fans while other players just blow everyone off. Phil is a bit different, but we’ve always got on very well. He’s very funny and articulate. He’s a great guy.

Classic Caesars: Harmon at his state-ofthe-art School of Golf; the course takes advantage of its unique setting on the Cotai Strip

What did you make of Steve Williams’ recent comments about Phil Mickelson? I was shocked and I was dismayed. I was the one who hired him for Tiger, so I know Steve well. In fact it was ‘Bones’ [Jim McKay, Mickelson’s caddie] who rang and told me what had been reported. I have no idea why he said it. Even if you believe that about someone, you don’t come out and say it. The great thing about our game is that it’s based upon integrity. You just don’t go and say those kind of things. But in any case, I really don’t know why he said it. It makes no sense to me. I’m sure Steve regrets what he said. Tiger won’t have been at all impressed by it at all. I’ll tell you something: Steve won’t have enjoyed the telephone call from Tiger once he found out about it, that’s for sure. It’s not the first time someone has said unflattering things about Mickelson though. GQ magazine ran a feature on the 10 most hated athletes in the world a while ago – and he came in at number eight…

“Tiger learned how to reach down inside himself and pull something out and get the job done. This is something you almost can’t teach. It’s his desire to compete and beat you. He does it in a nice way, but he just wants to cut your heart out.” 38

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Mickelson hired you in order to help sort out his driving. How ’s that going? The goal for Phil is to get his ball in play more often, because he was really wild off the tee. The stats don’t necessarily show that he’s improved – he’s still hitting about 55% of fairways – but the difference now is that’s only missing fairways by a little, which means he can play. He’ll tell you that his driving is as good as it’s ever been. He likes to take the right side of the course out of play, and he’s done a good job at that.

Starting from 2010, tour players will have to switch from playing with U-grooves to V-grooves on their irons because the USGA believes this will help combat players’ ability to spin the ball from the rough. What do you make of it? The groove issue isn’t going to affect the good players at all because they’re good. It’s going to affect the mediocre pros because they’re not going to be able to get away with shots out of the rough. In the old days, when I played, if I had a 160 yard shot over a lake I would have a big decision to make. 160 yards would have been a 7-iron for me from the fairway normally, but quite often from the rough it would be 9-iron. That’s because the ball would just ‘juice’ from the taller grass. It would fly a lot further, depending on the lie. The grooves the pros are using at the moment don’t allow that to happen. They can just hit the same club. When the new regulation comes into effect, the great players are still going to be great and the average players are going to have to get used to it. That’s good for golf. But is that enough? Do you think the technological advancements in the

game have gone too far? Equipment today – clubheads, balls, shafts – is incredible. But I’m of the belief it should be for the average player who needs the advantage of technology. The tour player is the best in the world – he doesn’t need those advantages. I’d rather see technology for average players. Look at sports in the United States – in American football, the football is fatter and longer in college football; in baseball, juniors and college players use aluminum bats, while the pros use wood; in basketball, the key is further out for the pros. In all other sports, the rules are a little different for amateurs and pros. I wouldn’t mind seeing pro golf worldwide getting much stricter on rules and regulations. Let the technology go to the amateurs. A great player is still going to be a great player, but it sure would be interesting to take them back 25 years and give them all wooden drivers and soft balls and see how they play. Are you, like Jack Nicklaus and Greg Norman, an advocate of a one-ball rule? Not really. Actually, I was having dinner with Jose Maria Olazabal the other week and he

What was the reasoning behind Mickelson not using his driver at last year’s US Open? He went from having two drivers in his bag at the Masters previously to not having one at all. I wasn’t privy to that [decision] until the Tuesday of the tournament. He and Dave Pelz [Mickelson’s short game coach] decided he needed to carry another wedge, which was the dumbest thing he’s ever done. It wasn’t smart. I mean, he’s one of the best wedge players in the history of the game – why does he need an extra wedge? I have a funny story about that. The week after the tournament I went down to see him in San Diego. We were out on the range and he was warming up with a few wedges. I went over to his bag and took out his driver, wandered over to him and said, ‘Phil, I want you to meet someone.’ Phil asks who and I replied, ‘Your driver. Don’t ever leave home without it.’ [Laughs]. His decision was so wrong because the course was the longest in US Open history and he was playing with Adam Scott and Tiger Woods, two of the longest hitters out there. You could tell he was trying to keep up with them with a 3-wood. That wasn’t going to work. WWW.HKGA.COM

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“The jury’s still out [on Tiger playing in the 2008 US Open]. It’s either going to be the most phenomenal feat in the history of the game or one of the dumbest things anyone has ever done in the history of golf.”

said the simplest way to bring shotmaking back to the game would be to restrict the number of clubs the pros can have in their bags. Have nine clubs instead of 14. If you had that, the pros have got to hit the same club different distances. Then you have to use imagination and creativity. Very few pros today don’t shape their shots – Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson still do – but I thought that was a very interesting philosophy. It’s a great idea, but nobody apart from Jose has brought it up. The talent would rise to the top. This is what I do with the juniors I teach. I just get them out playing with odd number clubs. Taking you back to the early 1990s, how did you come to be Tiger Woods’ swing coach? I got a lot of publicity after Greg Norman won the British Open in 1993 because of my work in helping change him change his swing and Earl [Woods, Tiger’s late father] approached me. Tiger had already won three US Junior Amateurs but I had never met him. We all had lunch and I watched him hit some balls and I gave them my opinions. A week later, Earl calls me, ‘I’d like to turn my son over to you.’ How early on did you realize you had someone very special in your hands? Oh, from the start. The raw talent was unbelievable. I still have the films of him then, which Tiger hates to look at because he was only a skinny teenager. He probably hit the ball further then than he does now. The thing I admire about Tiger is his constant desire to get better. He’s like a sponge – he soaks up knowledge. He wants to learn, learn, learn. Think of his career: he changed his swing three times with me to make it better and he’s done it twice more with Hank [Haney, Tiger’s current coach]. And we’ll probably see a new swing when he gets back after injury. So his desire to get better is unlike anyone – and he was like that as a kid. He had the drive and ambition. He’s the greatest I’ve ever seen. And you spent time with Hogan… Yeah, my father and Hogan were great friends but Tiger is the best all-round golfer I’ve ever seen in my life. Human nature with the average player says that if there’s something they’re not very good at, they won’t practice it. They’ll only practice the things they’re good at. Tiger is the other way. He didn’t use to control the spin on his wedges very well – he had an ordinary wedge game and an ordinary bunker game. Now he’s one of the best wedge players in the world. He has so much control. He has the ability to turn a weakness into a strength by hard work and dedication.

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Is that the X-factor? Dedication? The thing that impressed me the most which is what we don’t see with Michelle Wie who a lot of people like to compare with Tiger – is his will to win. Michelle Wie never won anything. She isn’t used to winning. Tiger won 6 USGA events – three junior amateurs and three amateurs – in a row. No-one has ever done that. What people don’t realize is that in every one of those final matches it went down to the last hole or extra holes – and Tiger won every won of them. He learned how to reach down inside himself and pull something out and get the job done. This is something you almost can’t teach. It’s his desire to compete and beat you. He does it in a nice way, but he just wants to cut your heart out. All the great champions had that and he had it from a very young age. You could see it in his eyes. His work ethic is incredible, and not just with his golf swing. He has more talent than anyone, he’s fitter than anyone, he’s smarter than anyone, he prepares better than anyone. He’s figured out the whole thing. How disappointing was it when Tiger moved on to work with Hank Haney in 2003? I wasn’t disappointed at all. If you’re the type of person who gets disappointed because your student leaves you, you’re in the wrong business. The best coaches in football get fired all the time. Same with baseball. We had 10 great years together. He’s a great kid and the fun part was watching him grow from being a young man to becoming the world number one. He’s funny and he has a quick sense of humour in the locker room; the guys like to be around him. He helped my image and he helped my career; I would be a fool to say otherwise. Where do you think his performance at last year’s US Open – playing with a broken leg – ranks among his other major victories? Only time will tell. The jury’s still out. It’s either going to be the most phenomenal feat in the history of the game or one of the dumbest things anyone has ever done in the history of golf. I mean if Tiger doesn’t come back as healthy has he was, then it wasn’t a very smart thing. This is his fourth surgery on his knee and the most extensive surgery they’ve had to do. Hopefully he comes back stronger than ever, because the game needs him. But what he did at Torrey Pines was a phenomenal thing. You said he’s probably going to have to change his swing as a result of the injury. What do you think he’ll have to do? WWW.HKGA.COM

I’m of the opinion he’s going to have to change it a little – especially that snap into the left knee. He might have to go to an old school swing where the knees drive a little bit. Having said that, knowing Tiger how he is, he’s going to do whatever it takes to get back. We want him back better than ever, because golf sure is exciting when he’s playing.

pro. But John had a hard time doing that. Now that’s the reason why the average guy loves him – he’s been divorced numerous times, had bouts with alcohol and gambling. The average person, I think, sees John Daly as himself. John could be so much better and reach more people if he could get his own life in order. But until he can do that, it’s not going to be pretty.

You worked with John Daly for a while last season, but it didn’t work out. He played great in the final round of the Hong Kong Open but then got into a bit of trouble down in Australia [Daly missed three cuts and smashed a fan’s camera]. Where does he go from here? [Sighs] John is a wonderful young man that has a lot of troubles – and unless he addresses his problems and tries to do something about it, we’re going to continue to read the wrong things about John Daly. He’s a tremendous talent. I think he can still play very well, but he’s got to take care of his personal life. He doesn’t do anything in moderation, be it his drinking, his smoking, his gambling, his eating – he needs to learn how to control his life where he can really focus and not let outside things dictate his golf. He still has the ability and he’s a really nice guy – we all love John. But John’s got to take care of John a lot better.

Which player would you most like to work with that you haven’t done so already? [Chuckles] Before it was Ernie [Els] but now I have that. I always thought I could help Goosen with a couple of things in his swing. I don’t seek clients. People I work with come to me.

Helpful Harmon: Butch gives a few swing tips to Miss Macau 2008

Could you help Monty? Monty – his is more of a mental problem, not a physical problem. He gets in his own way mentally. His talent in unbelievable. He’s the greatest player to have never won a major, no question. That debacle at Winged Foot [2006 US Open] where Mickelson screwed up – Monty screwed up worse, quite honestly. Right side of the fairway, 7-iron in hand, pin on the right – as a fader he couldn’t get a better

Can he win again? He has to want to. At the present time I don’t think he feels he has a problem in any area, and that’s sad, really. I tried to help him with tough love. I told him I’d be happy to help him but he had to show me he was going to get his life together. I was quite stringent with him, on what was acceptable and what wasn’t. I wanted him to conduct himself as a professional – his appearance, the way he handles himself at tournaments. I told him that on his own time I don’t care what he does, but at events he has to conduct himself as a WWW.HKGA.COM

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2009 Season Preview: Major Picks

he 2008 majors went from the sublime (Tiger at Torrey Pines) to the ridiculous (Immelman at Augusta) but underscored that the predictability of results is as hard as ever. Who for instance could have foreseen Clever Trevor struggle to recover from a Fanling ditch in November 2007 – “Dad, you could have got it closer than that” – and only five months later pull off a composed, classy finish at the Masters? But a betting columnist has to start the year off with a few long-range tips – and fresh from a profitable Mission Hills Omega World Cup (See Archie’s prediction of a Swedish victory in Nov/Dec edition of HK Golfer), the following thoughts are offered for the 2009 season.

Winners

Public provider: Harmon with student 42

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scenario to win his first major. He just didn’t handle it. I’ll tell you a story about Monty. I was commentating for Sky Sports at the US Open at Pinehurst a while back and Monty was playing the 14th hole. He was in the middle of the fairway with probably a 5-iron to go and he was throwing his hands up in the air and getting frustrated because some people were moving in the grandstand behind the green. That’s 200 yards away! So I said, ‘This is the difference between him and other great players. Colin Montgomerie is seeing everyone in the stand move; David Duval doesn’t see anyone in the stand; and Tiger Woods doesn’t even know the stand is there, because he’s so focused.’ Monty can’t tone out anything. It’s like you have to stop airplanes and birds flying. He has gotten in his own way. Having said that, he is truly one of the best players in the history of European golf; his Ryder Cup record is wonderful; the number of Order of Merit’s he’s won. He needs mental help. He’s got a unique swing but hits the ball beautifully – you wouldn’t want to change anything there. But I'd sure like to get inside his head, shake it a little, and see good numbers when the dice came out.

Faldo? I’m a great Faldo fan. I think he’s one of the greatest players of all time. Six majors! He’s in his own world, which we saw at the Ryder Cup. He won’t go down as one of the better Ryder Cup captains. He does things his way. He never made a lot of friends on tour, which makes it difficult to be a captain, but he did it his way which is how he got to be who he is – and that’s why I admire him tremendously. When he changed his swing many years ago with David Leadbetter he went to a really modern swing, which I really liked. I have a lot of admiration for him. As a commentator he’s very knowledgeable but I think he tries to be too funny – and his personality isn’t to be funny. But six majors! C’mon! And you know what, he’ll never get credit for ’96 at the Masters because everyone will talk about Norman giving up the lead. But if Nick Faldo doesn’t shoot 67, then it doesn’t matter what Norman does. You were Norman’s coach at the time… [Laughs] You bet I was. It was the longest day I’ve ever had on a golf course in my life. But that’s another story for another time. WWW.HKGA.COM

Tiger Woods: Can he do it? YES HE CAN! The big question of whether Tiger can brush off almost a year away and a critical knee injury should be answered by mid-summer. I believe he will return in stunning form. The time away will have given him sustained rest, plenty of short-game practice and yet honed a sharpened sense of urgency and desire. What a killer combination. Prediction #1: Bionic Tiger will be back – stronger, faster and better than ever. Assuming his current timetable holds up, he will win the Open in July. (3/1) Sergio Garcia: Second in the last two majors with the best scoring average on the PGA Tour in 2008, he has the momentum. Resting in Switzerland this Christmas with his family, he displayed his growing maturity by resisting the temptation to ski / snowboard with his competitive sporty siblings. In short: he means business this year. All the majors are within his capabilities but his chances at Bethpage (US Open) look best. Prediction #2: Hungry and still fearless, Sergio will win a Major in 09 (4/1) Camilo Villegas: Hot on the course, even hotter off it, the Colombian stud with the Spiderman putting pose should smoke the fields this year. Following his victory in the PGA Tour Championship in 2008, his already granite-solid confidence will be sky-high. WWW.HKGA.COM

golf punting

BY ARCHIE ALBATROSS

Prediction #3: Look for Camilo to contend in the majors (8/1 for Top 5 finish in the Masters) and maybe pick up ‘other’ big tournies (Players, Bay Hill, Mercedes) along the way.

Losers

Padraig Harrington: How can he top 2008? The workaholic Irishman had a brilliant finish last year but must now be a clear ‘sell’ vs expectations. Paddy has a fine golfing temperament but cannot be expected to perform again like he did in those magical summer weeks at Birkdale and Oakland Hills. Prediction # 4: Padraig will disappoint this year. Short his finishing positions in the majors. Ernie Els: With the swing of a God, his graceful power and motion is wrapped up in a thoroughly nice fellow. But it seems the will has gone. Increasingly Ernie looks like a marginal contender. Maybe he has another run or two at his beloved Masters left in him, but in the ordinary events, Ernie will fade. Alas all things must pass. Prediction #5: Ernie to underwhelm in 2009 – unless confronted by rotten conditions at either the Masters or the Open where his calm can weather all storms. Colin Montgomerie: This columnist’s distaste is best explained via a vignette from the HKO. The new European Ryder Cup skipper arrives at the 13th green on Sunday to find his approach shot has not only missed the short stuff but also hit his playing partner’s ball. Face like a gargoyle, he barks for a rules official who arrives breathless after no more than two minutes. “Enjoyed your lunch did you?” asks Monty, rather cowardly muttering under his breath, before scuffing an indifferent chip towards the hole. Enough said. His whole demeanor belies his protestation of competitiveness. As a player, he is done. Prediction # 6: Monty misses more cuts than he makes.

Predictions Masters: US Open: Open: PGA: All :

Mickleson Garcia Woods Villegas Stenson/Karlsson (Top 5 FPs)

Others: Phil Mickelson: At the HSBC Champions in November, I had the opportunity to ask Lefty which tournament HK Golfer punters should ‘do their maximum’ on him to win a PGA event. The response was that his whole year is geared towards the Masters. No hesitation. Readers of this column will know I believe Phil has precocious talent but a precious personality. He tightens up more than he toughs it out under pressure, but Augusta does bring out the best in him. It’s worth a crack at 10/1 ante post. HK GOLFER・JAN/FEB 2009

ubs hong kong open

The Greatest

Open

Lin Wen-tang pitched his way into golfing folklore after the finest finish in UBS Hong Kong Open history. HK Golfer recalls the moments that made the 50th edition the most exciting European Tour event in recent times

Unbelievable UBS: (l-r): Lin salutes his supporters after sinking the winning putt; Jason Hak holes out for a birdie on 18 to complete a quite astonishing performance.

Day One Liang Leads the Way

ournaments can never be won on the first day but China’s Liang Wenchong gave the local galleries plenty to cheer on his way to earning a share of the 18-hole lead. 2007 Asian Tour Order of Merit winner Liang, who shot an incredible 60 on his way to winning the Hero Honda Indian Open just a few weeks previously, carried his exemplary form to the Fanling fairways to fire seven birdies in a 6-under-par 64 to tie South Africa’s Richard Sterne at the top of the leaderboard. 30-year-old Liang, whose rise through the ranks is in part down to the generosity of the members of Chung Shan Hot Spring who helped sponsor him in the early years, is one of the nicest guys on tour, which was illustrated at lunch on the second day. Spotting five-time Open Champion Peter Thomson, a guest of the sponsors, on the Hong Kong Golf Club verandah, Liang wandered over to introduce himself. “Hello, Mr Thomson, I am Liang Wen-chong,” he said in halting English. “It is a great honour to meet you.” Thomson, whose commitment to the game in the region throughout the 1950s and 60s helped pave the way for the first professional Asian circuit, was delighted. “Aha, our leader,” he beamed. “Keep going, lad, keep going.” It was a lovely moment but unfortunately for Liang a lacklustre 71 on the second day derailed his chances and he would end up finishing the championship in a share of 15th alongside Colin Montgomerie after carding a fine 66 on the final day. 44

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Interestingly, Lin Wen-tang would get off to the worst start imaginable. Although he would end up shooting a 65 to end the round just one stroke back, the Chinese Taipei ace made an ugly double bogey at the difficult par-four first, which just goes to show the man’s mental resilience. Lin would only make three bogeys over the next 73 holes, which were offset by a remarkable 22 birdies. Asian Tour stalwart Simon Griffiths of England holed-in-one at the short 12th to win a 1kg gold bar. Perhaps safe in the knowledge that he wouldn’t leave Hong Kong empty handed – the bar is worth approximately US$25,000 – Griffiths would end up missing the cut after a 74 on Friday.

Day Two Amateur Dramatics All hail Jason Hak [see sidebar]. The Hong Kong-born, Florida-based 14-year-old amateur, who gained entry into the championship after finishing in second place at the qualifying tournament at Kau Sai Chau the week before, stuns everyone apart from himself by making the cut. Shooting consecutive rounds of 70, the softly spoken Hak becomes the youngest ever player to make the final two rounds of a European Tour event, breaking the record set by Sergio Garcia in 1995. As far as achievements go, it’s an astonishing feat, but the tall youngster was remarkably bemused by all the media attention he was getting. “I like watching

Sergio play, so I’m glad I broke his record,” he said quietly into a forest of microphones after his round. The news is picked up and makes headlines around the world; one golf blogger in the US even comes out and says that Jason has what it takes to become the next Tiger Woods. It’s a little early to come out with statements like that, but the fact that some desk-bound hack in the Midwest has caught up on the atmosphere reverberating around Fanling goes a long way to showing the impact the tournament is making.

Day Three Langer Rolls Back the Years Reluctant bridesmaid Oliver Wilson, who has eight second place finishes on the European Tour to his name, surges to the top of the leaderboard with a 65, but it was Bernhard Langer’s 63 that everyone was talking about on day three. The 2004 European Ryder Cup captain, who won the Hong Kong Open in 1991, has a game tailor made for Fanling, but given he’s now 51 and spends most of his time on the Champions Tour it’s a stunning round in the circumstances. Two off the lead with only 18 holes to play, Herr Langer, with son Stefan on the bag, would end up finishing in a tie for sixth. Wilson, of course, would come up short again after making three bogeys in a row late on Sunday, but Lin birdied the final two holes for a blemish-free 64 to enter the final round just one stroke adrift. Not that anyone expected him to win. After Rory McIlory’s 65 moved him into a share of fourth a longside Fra ncesco Molinari, the pundits were predicting a last day showdown between the young Irishman, Wilson and Langer. One out of three isn’t bad, I suppose.

Day Four An Epic The f inal round proved to be the most sparkling in the t o u r n a m e nt ’s r ic h 50-year history – but the fun started long before Messrs Lin, McIlroy and Molinari headed into that gripping sudden death playoff. First of all 46

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there was John Daly. Playing in one of the early groups of the day, the ‘Wild Thing’ spanked it round in 62. Hardly unmasking his driver (Big John would reach the 551-yard 3rd with a couple of 4-irons), Daly was at his most impressive on the greens: his long, languid putting stroke earning him eight birdies in the first 14 holes, which sparked excitement that a sub-60 round was on the cards. And then there was Hak…again. The Boy Wonder, playing in the company of Jose Maria Olazabal, outscored the two-time Masters champ by a shot after holing a ten-footer (and earning a standing ovation) on the last for a gutsy 68. Olazabal, understandably, looked a bit put out by being upstaged by someone 28 years his junior, but was nothing but complimentary about Jason when tackled by the press. This was all a sideshow, however, to the main event: the destiny of the championship. With the course playing a touch softer than in recent years, the final round protagonists – Wilson, Lin, McIlroy, Molinari and Pablo Larrazabal – threw birdies at each other like they were going out of fashion. Wilson, as mentioned, would stumble, dropping into a tie for sixth, while Larrazabal would run out of steam after a bright start. Instead it was left to the comparatively unheralded triumvirate of the young Irishman McIlroy, the broody Italian Molinari and Lin, the overwhelming crowd favourite, who all had chances to snatch it at the 72nd after reaching WWW.HKGA.COM

the famous par-four tied for the lead at 15-under. First came Molinari, whose brilliant 20-footer for birdie pulled up less than an inch shy of the cup. Then McIlroy, who, with gap wedge in hand, came up short of the putting surface before nearly holing his chip for three. And then, most agonizingly of all, came Lin. Knowing he needed a birdie to take the championship outright, the 32-year-old, whose cheery grin lit up Fanling like his compatriot Lu Liang-huan (“ M r Lu”) at t he Open Championship at Birkdale in 1971, struck a brilliant wedge from the right side of the fairway to five feet of the hole. “He’s the best putter on the Asian Tour by a street,” confided former Asian Tour supremo Louis Martin to HK Golfer just moments before Lin grazed the edge and missed. The groan from the enormous galleries could be heard across the border in Shenzhen. Playoff! What happened next beggared belief. Playing the 18th again, Molinari and McIlroy both found the fairway, while Lin tugged his drive into a seemingly impossible position behind trees in the left rough. After Molinari hit a solid shot just beyond the flag, Lin took a gamble and fired his approach through the foliage, over the bunker protecting the front of the green to within four feet of the cup. The cheers from t he crowd were deafening. To describe it as a miracle shot is simply understating the matter (see sidebar). But the drama wasn’t over yet. McIlroy, who lost his only previous playoff to Francois Luiquin at the Omega European Masters earlier in the season, then stuck his own brilliant approach to within three feet for a

The likely lads (clockwise from top): Daly's last round 62 was the lowest of the day; McIlroy played one of the greatest shots in tournament history but it still wasn't enough; Bernhard and son Stefan celebrate a fine week's work.

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The Great Escape “I knew that as long as the ball was not in the hole, I still had a very good chance to take it to another playoff hole, so I went for it. And it was like help from the Gods; and at the end, I made it.” – Lin Wen-tang Down and out on the first playoff hole, Lin struck arguably the finest shot (or luckiest, depending on how you look at it) in Hong Kong Open history. 127 yards from the hole, with his view of the green obscured by the dense foliage ahead, the man from Taipei, with the tournament on the line, risked everything by going for the green. With 8-iron in hand, the ball fizzed its way through the leaves and braches (there was simply no room to go under or over the trees ahead), somehow avoided serious deflection, and soared beautifully onto the green to within four feet of the hole.

Hong Kong Houdini (l-r): The agony and the ecstacy - Lin fails with his effort on the final hole of regulation play, but then holes an almost identical putt on the first playoff hole; every champion needs a little luck on the way - Lin plays his miracle approach to the 18th.

certain birdie. Molinari, like everyone else, could scarcely believe what was going on and ran his tricky birdie effort just wide to lose out, which left Lin needing to hole his putt to force another hole. The putt was on precisely the same line as he one he had missed only minutes earlier but as he stood over it, a well-oiled spectator cried out that most irritating of catchphrases that has found its way into golfing vernacular: “GET IN THE HOLE!” Incredibly, Lin stood back, smiled once more, and guided his putt into the bottom of the cup. The relief was palpable. After McIlroy tapped in his own putt, the two headed back to the 18th tee for a third and final time. This time it was McIlroy who found trouble off the tee. Pulling his hybrid, his drive bounced

UBS HK Open Leaderboard 1 Lin Wen-tang 65-69-64-67 2= Rory McIlroy 70-64-66-65 2= Francesco Molinari 66-67-67-65 4= Pablo Larrazabal 69-67-64-67 4= Chawalit Plaphol 66-66-70-65 6= Iain Steel 68-68-66-66 6= Richard Sterne 64-69-69-66 6= Oliver Wilson 66-66-65-71 6= Bernhard Langer 69-67-63-69 6= David Gleeson 72-65-65-66

265 265 265 267 267 268 268 268 268 268

11= Jeev Milkha Singh 15= Liang Wen-chong 75= JASON HAK

269 270 281

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71-63-66-69 64-71-69-66 70-70-73-68

off the Out of Bounds fence that lines the left hand side of the hole and finished in a truly terrible position at the bottom of a tree, not far from where Lin had played his great escape. Buoyed by his good fortune, Lin made no mistake and struck what looked a winning drive down the middle of the fairway. But then it was McIlroy’s turn to produce his own magic. With 118-yards to go to the pin, which was hidden by the same trees that Lin had somehow managed to smash through, the 19-year-old from Portrush produced an arguably more technically brilliant shot. Snap-hooking a gap wedge nearly 30-yards in the air, McIlroy’s effort, loaded with spin, caught the back of the putting green, avoided tumbling into the greenside bunker and stopped within 12-feet of the pin. High-fiving his caddie, the young Irishman was justifiably delighted, but only for a moment, because Lin then pulled off yet another gem, firing his own wedge shot to within inches of the hole for a cast-iron birdie. Whipping his cap off in deference to the howling cheers of the crowd, it was this shot, rather than his previous miracle approach that showed his sheer determination to win. Up on the green, McIlroy faced a ghastly putt: lightning quick, downhill with significant right-to-left break. Not surprisingly, his effort sailed past, and after knocking it in for par, the stage was left for Lin, fifty years after Mr Lu won the inaugural Hong Kong Open, to tap his in for the greatest of victories. WWW.HKGA.COM

“That is a fantastic shot by Lin Wen-tang,” boomed Renton Laidlow on the international television feed. “We thought he was dead in the water, but what a recovery from Lin Wentang. I didn’t believe he could get it up and over the trees. I thought he was going to have to thread it through there. And that has come as a shock to Rory McIlroy, believe me. But what a recovery! We’ve seen so many dramatic shots at this final hole at Fanling and that’s another one to add to the list.” Whatever your viewpoint, the shot took tremendous courage. The fact that he could probably stand there all day with a bucket of balls and not replicate it is beside the point. It was, quite simply, the shot of someone who deserved to win the UBS Hong Kong Open.

Jason Hak – Hong Kong Hero “The Hakster”, as coined by the English-speaking press, couldn’t have asked for a better introduction to Hong Kong golf. After making his way over from his home in Florida for the qualifying event, the 14-year-old, who was born in Tsim Sha Tsui, was coolness personified under the heat of professional event pressure, firing rounds of 70-70-73-68 for a four-day total of 281 (1-over-par) and a share of 75th spot. After breaking Sergio Garcia’s 13-year-old record as the youngest player to ever make the cut on the European Tour, Jason became more and more relaxed with the clamouring press as the week went on – something that not many teenagers have to deal with, let’s face it. After the final putt dropped, Jason relaxed. “It’s been a great week, much, much more than I expected,” said Jason, who had his father on the bag all week. “I will go back to Florida for more practice, but I hope to come back to Hong Kong soon. I hold a Hong Kong passport, consider myself from Hong Kong and hope to represent Hong Kong in amateur golf in the future.” Whichever way you look at it, this can only be good news.

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up close

In Good Nick Six Major Championships. 30-plus Tour wins. The best Ryder Cup record in history. A skilled broadcaster. A burgeoning business empire. And now with Valhalla behind him, Europe's best ever player has every reason to be satisfied. BY JASON DASEY

H 50

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Photo courtesy of Katnook Estate

e sits across from me i n t he lou nge of T he Hong Kong Golf Club and there’s a reassuring familiarity about the man who’s been described as Europe’s best ever player. For someone who turns 52 in July, Nick Faldo remains remarkably boyish: a few more wrinkles perhaps, but he still has that abundant mane of dark brown hair parted to the right, and those piercing blue eyes that can burn right through you. In fact, he doesn’t a look a lot different to the golfer who won his sixth and final Major title on the second Sunday of April 1996, reeling in Greg Norman at Augusta National to complete one of the most remarkable comebacks in Masters history. WWW.HKGA.COM

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“Right now, I live day-to-day and think ‘how can I enjoy today and have I given some enjoyment to somebody else?’” But despite appearances, Faldo has evolved and reinvented himself on many levels, not least of which relates to his public persona. The once intense and single-minded go-getter has transformed himself into a media-friendly golfing great who, among other things, is the lead analyst for American network, CBS. Instead of shunning interviews and revealing as little as possible about himself as was often the case during his playing days, the Englishman now embraces them, as he sees television, radio and newspapers as a useful shop window to his many corporate ventures. “I’m very fortunate,” he tells me. “Right now, I live day-to-day and think ‘how can I enjoy today and have I given some enjoyment to somebody else?’ Whether it’s a fun golf tip or a silly line on television and somebody gets a laugh out of it, then I think I’ve had a great day.” 52

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His business interests – including the Faldo Series, a development programme for talented young golfers and Faldo Design, his course architecture division – are growing all the time. So much so that the former obsession of the exworld number one – competitive golf – is now just an occasional luxury. “[Playing competitive golf] means a lot of pain these days,” he says. “When you haven’t done it for so long, it’s very difficult to gear up. The body’s basically saying: ‘Time out. You’ve sent me around the world for the last 30 years. We’ve had enough of this.’ I don’t quite have the stamina and batteries that I used to have.” Of course, that line between the witty retired legend and the hardened golf professional was temporarily blurred when he stepped back into the cauldron last September as Europe’s captain at the 37th Ryder Cup in Kentucky. He was widely criticized in the British Press for almost everything, including his selections, his tactics, his demeanour, his speeches and even his jokes as the Europeans were comprehensively outplayed to lose the coveted trophy for the first WWW.HKGA.COM

time since 1999 and for only the second time in 15 years. To some, it seemed doomed from the start. Despite his stellar Ryder Cup playing career, Faldo was seen as too abrasive and self-centred to be given the job of guiding Europe to victory over Paul Azinger’s Team USA. It was almost as if the famous Faldo ego got in the way of team bonding, with Colin Montgomerie among those who observed that the Europeans at Valhalla resembled the disjointed American teams of recent times and vice versa. Faldo rejects any notion of an unhappy camp: “I was there in the team room so I know what was going on and what really happened, how the decisions were made and everything,” he says. “For me, the Ryder Cup was a fabulous experience. I did get quite a kick and a buzz out of just being in the team room again.” Faldo’s contentious pick of Ian Poulter as a wild card ahead of Darren Clarke was vindicated with the flamboyant Englishman winning more points than any other player. But the tactic of stacking the Sunday singles, with his best players starting last, backfired when the Americans wrapped it up with four matches to go. With hindsight, what might Faldo have done differently? “In my view of the banking situation right now, a few people would love hindsight. But like anything in life, you can’t work that way. You deal with what is happening right now and make the decisions on the information you have right now. You can’t go backwards. It doesn’t work.” Indeed, he could never be accused of excessive

naval-gazing and failing to move on with life. As long ago as 1991, he was working on turning his name into a brand with the launch of Faldo Design, which creates golf courses from scratch or re-designs existing layouts. Around the same period, his contemporaries Sandy Lyle and Ian Woosnam – both born within nine months of him – were also household names in the UK but only the Hertfordshire-born Faldo went on to execute the same vision of global dominance. When I spoke to him in Hong Kong, eight Faldo Design courses had been completed – including his most recent, Roco Ki, described as a lush, botanical garden in the Dominican Republic - with a further eight in the pipeline. So what special characteristics define a Faldo course? “What I pride myself on is that really aren’t any,” he says. “We literally go from the desert to the jungle to the mountains to the forest or onto the beach so it’s real fun. You try to put your own individual stamp on what you feel fits the environment best.” He’s equally proud of the Faldo Series which was launched in 1996 as a youth circuit to help develop European players but is now going global with a Grand Final last year in Brazil plus a thriving Asian version. His successful graduates include European Tour players Nick Dougherty, Ollie Fisher and Rory McIlroy, as well as Taiwanese star Yani Tseng, who earned LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year honours in 2008 thanks largely to her brilliant performance in capturing the McDonald’s LPGA Championship, her first Major. “We’re touching on 4,000 competitors now

Multitasking (clockwise from top right): moments after receiving the green jacket from Ben Crenshaw in 1996; in the booth; with Yani Tseng at the 2006 Faldo International Series Grand Final at Fanling. WWW.HKGA.COM

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“I wanted to go and win Majors. I wanted to be successful and I wanted to be famous. I wanted to have lots of money. I wanted to have choices. If we can keep creating opportunities so we can have different choices, that’s about the best thing we’ve got in our lives.”

Off the course: (from top): Faldo the fisherman; the much-lauded Roco Ki in the Dominican Republic, a Faldo Design.

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so we’re trying to set some new goals and see what we can reach in the next three to five years,” he says. “I was told as a kid that one in 10,000 has the dream and goes onto to make it as a professional. If can we improve that to three in 10,000, well, we’ve done a good job.” This was the third meaningful interview – spaced roughly a decade apart - that I’d done

with Faldo. The first was at Wentworth in the late 1980s when he was in the middle of that purple patch where he won a Tiger-like five Majors in five years – he had a stunning eighteen top-10 Major finishes between 1987 and 1996 and was the most feared player either side of the Atlantic. The second meeting was just after the Millennium at Georgia’s second tournament, the Bell South Classic, a week before the 2000 Masters when Faldo was playing on the PGA Tour. At that time, he told me that he was able to concentrate more on golf again after sorting things out in his personal life in the wake of a notorious incident a couple of years earlier that saw former girlfriend Brenna Cepelak smash his Porsche 959 with a 9-iron, inflicting £10,000 damage. He’s always provided plenty of fodder for the tabloids – sadly, his third marriage to Swiss public relations agent Valerie Bercher ended after he filed for divorce in 2006 – but Faldo remains a proud, if sometimes distant, father of four. In December, he played in a father and son event for the first time, teaming up with 19-year-old Matthew to finish joint-seventh

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at the Dell Webb Challenge in Florida (The Normans were 10th and the Nicklauses 15th). His only son is a student at the University of the West of England in Bristol and has no plans to follow his father’s career path. Matthew and his sisters Natalie, 21, and Georgia, 15, are from his second marriage to Gill Bennett. His youngest daughter, Emma, is from his relationship with Valerie Bercher. “Emma, the little five-year-old, has me completely hooked,” he confesses. “‘Daddy, I need a new dress for the Ryder Cup,’ she tells me from the back of the car. ‘Daddy, I love you’. And I look in the mirror and she’s not even looking at me. She’s working me for 20 minutes. And sure enough we end up in the dress shop and buy her a dress. Then I get told off by the big girls for being too soft, but I love it.” ‘Soft’ isn’t a word that you’d often associate wit h Fa ldo whose menta l fort it ude got him home down the stretch at three Open championships – in 1987, 1990 and 1992 – and three times at the Masters, in 1989, 1990, 1996. Almost thirteen years on, the last of his Augusta green jackets still defies logic after Faldo’s final round 67 alongside Greg Norman’s 78 turned a six shot final round deficit into a five stroke victory. When I ask Faldo about his strongest, single memory from that final Major success, it’s almost as if he’s on a therapist’s couch, transported back in time, as a descriptive stream of consciousness flows from his mouth. “The first thought I had was obviously the 18th green, then it was that shot I hit at 13 [a sweetly struck 2-iron to the heart of the green which set up an easy two-putt birdie]. The next thought I had was ‘wow’ when I walked onto the 12th green and suddenly I had a two-shot lead. It’s like bang-bang-bang. “There are still a lot of emotions from that day. Obviously for me, it was a little further on in my career. I didn’t quite have the self-belief that I had from 1990 to 1992. I had to walk myself through that day mentally and keep myself going. For me, it was probably one of the best mental days I’ve ever had on a golf course.” As he looks back on his life so far, he’s filled with gratitude but not with surprise. Bold, brave and brash, you could certainly never accuse Nicholas Alexander Faldo of speaking with false modesty. WWW.HKGA.COM

“I did have visions. I wanted to go and win Majors. I wanted to be successful and I wanted to be famous. I wanted to have lots of money. I wanted to have choices. If we can keep creating opportunities so we can have different choices, that’s about the best thing we’ve got in our lives.”

The Faldo File DATE OF BIRTH: 18 July 1957 PLACE OF BIRTH: Welwyn Garden City, England TURNED PRO: 1976 (Plus 1) MAJOR VICTORIES: 6 (British Open – ’87, 90, 92; Masters – ’89, ’90, ’96) OTHER PROFESSIONAL VICTORIES: 34 RYDER CUP RECORD: Played 46: Won 23, Lost 19, Halved 4 ACCOLADES: 1977 Rookie of the Year; two-time European Tour Order of Merit winner (1983, 1992); 1990 US PGA Player of the Year; World Number 1 for 95 weeks; awarded MBE in 1988; inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1997

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course report

Fun and Fear at Fenghuangshan

saline-tolerant Seashore Paspalum grass (a type popular due to the generally poor quality of water available) on its fairways, tees and roughs and silky Bermuda TifEagle grass on its greens. On our visit, the putting surfaces were running at around nine on the stimpmeter, which makes them quicker than average, while it was hard to find fault with fairway lies, with most balls sitting up high on the Paspalum. Only time will tell if the club can maintain these kind of playing surfaces.

Course with a view (l-r): the 10th is the highest point at FHS; lychee trees flank many of the holes on the back nine.

Caddies

Most of Fenghuangshan’s caddies, who are all female, hail from the central western provinces of Sichuan and Hunan – and the majority are very new to the game, although they’ve clearly been well trained. Understandably, Mandarin is their language of choice, but most have a decent grasp of Cantonese. English speakers, however, might struggle to communicate at times, but their enthusiasm in congratulating good shots (and their thoughtfulness commiserating bad

This memorable course, one of the newest in the Shenzhen region, offers an intriguing blend of the sublime and the ridiculous BY THE EDITORS Background

Fenguangshan, also known as Phoenix Hill, opened its full 18 holes in January 2008. Developed in harness with the local government by a mainland owner, the club is not really a ‘club’ in the proper sense of the word – they’re not planning on issuing memberships any time soon, meaning this track is open for all, seven days a week. Fenghuangshan Golf Club (Phoenix Hill) Yardage: 6,806. Par: 72 Xiangxin Road West, Yantian District, Fenghuangshan Town, Dongguan Tel: (86) 0 769-87280988 Website: fhsgolf.net Green Fee: HK$600-940 Booking: Golf 007 (golf007.com; 21873146)

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Course

Cripes, where to start? It’s fair to say that Fenghuangshan is one of those courses that will be loved and loathed in equal measure. Let’s start with the pros: laid out over spectacular mountainous terrain, 40 minutes from the Hong Kong-Mainland border in Dongguan prefecture, the course

winds its way around a series of disused mines – the open-cast remnants of which form many of the hazards here – and features some quite brilliant holes, especially late on the back-nine. The cons: there are at least four holes that beggar belief. While the course is home to some of the most exciting and well-thought out golf holes in the area, it stumbles in parts purely because of the owner’s wish to make this a par-72 layout. When will owners realize that having a par-71 or par-70 - even a par-69 - course in China is no disgrace? Clearly not here, because in an attempt to maximize use of his plot of land, the owner, who is also the designer, has squeezed in a ridiculous dogleg-right par-5 (the 570-yard fourth), which can only be negotiated with an iron off the tee due to the ravine that bisects WWW.HKGA.COM

the fairway at around 220-yards off the tee. The 15-yard landing area at the tiny, yet scenic par-4 second is another cause for concern (it’s an automatic reload if you miss it by a foot), as are at least two other holes. But despite this, Fenghuangshan pretty much works. The views of the surrounding town (and accompanying industrial sprawl) is certainly impressive from the 10th tee – the course’s highest point – and the splendid Lychee trees that form the backdrop on a number of approach shots add a certain maturity that belies the layout’s age.

Conditions

Ver y good indeed. Like ma ny of t he newer courses in the immediate region, Fenghuangshan uses a combination of the hardy WWW.HKGA.COM

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results

for completion in the first half of this year, but that is looking far from likely. In the meantime, visitors will have to make do with an austere locker room (think British boarding schoolstyle circa 1970), a poorly-stocked pro shop and a simple restaurant on the second floor. A slightly better equipped conference area, capable of sitting up to 80 people, makes it possible for societies to host tournament days here.

Monthly medal winner Donald Nimmo

December Stableford 18 December Division 1 Winner: Diana Ting (35) Division 1 Runner-Up: Pamela Hwang (33) Division 2 Winner: Mirenda Lok (36) Division 2 Runner-Up: Liz Ho (34)

Service

No major complaints. Check-in was a formality and the staff was friendly and helpful. We were able to tee off on time – and, more importantly, our fourball, thanks to a vigilant team of on-course marshals, was able to get round in four hours. Given that we visited on a Saturday this was something of a result. Kudos!

Chris Fry Trophy 2008 Winner: Runner-Up:

ones) makes them a nice bunch to be around. You should listen to them, too. Don’t be surprised by some of the club selections off the tee – it’s that kind of course.

Clubhouse

Risky business (from top): elevation changes at FHS; the short par-four second wraps its way around a old mine.

Although describing the current nondescript two-storey clubhouse as a flophouse is probably something of a disservice, there’s no doubt the facilities at Fenghuangshan are spartan and decidedly minimal. There’s a reason for this: it’s only a temporary structure, although when the club will complete its main clubhouse, a massive edifice commanding excellent views of the surrounding area, is uncertain. It was due

Felicia Louey KR Shin

Men’s Section

Founder’s Cup 13-14 December Scratch Winner: Jackson Chu (174) Nett Winner: Stuart Gethin (142) Captain’s Cup 20 December Gross Winner: Sihao Yan (80) Gross Runner-Up: Peter Sun (82) Nett Winner: James Fung (70) Nett Runner-Up: M Desombre (71 C/B)

Verdict

Despite a few obv iou s design f laws, Fenghuangshan is very close to being one of the region’s must-plays. Views aside, the uniqueness of the site makes for some truly exceptional holes and a memorable playing experience. But it could be so much more. If the owner is willing to splash the cash and employ the services of a noted architect to redesign some of the more ridiculous holes out here then he would have something very special indeed. It will also be interesting to see whether the course conditions remain the same once the club opens its rather grandioselooking clubhouse. We sincerely hope that money will continue to be spent on the course, rather than on extravagant luxuries off it. There are too many clubs in Guangdong that have suffered once the course becomes second priority.

Christmas Scramble 10 December Winners: Sunny Kang, Lily Lau, Callie Botsford, Eileen Booth (55) Runners Up: Haj Wilcox, Elsa Chao, Liz Amez Droz, Nakako Honda (57 C/B)

Around the Clubs

Chairman’s Cup 20 December Winner: Bruce Kong (40) Runner-Up: Peter Kwan (38 C/B)

The Hong Kong Golf Club HKGC vs Royal Bangkok 13 December HKGC: 24½ Points Royal Bangkok: 7 Points *Played over the Eden Course Arthur Woo Trophy 14 December S Limbu won the Arthur Woo Trophy played over the New Course with 37 points. J K Ball was the runner-up with 35 points. Monthly Medal – Gross Section 3 January D C Nimmo won the Monthly Medal Gross Section played over the Old Course with 72. Monthly Medal – Nett Section 3 January H M V de Lacy Staunton won the Monthly Medal Nett Section played over the Old Course with 69. Sir David Trench Cup Final 4 January S Chatjaval won the Sir David Trench Cup Final played over the New Course with 36 points. M Sullivan was the runner-up with 35 points. HKGC vs Discovery Bay Golf Club 4 January HKGC : 13 points DBGC : 11 points * Played at Discovery Bay Golf Club

Discovery Bay Golf Club Chairman’s Cup 6-7 December Winner: BR Kim (141 C/B) Runner-Up: JS Park (141) Best Gross: Matajiro Nagatomi (149) The KS Hyun Mixed Greensome Cup 2008 20 December Winners: KC Liu & Phoebe Liu (63) Runners-Up: BR Kim & JR Kim (66) Best Gross: Stuart Winchester & Rungnapa Winchester (73) Christmas 3 Clubs Stableford 21 December Ladies Division Winner: Yasuyo Nagatomi (37) Runner-Up: Cally Ying (31) Best Gross: Rungnapa Winchester (23) Men’s Division Winner: Runner-Up: Best Gross:

BR Kim (33 C/B) John Seto (33) Matajiro Nagatomi (28)

Matajiro Nagatomi won Best Gross at DBGC's Chairman's Cup

Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club Ladies Section

Ladies Golf Championship 3 December Winner: Anita Chu Runner Up: Haj Wilcox Division 2 Winner: Takako To Division 2 Runner Up: Kanako Tanaka December Medal 3 December Division 1 Gross Winner: Oshima Kok (82) Division 1 Nett Winner: Lydia Mak (71) Division 2 Gross Winner: Peggy Wong (101) Division 2 Nett Winner: Liz Amez Droz (75) 58

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Profile

Wattle Park in Melbourne, where I grew up. It only has nine holes but it’s a lot of fun and, when I was there, only cost A$3 (HK$15) to play.

15 Minutes with

Samuel Clayton

If you could change one of the Rules of Golf, which one would it be and why? I think allowing a mulligan off the first tee would be OK. It couldn’t be transferable though – you’d have to use it there and then. I’m sure plenty of people would agree with that – especially those who have to face the ravine on the first hole on the Diamond Course with their opening drive of the day! Who would be in your dream foursome? My two sons and my wife. My sons are seven and 10 and they’ve just started having lessons. It’s every golfing father’s dream to play the game with their children – and wife, of course.

Discovery Bay Golf Club’s general manager on his career path and why he often runs to work

How would you compare Hong Kong golfers to those in other countries you’ve worked in? Hong Kong golfers are very conscientious, especially compared to Indonesian golfers. Most golfers here have a good understanding of the game and display good etiquette on the course. In Indonesia, where I am most familiar with, the average round takes over five hours and the level of etiquette displayed leaves a lot to be desired. A classic example of this was the time I played with a General in the Indonesian army. He wanted to play a few

How did you get into golf club management? Working as a horticulturalist in Australia, I was recruited to Emeralda Golf Club in Jakarta, which is a 27-hole Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus design, where I was on the construction team of the golf course. Over the three years I developed a relationship with the owners, I learned to speak Indonesian and, helped by my previous experience as a chef, I was asked to ‘come inside’ and become Club Manager. I spent a total of ten years in Jakarta, 6 of which were at Emeralda. How have you found your first 18 months at Discovery Bay? I arrived at a club with 25 years of tradition; and being the new boy on the block I had visions and motivation to make changes. I tested the water on a few ideas and after six months I had a better understanding of the way to go about things. I’ve had nothing but support from the owners, committee, members and staff, all of whom have been very receptive and welcoming me into their beloved club. What’s the biggest crisis you’ve faced since arriving? Well, it wasn’t a crisis, but probably the most stressful time was when I decided to close the courses for 21 days in June last year because of the weather. We, like everywhere else in Hong Kong, had experienced enormous amounts of rainfall and there was a real danger that course conditions would suffer in the long term if we remained open during that time. Some members disagreed with my decision – and I could understand their frustration –but it was the right one to make with the support of the committee. We protected the course and the playing surfaces, as a result, have been in excellent shape throughout the autumn and winter.

plenty of danger though, especially if the pin is cut in the back right portion of the green, which brings the greenside bunker into play. When I played it the first few times I was frequently going out of bounds – and off the cliff – on the right with my tee shot, but I’ve got that out of my system now and now I favor the trees on the left! It’s a great finishing hole.

What specific projects are you working on right now? We’ve got a major irrigation project planned to start soon, which is going to be of great benefit to the courses and therefore the membership. It will mean closing each nine for 12 weeks at a time during the quieter periods of the year, but it will be well worth it when completed. The club is a quarter of a century old and the irrigation system needs an overhaul. When finished, it’s going to be a fully automatic, state-of-the-art set up. It will be a major step forward in the maintenance practices at the club.

What’s the most unusual thing you’ve seen on the golf course? Probably the time a gentleman member was playing the par-3 third on the Jade Course. His tee shot just caught the edge of the lake so he went over to try and retrieve it. Unfortunately, as he was doing so he slipped into the water and, because the water level was quite low, couldn’t get out unaided. His wife, who was playing with him, came over to try and help him out, but he inadvertently pulled her into the water too. They ended up swimming across the lake to a point where they could get out easily enough and, soaking wet, declined to finish their round and drove their cart back to the clubhouse. That was pretty unusual.

What’s your favorite hole at the club? That’s a tough one to answer, but I have to go for the clifftop ninth on the Ruby Course, which overlooks the Discovery Bay reservoir and mountains beyond. It’s a traditional par-5 because it’s short enough for good amateurs to reach in two. Nowadays, most par-5s are just too long for most players, but the ninth offers a birdie chance if you get a decent drive away. There’s still

What’s your favorite course outside Hong Kong? Emeralda in Jakarta, for sentimental reasons. I spent six years there and it’s where I really started playing golf to a good standard. I had a handicap of 3.5 at one point. Another favorite is

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‘funnies’ [side bets], but instead of playing for the usual 10,000 rupiahs (HK$7) a funny, he wanted to play for 200,000 rupiahs! Anyway, I ended up agreeing and then started my round par, birdie, eagle, hole-in-one. I was threeunder-par through nine holes and up by a lot. But then he just stopped playing and walked back to the clubhouse. He didn’t pay up and he didn’t even congratulate me on my ace. I celebrated the achievement by having a quiet beer on my own. How do you unwind? I like to keep fit and do quite a lot of running. I enter a lot of Olympic length triathlons, which comprise a 1.5km swim, 40km bike ride and a 10km run. A few of the staff here are keen runners too, and I’ve challenged them to a race from Discovery Bay Plaza, up the hill, to the club. I’ve done it in a personal best time of 18 minutes, so we’ll see what happens.

Turf Talk

The Winter Aesthetic I

f you’ve been out on the course recently – and if not, why not? – you’ll have noticed that the playing surfaces, in particular the roughs, have a brown/yellow tinge to them. This is perfectly normal for this time of year, and it’s all to do with the grass going into a period of dormancy. Here in southern China, most courses use warm season grasses because of this type’s ability to handle the heat and humidity of the region’s fickle climate. However, when the soil temperature falls below 18 degrees Celsius, as is common in the months of January and February, then the rate of grass growth starts to slow. When the soil temperature falls below 10 degrees Celsius the grass actually goes into dormancy and doesn’t grow at all. As a result, the grass naturally loses its green colour. In actual fact, superintendents could keep warm season grass green all year round, but the amount of water and

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fertilizer required to do so make it economically unattractive. Moreover, during the dry season water conservation is paramount and it is the practice of all superintendents worth their salt to manage their supplies accordingly. The environmental benefits of conserving water also influence the superintendent’s strategy. A s a pl ay e r, it i s we l l wo r t h understanding that during this dry season you should always replace your divots with sand. If no sand is available then use the grass from the divot. While it might not grow back as quickly, it does at least keep the surface smooth. A divot in the summer months will take around a week to recover, but it will take at least a month to do so at this time of year. Other important points to remember include not walking up the face of bunkers and don’t take divots with your practice swings. The result of the latter is the number one reason why many tee boxes on the first hole are in such bad shape. The playing characteristics of the course

also change as a result of the slow rate of grass growth. Generally “hard and fast” conditions prevail, which can add yards to your drives, but can also catch a lot of people out on the greens. Superintendents won’t cut much grass and won’t spike the greens for aerification purposes during the winter. Instead, we’re in the process of ‘cleaning up’ – rolling the greens and roping off areas of the course to help control the amount of wear and tear. A lot of golfers don’t like the look of the brown-tinged roughs, but many superintendents prefer the winter aesthetic because of the definition. You can really see the contrast between fairways, roughs and tees. The desert courses of Arizona are famous for this, as are many in northern Asia. There’s a definite ‘linksy’ look which is unique to the season. —Rick Hamilton

Rick Hamilton is managing director of Asia Turf Solutions, a turf management consultancy company based in Hong Kong.

HK GOLFER・JAN/FEB 2009

great holes

new plays

Short on Length, Long on Charm

Coastal Cracker

While the 18th hole on the Eden Course is justifiably the most famous hole at Fanling, the short 12th on the Old Course lays claim to being the best par-three on the property.

“I

t ’s u nique a nd slight ly quirky – modern course architects wouldn’t consider such a d e si g n ,” I a i n Roberts, the club’s head professional, tells me as we watch one fourball tee off at this picturesque corner of the course. You can see his point. Measuring 162 yards from the back tee (a mere flick with a nine-iron for most pros these days), the 12th plays across a grassy hollow to a raised green surrounded on three sides by bunkers. Two sets of steps, in full view from the tee, ease players’ ascent to the putting surface. It’s hard to imagine designers like Nicklaus and Trent Jones Jr. incorporating similar features today. The real genius of the hole, continues Roberts, is the green setup. From the tee the putting surface appears square on to you. But in fact it’s angled – the green cuts away from you on the left. That side

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“It hits you square in the forehead when you see the pictures, or the instant you walk onto the first tee, where you confront a panoramic view of the property: 270 degrees of water and peninsula – golf, ocean and sky as far as the eye can see.” Built on the site of an existing course that was completely erased and redesigned, the layout measures barely 6,200 yards, which makes it something of an oddity given today’s golf architectural trends. “This was conceived as a resort golf course, not some punishing 7,600-yard monster in search of a Tour event,” says Dale. “And if there’s a golfer out there who cannot find a way to enjoy 18 holes at Weihai Point, he should quit the game.” For more information visit weihaipoint.com

bottom of the bank. Most amateurs will hit anything between an eight and a six iron here, but if the pin is at the back and it’s really gusting then plenty of four irons and hybrid clubs will see some action. “When the course first opened, they'd have probably been hitting brassies,” reckons Roberts. Aside from being lengthened slightly over the years, little has changed since 1913 (when the black and white photograph was taken). “It’s the best use of 160-odd yards; and it just goes to show that you don’t need yardage to make a tough hole,” he declares. “Three is always a great score here.” WWW.HKGA.COM

Tom Breazeale

of the green is actually 25-yards further away – a full three clubs difference – than the right edge. It has to be one of the most visually deceptive holes in the region. The playing strategy is clear-cut: aim for the right half of the green and hope for a straight one. With the prevailing wind into the players’ faces, any amount of cut spin on the ball will bring the bunkers on the right into play. A pulled or hooked shot – well, more than likely you’ll be faced with a blind chip from the

Think of Shandong golf and those in the know will instinctively conjure up images of Tiger Beach Golf Links, arguably China’s most unique course and the only true links course in Asia. But the northeast province, separated from the Korean peninsula by the murky depths of the Yellow Sea, now has a second seaside course worth getting your softspikes stuck into – Weihai Point Golf & Resort. Developed by the South Korea-based Asiana Group, the parent company of Asiana Airlines, Weihai Point sits atop a windswept promontory and features 14 clifftop holes, making it one of the most spectacular courses to have sprung up anywhere in recent times. “For the golf junkie, the appeal of Weihai Point is completely straightforward,” says David Dale of Golfplan, the course designers.

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HK GOLFER・JAN/FEB 2009

pro shop

New Year New Driver

MacGregor NV-R (Types 1 and 2)

MacGregor might be the oldest golf company in the world but that hasn’t stopped them from using some of the game’s most technologically advanced features in their latest offerings. The lighter weight Type 1 (blue) model maximizes carry distance for general golfers thanks to its enormous Cup face sweet spot and high trajectory ball flight. Stronger players should opt for the Type 2 (red) version, which features a heavier club head and the brand’s much lauded Triple Action shaft. (HK$4,800, macgregor.com.hk)

TaylorMade Burner ‘09

With its re-engineered dual crown, its weight is at the sole for a lower centre of gravity, and thus a higher launch. The graphite shaft weighs just 49 grams and is a lengthy 46 ¼ inches. All these enhancements mean this club will yield at least 13 more yards than TaylorMade’s average driver from 2006. (HK$4,350, tmag.com)

You don’t have to wait for warmer weather to get your hands on some of the best drivers of 2009

Wilson Staff Smooth

ew drivers typically aren’t introduced to the market until the spring, but that was back in flusher times, when the major manufacturers cou ld cou nt on a boost in sales to start the season. They’re switching tactics, and have expedited new models to both their Tour pros and to pro shops – just in time to buy yourself a well-deserved Lunar New Year gift. Before you make your purchase, though, consider the five factors that make these drivers different from previous models. Adjustability. It was just last year that the only way to adjust a driver’s ball flight – and only in selected models – was by toying with its weight screws. But in 2008, we’ve seen the advent of interchangeable shafts that can greatly alter where a ball goes. Now arriving: shafts that can rotate, and which can effectively change the clubface between square and closed positions. Weighting. The use of multiple materials in one clubhead has become more sophisticated than ever. By combining, say, a lightweight titanium clubface and sole, composite crown and heavier tungsten weights, designers can lower a club’s centre of gravity (CG) and raise its moment of inertia (MOI) to produce longer, straighter and very forgiving tee shots. 64

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Sound. It used to be that you knew exactly how well you hit a ball with a driver from the sound it made at impact. Recently, however, that sound has become a bit misleading. Club manufacturers have utilized sophisticated software to play around with the club’s internal makeup, turning up the volume yet another notch at impact while fine-tuning the pitch. Still, the premise remains consistent through time: the louder the impact, the more you’ll think you crushed it. Shaf t length. Some new models are equipped with shafts that are a half-inch longer than standard. Why? Because a longer shaft can generate more speed, which in turn generates more distance. Traditionally, a longer shaft carried with it a wider shot dispersion (meaning you hit it even farther into the woods/jungle/water). But these shafts have been co-engineered with the clubheads, which have more forgiving characteristics to reduce the chances of wild slices and hooks. Geometry. The advent of triangular- and square-shaped drivers over the past two years has proven to be more than a passing fad. Essentially, these shapes stretch the club’s mass to the far extremes, raising the MOI. The higher that MOI, the more forgiving the driver is on off-centre hits. In many cases, it will feel as if you struck them on the sweet spot. WWW.HKGA.COM

Plain and simple, this driver promises to add between 3 and 4 miles per hour of ball speed, which for the average player translates into at least 10 yards of added distance. It features glossy styling and a variable face insert that aims to create a wide sweet spot. Company poster boy – and three-time Major winner – Padraig Harrington has used this driver in competition. (HK$3,450, wilsonstaff.com)

Ping Rapture V2

Its 460cc titanium head has rear tungsten weights, near the heel and toe, which result in lower spin and higher launch. The tall, variable-thickness clubface helps increase ball speed. Angel Cabrera is among Ping staff players to have used the club in tournaments, and it is on track to become a staple in several Tour bags. (HK$4,000, pinggolf.com) WWW.HKGA.COM

Cobra LV5

This multi-material driver features Adjustable Flight Technology, which allows you to set the clubface angle to neutral or draw position by loosening the shaft with the included wrench, rotating it, and then tightening it back into the hosel connector. The respective face angles differ for each loft offered. Expect to see this model in use on the PGA Tour in 2009. (HK$5,300, cobragolf.com) HK GOLFER・JAN/FEB 2009

final shot

with Jean Van de Velde

Incroyable!

2 0 0

HK Golfer’s new Playing Editor gives his thoughts on the season ahead

“To take the shot on, rather than chip out sideways and hope to save par, was an astonishingly brave decision – and to pull it off was unbelievable.”

have to confess that before the UBS Hong Kong Open I didn’t know a great deal about Lin Wen-tang. That’s all changed of course, and it came about by him hitting two of the finest pressure shots I’ve ever seen. The first, from behind the trees on the first hole of the playoff against Rory McIlroy and Francesco Molinari, was just amazing. Incroyable! To take the shot on, rather than chip out sideways and hope to save par, was an astonishingly brave decision – and to pull it off was unbelievable. But for me, it was his approach shot on the second playoff hole that was even more impressive. After McIlroy hit his own fantastic shot from the trees, the composure Lin showed in knocking it so close to the flag was amazing. It was the perfect shot.

Don’t change a thing!

What Jason Hak achieved at the HKO was great. To break Sergio Garcia’s record as the youngest player to have ever made the cut at a European Tour event is some feat – and excellent news for Hong Kong golf. To be honest, I didn’t realize he was so young; because of his height – he’s so tall for a young man! - I was under the impression that he was around 17. These guys keep getting younger and younger… But while he is clearly a very talented player and I applaud his success, he should be wary of a few things. My advice to him is to not change one single aspect of what he’s doing right now. Why? Well, for the simple reason that it clearly works. His achievement is bound to create a lot of interest and he and his family might be tempted to try and ‘speed up’ his development by seeking the advice of multiple swing coaches and other so-called experts. I would urge them not to do so. He’s only 14 and has all the time in the world. There’s really no rush to change anything at all. Too many talented young amateurs lose their momentum by unnecessarily changing their swing, their routine or the way they approach the game. A golfer should evolve naturally. Jason seems like an intelligent, down-to-earth guy and I wish him the best. I hope to be reading more about him a few years’ down the line. 66

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Y A R D S

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Y A R D S

T O T O

T H E

G R E E N

T H E

B L U E

The season ahead

Predicting what will happen during the season ahead is never easy and often fraught with danger. After all, who would have known that Tiger would miss half of 2008 through injury? But I think after their breakthrough performances last year, Robert Karlsson and Padraig Harrington will continue to shine in 2009. Karlsson really impressed me – his play at the Ryder Cup was especially encouraging, as was Ian Poulter’s. Among the Americans, I believe Anthony Kim will enjoy more success – maybe even on the European Tour, as he is one of a number of young players from the States to have signed up for the Race to Dubai. As for Tiger…well, only Tiger truly knows when he’ll be ready to come back and compete again. He’s incredible and I for one wouldn’t bet against him winning more majors in 2009. Like everyone else I hope he returns to competitive play as soon as possible. He’s great for the game and a great guy, which doesn’t always come across in the media. But I’ve always got on very well with him. He’s a very likeable man.

Open season

As for me, well, by choice, I’m not going to play as many tournaments this year as I have in the past. I have a young family here in Hong Kong and they are my biggest priority. Although I didn’t play well enough in 2008 to retain my full playing rights on the European Tour, I still expect to play all the Asian Tour and European Tour cosanctioned events plus a few others, including the Madeira Islands Open in March, site of my last victory in 2006. I’m really looking forward to July, which is when the Open de France and the [British] Open take place. These are my two favourite events (the Hong Kong Open is a close third!) for obvious reasons. I’m not exempt for the Open at Turnberry yet, so I might have to go through final qualifying like I did last year. That was a good experience and I took advantage by finishing in the top 20 at Royal Birkdale, which was one of my better finishes of the year. Needless to say, I’ll be looking to go even better this time around. The passion is most definitely still there.

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At Ocean Dunes Golf Club, the sea is so close you can almost touch it. There it is as you hole a putt on 9.Then, just to your left, as you tee off on 13. Masters champion Nick Faldo designed the links-style gem, his only course in Vietnam.You’ll love the golf. But be careful: Mother Nature may distract you. The world is talking about golf in Vietnam. See for yourself why Ocean Dunes is ranked at the top. Special Summer packages now available. +84 (62) 823366 • odgc@vietnamgolfresorts.com • www.vietnamgolfresorts.com

Golden Era Golf in Vietnam

AT THE

DALAT PALACE GOLF CLUB

Perched high in the mountains of Vietnam with flawless bent-grass greens sits 18 acclaimed and storied holes of world-class golf. Come play what Golf Digest and Asian Golf Monthly called “The #1 Golf Course in Vietnam” in 2007. Special VIP Summer packages now available.

+84 (63) 821201 dpgc@vietnamgolfresorts.com www.vietnamgolfresorts.com

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HK GOLFER・JAN/FEB 2009