HK Golfer August 2011 by Times International Creation Ltd

HKGolfer

HK Golfer Clubhouse: Morgan 3-wheeler, Single malts, Cartier watches in review

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE HONG KONG GOLF ASSOCIATION ISSUE 55

HKGOLFER.COM

AUGUST 2011

$50

US PGA CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW

LORD OF THE LINKS Darren Clarke is the Toast of Sandwich DISPLAY UNTIL SEPTEMBER 15

THAI STYLE: HUA HIN TRAVEL GUIDE

contents

HK Golfer

Issue 55

26 On the Cover:

Darren Clarke landed the biggest prize of them all at Royal St George's last month, the Irishman claiming the Open Championship at the 20th time of trying Photo by AFP

Features

Plus…

26 | Irish Eyes Are Smiling – Again

17 | The Ultimate Gadget

34 | Lee Westwood

22 | Single Malts

A look back at a memorable Open Championship week at Royal St George's, which saw Darren Clarke become the third Irishman to win a major in the past thirteen months. By Lewine Mair The Englishman, one of the most consistent players in the world game, talks about the importance of decision making as a part of a series of 'Great Minds' interviews for this year's Ballantine's Championship. By The Editors

46 | Q&A: Terrence Ng

Seventeen-year-old Ng has been one of Hong Kong's most improved juniors over the past year. He talks to us following his stellar victory at the Jack Nicklaus Junior Championship. Interview by David Cunningham III

50 | A to Z of the US PGA Championship

An alphabetical history of "Glory's Last Shot", the final major of the year. Compiled by Alex Jenkins

60 | Wild Thing?

HK Golfer looks at the life and times of John Daly, who 20 years ago this month, shocked the golfing world with his win at the 1991 US PGA Championship. By David Cunningham III

64 | Heavenly Hua Hin

A travel guide to the best courses and resorts of this increasingly popular Thai holiday destination, where golf has firmly taken root. By Alex Jenkins

70 | Players to Watch: Robert Rock

HK Golfer・AUG 2011

August 2011

This hatless and unassuming European Tour player has the kind of game that could take him to the highest reaches of professional golf. By Alex Jenkins

The HK Golfer watch editor writes about the benefits of updating your timepiece arsenal, starting with Cartier's 2011 High Watchmaking collection. By Evan Rast A review of Glenrothes, a malt that lingers long in the memory. By John Bruce

24 | Driving Range

A look at the British marque Morgan, which has gone back to its roots with the launch of the sensationally fun three-wheeler. By Ben Oliver

45 | Albert KW Lai Junior Championship

Sebastian Cheng and Christy Chong lead the way at the Hong Kong Golf Club. By The Editors

58 | Punting

Our resident tipster takes a look at the runners and riders at this year's US PGA Championship. By Archie Albatross

72 | Global Tournament News

Reports on the latest professional golf news and world rankings. By The Editors

74 | Social Scene

Highbrow Hong Kong events of the non-golfing variety. By The Editors

78 | Final Shot: Darren Clarke

A look back at the Open champion's visit to Hong Kong last November. By Alex Jenkins HKGOLFER.COM

HK Golfer

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE HONG KONG GOLF ASSOCIATION Aug 2011 • Issue 55

Editor: Alex Jenkins email: alex.jenkins@hkgolfer.com Editorial Assistant: Cindy Kwok Playing Editor: Jean Van de Velde Photo Editor: Daniel Wong Contributing Editors: Lewine Mair, Ariel Adams, Robert Lynam, Evan Rast, David Cunningham III Published by:

TIMES INTERNATIONAL CREATION

64 DE PA R T M E N T S 08

HK Golfer Mailbag

Global Focus

Major Focus

Around the HKGA

Hong Kong News

Club Results

bulthaup July Stableford

HK GOLFER is published by Times International Creation, 20/F, 28 Queen’s Road Central, Hong Kong. HK GOLFER is published monthly © 2011 by Times International Creation. Published in Hong Kong. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is strictly prohibited. PRINTED IN HONG KONG.

HK Golfer・AUG 2011

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HK Golfer Mailbag The Price is Right

Something you neglect to mention in your otherwise excellent magazine is the fact that Hong Kong is one of the cheapest places in the world for golf equipment. My goodness, cross the border into China and you find yourself paying over RMB600 for a box of 12 Titleist Pro V1s, which is essentially double the price here. Horrendous! The same thing applies to clubs – which are massively expensive in all the major mainland cities. Even on my trips to Thailand and other countries around the region, the prices do not compare favourably with Hong Kong. Perhaps you should be encouraging golfers to buy their equipment right here.

Rough Talk

I was very impressed with the way Royal St George's was set up during the Open. Unlike in 2003, when the club last hosted the championship, the rough – while still significant for those really wayward – was trimmed to a playable height, which meant those just missing the fairways were given an opportunity to still manufacture or create shots that might – or might not – result in good results. This resulted in exciting play that made this event, which featured some truly terrible weather, great to watch. I really hate to see the world's greatest players resort to hacking out of the rough after a slightly errant drive. Kudos to both the R&A and the greenkeeping staff, especially the latter who kept the playing surfaces in pristine order. And let's not forget Darren Clarke, who most people (myself included) thought his best days were behind him. This was an Open for the ages. I hope they keep the rough down at Fanling during the UBS Hong Kong Open this year. The Composite Course is short, there's no getting away from that, but there's absolutely no need to try and defend it with tall grass flanking the fairways. I hope they don't. Douglas King Via email

AFP

Editor’s reply: Excellent point, Douglas. I tend to agree with you: thick rough does take away the skill of the players on display, particularly at the Open Championship where creativity comes to the fore. The recent Canadian Open was a classic case of over compensating for a relatively short course. The rough was so thick there that players had little choice but to resort to wedging the ball out. While it's certainly true that accurate players should be rewarded, watching the world's best simply flailing around in the tall grass is no fun at all. Mike Weir, the local favourite, was forced to withdraw through injury, which some believed was caused by the tangly grass. As to your point about Fanling – the Composite Course, in my opinion, has always played its best in hard and fast conditions, with the greenside rough cut back. We'll see what happens in December, but when set up well, the layout is a classic example of how sub-7,000-yard courses can still prove a match for the best.

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Geoffrey Lo Stanley Editor’s reply: It's certainly true that the mainland is extremely pricey for golf equipment, Geoffrey, but that's because – like the green fees the club's charge – golf is seen as a luxury pursuit and is taxed as such. This is quite interesting because as most of us know, 90 per cent of the world's golf equipment is made right next door to us in Guangdong Province. The fact that it has to get shipped back to the US (or Japan) before being sent back to Hong Kong for retail is just one of those things. But you're generally right – Hong Kong is not an expensive place for golfing gear. As for it being the cheapest? Well, I'm not sure Hong Kong can be considered alongside the United States, the home of the discount golf warehouse, but as you point out, we don't do too badly at all.

We Want to Hear from You! Have something to say about an article in HK Golfer or a topic affecting golf in our area? Send your thoughts and comments to letters@hkgolfer.com. Please also include your address, contact number, email and HKGA #. The winner of the best letter will receive a bottle of Champagne Louis Roederer courtesy of Links Concept.

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Global Focus Levet's Costly Shindig Thomas Levet celebrated his superb come-frombehind victory at the Alstom Open de France last month in exuberant style by leaping into the lake that fronts the eighteenth green at Le Golf National, the Parisian venue that will host the 2018 Ryder Cup. And who could blame him. The Frenchman secured the win at his home Open at the 25th time of asking. Just one problem: in the process of leaping into the murky depths, the 42-year-old broke his shin, ruling him out of the following week's Open Championship. It was rotten luck for Levet, a lover of links golf. In 2002, he lost out to Ernie Els in a four-way play-off for the Claret Jug at Muirfield and would have headed to Royal St George's with his confidence sky high. Whoops. Photo by AFP

Major Focus Paddy Power Darren Clarke held his nerve to claim his maiden major when he landed the Open Championship at Royal St George's in mid-July. Clarke's emotional victory means that Irishmen have won an unprecedented six of the last 17 majors played, following Padraig Harrington (Open Championship – 2007, '08 and US PGA Championship – 2008), Graeme McDowell (US Open – 2010) and Rory McIlroy (US Open – 2011). Forty-two-year-old Clarke, who hails from Dungannon in County Tyrone, is a member at Royal Portrush, arguably the finest links in Northern Ireland, and following the success of Irish golfers in recent times there have been calls for the Open to return to the Emerald Isle. The one and only time the championship was played in Ireland was in 1951, at Portrush. Photo by AFP

divots

Mission Hills' Marathon Man

HK to Host Prestigious Amateur Events

Golf "adventurer" Michael Goldstein completed his quest to play all 10 courses at Mission Hills Hainan, the enormous new facility close to Haikou, at the end of July. Beginning at precisely 6am, Goldstein played 10 18-hole rounds in a lightning-fast 12 hours and 44 minutes. He ran between swings and took 810 total shots, averaging a respectable 13.3-over-par per round. Quite why he did this – aside from the obvious publicity it would bring to the mega resort – is so far unclear, but in 2010, Goldstein circled the world and played a new golf course every day of the year to raise funds for The First Tee – a youth development programme based in the States. Kudos for that!

Hong Kong will become the focus of attention in September when the city plays host to three of the most prestigious amateur events in Asia – the Southeast Asian Team Golf Championship (for the 51st Putra Cup), the under 18 boys' Lion City Cup and the under 18 girls' Santi Cup. The events will be held at Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club (pictured) from September 5-9. Iain Valentine, Chief Executive of the HKGA, said: "We're extremely proud to be hosting these three fine events. Clearwater Bay is one of the most spectacular layouts in Asia and I'm sure the competitors will enjoy both the course and the Hong Kong hospitality during their stay."

9.2

NUMBERS GAME

The amount, in billions of US$, that golf in mainland China has generated, according to the China Daily newspaper. That figure – some RMB60 billion – is quite staggering given the central government issued a moratorium on golf course construction in 2004. The People's Daily, the government mouthpiece, reported in June that nearly 600 illegal golf courses had been built as of the end of 2010.

20 110

T he number of Open Championship's Darren Clarke entered before winning the Claret Jug. Clarke, 42, made his debut in 1991(he did not play in 2008) and has finished in the top 10 three times before winning at Royal St George's this year. Outside of the Open, his best result at a major championship was at the Masters in 1998, where he finished in a tie for eighth. The average cost, in US$, for a round of golf in Nevada, making it the most expensive state in the US to play in. The Silver State's relatively high rates for golf (although not by Hong Kong or China standards) are in large part due to the courses in and around Las Vegas. Three of Sin City's most famous tracks – Shadow Creek, Wynn Golf Club and Cascata – charge a hefty US$500 for the privilege of teeing it up. The cheapest state is Kentucky, where green fees average a shade over US$34.

“This was always my goal as a kid growing up in Taiwan. But honestly, I never expected it to happen so soon. Sometimes I think I'm going to wake up and realize it's just a dream.” - Ladies' world number one Yani Tseng, who became the youngest golfer in the modern era to win four majors earlier this year at the age of 22.

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CLUBHOUSE Away from the Fairways Calibre de Cartier Astrotourbillon

 TEE TIME

The Ultimate Gadget Evan Rast talks about the benefits of updating your timepiece arsenal, starting with Cartier’s 2011 High Watchmaking collection CONTINUED OVERLEAF

HKGOLFER.COM

HK Golfer・AUG 2011

Rotonde de Cartier Astroregulateur

Pasha de Cartier Skeleton Flying Tourbillon

HK Golfer・AUG 2011

oday, the best watches do more than merely tell the time. They have regulators for extreme accuracy, perpetual calendars, multiple time zones, and other amazing functions. They are made with extensive research, extreme science, and let’s not forget, overactive imaginations. It’s no wonder that watches are the coolest type of gadgets in spy movies. They’re handy, stylish, and practical. But let’s be realistic. A mechanical watch that is able to deflect bullets and at the same time unzip a lady’s dress, arm and disarm magnetic mines, and double as a laser beam cutter ala 007’s, isn’t really useful in real life (well, except maybe for the unzipping function). Fortunately for us, the geniuses at Cartier have different tricks up their sleeves. In the past three years, the brand’s Fine Watchmaking team has been busy working away in the ultimate gadget factory, producing watches that challenge accepted norms and the ‘traditional’ ways of horology, while keeping to the superb aesthetics that Cartier is known for. The head of the house’s Fine Watchmaking team, Carole Forestier-Kasapi, is a woman with a mission. She aims to put Cartier on a par with most illustrious technical brands, with watches that you will be able to use, and not just dream about.

ZERO GRAVITY

This year, the company has expanded on a number of their collections and presented some astounding gadgetry, the most impressive being the Rotonde de Cartier Astrorégulateur, a watch using a radical approach on managing the impact of gravity on accuracy. We’ve all heard of tourbillons. But this time, Cartier has produced a worthy opponent, the Astroregulateur; a patented system that harnesses gravity by using the only element that always goes back to the same position on a vertical plane: the rotor. Five years of R&D has resulted in triumph: the 9800MC movement has a rotor-mounted balance and escapement, suspended by a bridge not unlike that used for a tourbillon. Because the balance is attached to the rotor, it constantly reverts to the same upright position when the watch is vertical, addressing the gravitational errors that watches are affected by. This contraption is clearly seen on the dial of a 50mm case made of niobium-titanium, a material that has allowed for the watch to weigh a mere 55 grams despite its size. Another out-of-this world innovation from the Maison this year is the Calibre de Cartier Astrotourbillon. Again housed in titanium, the HKGOLFER.COM

Jet-setting Style: The Calibre de Cartier Multiple Time Zone is one of the most practical watches of the Cartier High Watchmaking collection

watch is incredibly light in its bold Calibre case. The focal point of this gadget is a tourbillon carriage that rotates around the dial, instead of staying put, as traditional tourbillons do. The carriage makes one revolution per minute, and the off-centred balance bridge, shaped like an arrow, indicates the seconds. And to top off the tourbillon offerings is the Pasha de Cartier Skeleton Flying Tourbillon. The classic round Pasha comes in a skeletonized dial showing off its flying tourbillon movement, the Calibre 9457MC, housed in a white gold case. I’ve never really been an enormous Pasha fan, but I have to admit that this is a really striking piece.

SEE-THROUGH STYLE

Skeletonized watches are actually Cartier’s bestsellers in the Fine Watchmaking collection, and the piece that started the buzz was the Santos 100 Skeleton. This year, the house presents a stunning edition of the watch in blackened titanium, giving it an even tougher exterior. The Cartier 9612 MC movement, with a 72-hour power reserve, powers this version. If you’re going for a sleeker, but still spy-savvy look, the Santos Dumont Skeleton should be on your shopping list. This year the watch

comes in an ADLC titanium case, making it appear almost a matte black.

WORLD WHIZ

One of the most useful watches in the collection has to be the Calibre de Cartier Multiple Time Zone. Home time is shown on the day-night hand on a window from four to seven, while local time is shown on the main hands. These are linked to the cities disc on the side of the case, which is can be turned by a button integrated into the crown guards. Two features set this watch apart. The first is a “jet-lag indicator”, which is displayed in the window on the upper half of the dial. It shows the hour difference between your home time and local time. The second is the “season indicator”, which is shown by two lines in the cities disc representing the Northern and Southern hemispheres, as well as winter and summer icons. AS YOU CAN SEE, it’s been a very creative year for Cartier, and I think it’s a grand time to reap the fruits of their labour. I’d be prepared to use my secret agent connections to get a hold of one of these pieces when they are launched in boutiques.

Probably the world’s smallest watch manufacturer

Official HK Agent: Times International Creation ltd. Contact: jswatch@timesic.com Tel: +852-3590-4153 20

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www.jswatch.com

At the end of a great day...

 SINGLE MALTS

A Special Reserve HK Golfer whisky editor John Bruce writes about the delights of Glenrothes, a malt he looks forward to enjoying more often

t has to be said that as names for single malts go, “Glenrothes” doesn’t quite evoke the sense of tradition amongst Scots that others do. Given that Glenrothes was officially only designed in the late 1940s as the second of Scotland’s “New Towns”, it seems a little like setting Shakespeare in Milton Keynes. But I’ve never really comprehended the intricacies of marketing, or indeed classical drama, and I approached a recent tasting with an open mind. The Glenrothes tasting was itself a break from tradition; the f ive expressions we sampled were served along with a sumptuous five-course dinner at the Kee Club in Central and the host was an Englishman, Johnny Roberts, who admitted that his previous experience had been mostly in wines. So at first, I was not entirely certain that Berry Brothers had read their target market correctly. Of course, my glass half-full pessimism was entirely misplaced; there was a truly amazing display of sand art which depicted the history of The Glenrothes, the venue and food were magnificent and Mr Roberts knew and obviously loved his subject. Whisky has been distilled at the Glenrothes distillery since 1879, though until the 1990s the single malt distilled was almost entirely used to “dress” or enhance the flavours of blended whisky which dominated the market. The Famous Grouse, probably the most successful of all blends uses Glenrothes as one of its “top-dresser” malts. There was a very small amount of the malt whisky enjoyed by a lucky few but it was a particularly well-kept secret. That changed in the 1990s and in 1994, the first bottling of vintage 1979 was produced and the popularity of the brand has grown exponentially. Many more were to follow and about 30,000 cases of their “Special Reserve” – the core expression of the distillery – are now produced each year. The Glenrothes distillery is in the heart of rural Speyside and sits next to the Burn of Rothes. Like all of the great malts, the distillery recognizes the crucial role that the waters of Speyside play in the creation of the malt whisky and they have purchased the land that holds the spring, the Lady’s Well from which all their water comes. Quoting the distillery’s literature, “Unlike malt whiskies that are produced in line with the age concept, each vintage must have its own unique personality. However, it is important that each vintage is underpinned by the distinctive hallmarks of the distillery – in the case of The Glenrothes, ripe fruits, citrus, vanilla, an exquisite spicy finish encased in the creamiest of textures and a complex, well-poised balance.” Of course, HK Golfer relies entirely on first-hand experience when reviewing the amber nectar, and I had a singularly enjoyable experience at the Glenrothes 22

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... a sublime experience

dinner. The hosts themselves described it as, “a night to discover the highly acclaimed malt” and I must confess that both Milton and I were new to this malt whisky. As previously mentioned it may be that Scots tend to think of the town rather than the distillery when faced with the name but I have to say that I wish I had come earlier to the party. Having arrived at the Kee Club and reassured myself that we would not be confronted with either Lion or Morris Dancers, I was immediately plied with a pre-prandial glass of the Glenrothes Special Reserve and coupled with the delightful location and the host’s knowledge, things just got better from there. The Special Reserve is a delightful tipple which I liked neat but it can equally be enjoyed with a splash of water. The nose is woody but not smoky with a ripe fruit undertone, but the taste is malty with a creamy citrus and slightly sweet length to it and also a final hint of warm, peppery spice. As a core expression, this must rank up there with my favourite younger malt, Glenfiddich 12 year old and if I were not set in my ways, the completeness of the Special Reserve might even displace my long time friend. It is highly recommended. As ever, I find myself confronted with the constraints of brevity and I cannot do justice to each expression that we sampled, apart from saying that they were universally enjoyable. I must say that I was readily converted to the Glenrothes expressions although I remain unconvinced that they are truly best enjoyed with dinner. I feel that friends are the best accompaniment to great malt whisky, which this undoubtedly was. To finish, let me tip my hat to the allegorical prowess of one Gordon Motion, the Malt Master at Glenrothes. In writing a tasting note for the Vintage 1998, he said that it was, “like Carmen Miranda’s hat in a bottle”. My “a wee bit fruity” seemed dreadfully inadequate in comparison. HKGOLFER.COM

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

lastdrop@hkgolfer.com; (852) 3590 4153 lastdropdistillers.com

 DRIVING RANGE

The Power of Three

British marque Morgan has gone back to its roots with the launch of its sensationally fun three-wheeler, writes Ben Oliver

harles Morgan must be wondering why he didn’t do this years ago. The Morgan Motor Company was founded by his grandfather HFS Morgan just over a century ago and has remained in family ownership and control ever since, assembling its idiosyncratic sports cars by hand and at a glacial rate at the same premises – Pickersleigh Road, in the small Worcestershire town of Malvern – for almost its entire history. All car enthusiasts like to think they know a few Morgan facts, such as how the cars’ frames are still made of ash timber (some still are, but not the important, stressed parts) and how you need to put your name down at birth if you want to get one by the time you retire (the waiting list is actually much reduced, and down to a mere year or two, depending on the model). A lesser-known but entirely true Morgan fact is that the firm started by building three-wheelers; in fact it had been going for a quarter of its storied, century-long history before it built its first conventional four-wheeled car. HFS Morgan’s first threewheeled designs were simple and lightweight, allowing them to use early motorcycle engines, which in turn made them affordable. But lightweight can also mean fast, and it wasn’t long before HFS’s odd-looking cars became more powerful and streamlined and went racing. They set all sorts of speed and endurance records and lapped the infamous banked Brooklands track in Surrey alongside the thunderous, terrifying, aero-engined racers of the day. Three-wheeler production restarted after 24

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the Second World War, but in austere times exports had to be prioritized, and cars with four wheels sold better overseas. Morgan built its last three-wheeler in 1953. Its last until now, that is. Other car companies endlessly plunder their back catalogue for retro inspiration, but Morgan doesn’t have to: it’s still building the same cars it was in the fifties. Of course, there have been newer designs like the AeroMax, with entirely modern engineering but the same Morgan aesthetic. But Charles had always resisted reviving his grandfather’s greatest work and the rock on which the family firm was

SCORECARD How much? Engine: Performance: Economy: How heavy?

£25,000 excluding taxes 1982cc v-twin, 120bhp 4.5 sec 0-100kph, 200kph 8l per 100km 480kg

HKGOLFER.COM

founded, until a Morgan enthusiast in America designed and started to build a tribute to those pre-war three-wheelers. It looked good and was sensational to drive, so with an agility that the huge, monolithic mainstream carmakers just wouldn’t recognize, Morgan bought up the design, put its own stamp on it and is about to put it into production at Pickersleigh Road. And it looks like it might have the hit of 2011 on its hands, for all the same reasons that made HFS Morgan’s original so popular. Powered by a nose-mounted two-litre V-twin Americanmade S&S motorcycle engine with exhausts styled to look like tusks, the three-wheeler’s beltdriven single rear wheel will rocket it to 60mph in less than five seconds and on to a top speed of around 125mph. Push the fighter-plane safety catch away from the starter button and fire the engine up: it sounds as good as it looks and bucks and bellows as you prod the throttle, but flexible engine mounts mean the tiny, saddleleather lined cabin remains fairly refined. Or as refined as it’s possible to be with no roof or radio , two tiny aircraft-style flyscreens in front of driver and passenger, and your backside inches off the ground. Plainly, comfort and practicality are not the priorities here. Fun, however, is, and the threewheeler delivers that in abundance. It’s the perfect example of why less is more in motoring; less weight means better handling, and requires less power to go fast. Everything can be downsized, and not just the engine, so you end up with a car that costs just £25,000, yet like all tiny, light, open cars seems to magnify the thrills to match those of Ferraris and Lamborghinis at ten times the price. And while economic and environmental crises have made supercars socially unacceptable to some, everybody smiles at this thing. Sure, you’ll need to be well-heeled to drop £25,000 plus local taxes on a three-wheeled car with no roof; for most owners it will join a large collection as very occasional Sunday morning car. Jay Leno is the perfect customer; the American chat show host and terminal car nut drove the Morgan at its official launch at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, held in the Earl of March’s grounds in July, and ordered one on the spot. The options he’ll be able to choose from are as much fun as the car itself. The bodywork and leather cabin can be ordered in everything from battleship grey to bubblegum pink, and you can play up the fighter-plane aesthetic with roundels, mock bullet holes and sharks-teeth transfers. Over 500 buyers are already deciding how they’ll have theirs; that’s almost as many cars as Morgan made last year. We’re sure Morgan won’t let the waiting list build up the way it did in the eighties, but you should still get your order in soon. We doubt Leno will have to wait long for his. HKGOLFER.COM

HK Golfer・AUG 2011

open championship review

hough not too much of what was written in the days prior to the 140th Open came to pass, Chubby Chandler, Darren Clarke’s manager of 20 years, did succeed in naming the winner. It was only by way getting round a particularly tricky press question but even so ... One of the golf writers had asked Chandler which of his two players of the moment, Lee Westwood and Rory McIlroy, would be the more likely to come out on top. Not wanting to make trouble by naming one above the other, Chandler, than whom no-one is better at thinking on his feet, exclaimed, “It might be Darren”. The comment may have been light-hearted but it was by no means laughable. After all, Clarke had won in Mallorca at the start of the year. By Saturday night, the question going the rounds in the media centre was whether Clarke was in danger of doing as he did at Castle Stuart the week before in having a disaster of a last round on the greens. At Royal St George’s, he got off on the right foot by holing from 12 feet to save his par at the first. When that happened, he was very obviously in a state of shock. Indeed, it was as if he was stuck by the same thought as Louis Martin from the ISM management team … As Clarke plucked the ball from the hole, so Martin turned to this correspondent and said that that 12-footer could turn out to be the most important shot of the player’s life. There were two more testing putts ahead, a fourfooter at the second and a downhill and swirling tenfooter at the third. He made both and, from then on, it did not need a Bob Rotella (Clarke's psychologist) to tell him that he was putting well.

Irish Eyes Are Smiling – Again Lewine Mair's Open notebook captures the best from a memorable week at Royal St George's, which saw Darren Clarke become the third Irishman to win a major championship in the past thirteen months 26

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To the Winner Goes the Spoils: Clarke (top) basks in the glory; Mickelson (right) had plenty to smile about during what could have been one of the finest final rounds in Open history HKGOLFER.COM

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Youth to the Fore: Surprisingly, it was Rickie Fowler, not Rory McIlroy, who fared better over the links at Sandwich when the weather worsened

Another unforgettable little stretch in the winner’s fourth round came when Clarke walked on to the green of the short sixth and his eyes lit upon the greenside leader board. It showed that Phil Mickelson had joined him in the lead at five under par; the three-time Masters champion having birdied the sixth and eagled the seventh. This piece of news did not occasion any of the obvious shock Clarke had shown on the first green. As he would say, afterwards, “I can’t control what someone else is doing ...” Yet in his own way he did control what Mickelson was doing. He holed from 20 feet to match t he American’s eagle at the par-five and that particular thrust, as much as anything else, played its part in the player’s collapse. THE FINA L standings showed that the Europeans, overall, are not quite as far ahead of the Americans in the art of links golf as they would have you believe. Though Clarke won

in style, he and Thomas Bjorn were the only Europeans to finish inside the top seven, while Lee Westwood, Luke Donald and Graeme McDowell, as everyone knows, missed the cut. Tom Lehman made as good a fist as anyone of speaking up on behalf of his compatriots – and he did as much from strength in that he was two-under to the leaders’ four under at the time. “I don't think,” said this former champion, “that it's easy to put Americans in a box and say they can only play one certain kind of golf – and I don't think that's true. “OK, the American way of golf doesn’t do a lot to bring out the players’ creative side but a lot of the guys have it.” Rickie Fowler, for one. It was Mark Roe, from the ranks of the TV commentators who, having followed Fowler and McIlroy over the first couple of rounds, noted that there were several occasions when Fowler was the more impressive in marrying his little chips to the humps and hollows.

Drive For Show, Putt For ... Clarke is already reaping the financial rewards of his Open Championship heroics. In addition to the £900,000 winner's prize he collected at Sandwich, the 42-year-old received a £2 million bonus cheque from sponsors Dunlop just three days afterwards. Clarke, with ISM stablemate Lee Westwood, had been on a no-win, nopay deal with Dunlop, which dictated that neither could claim a penny until they won a major. The contract was struck six years ago with company owner Mike Ashley, who also owns Newcastle United, the English Premier League club. Clarke is also sponsored by luxury watch brand Audemars Piguet, Stuburt shoes and TaylorMade – and it is thought that his final windfall from this event alone could reach a hefty £10 million. "To have sneaked into the Open and now to have the trophy and a huge bonus from Dunlop is just wonderful," said Clarke, who was already worth an estimated £21 million prior to the championship. Asked how he would spend the money, the Irishman replied: "I've been there and done it. All the things I've ever wanted to buy, I have done. I've lived like a major champion without having a major."–AJ

HK Golfer・AUG 2011

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It turned out that Fowler had something of an old-timer’s start to the game instead of going down the so-called “range-robot” route. His original coach had encouraged him to play every shot under the sun – and to invent some more. Fowler, who finished in a share of fifth place, had his first taste of links golf at the 2007 Walker Cup where he won three points out of four. (For the record, he and Billy Horschel defeated McIlroy and Jonathan Caldwell in the second foursomes series.) Philip Parkin, a former winner of the Amateur championship and one of Roe’s fellow commentators, happened upon a statistic which might interest those wondering where to put their money at next year’s Open. Namely, that Fowler’s last three rounds at St Andrews in 2010 and his first three at Royal St George’s would have left him as many as 10 shots clear of the field.

Old Head on Old Shoulders: Tom Watson (above) showed how Royal St George's could be played during the worst of the conditons; Dustin Johnson (right) was left still seeking his first major win 30

HK Golfer・AUG 2011

WHO WOULD believe that a 61-year-old American could teach people from the UK how best to approach golf in the worst of British weather? Tom Watson was nothing short of phenomenal on the Saturday morning. No amount of wind and rain affected his equilibrium as he returned a 72 at a time when as good a links golfer as Paul Lawrie was amassing an 81. Watson never stopped smiling, never stopped embracing the conditions. “Well,” he said, “the conditions were bothersome but you just try to do the best you can ... You have to keep your grips dry and your wits about you.”

To no-one’s great surprise, the Watson way had something of a knock-on effect. On the Thursday of the subsequent Evian Masters, when the rain was as dramatic as any at Royal St George’s, you could not tell from the women’s expressions that there was anything amiss with the elements. They were like so many Tom Watsons as they went serenely on their way. WHAT IS it with that Phil Mickelson smile? One way and another, it certainly sends out mixed messages. It was in place at the start of his final round and remained intact even when he started missing short putts and catching bunkers. By the end, there must have been rather more than this correspondent itching for him to fling a club. TOM LEWIS, the 20-year-old amateur who shared the first round lead with Thomas Bjorn, did the right thing. Though, in the wake of his opening 65, he said that he was having a rethink about staying on in the amateur game to play in the Walker Cup, he confirmed on the final day that he would not be abandoning ship. Thank heavens for that. Had Lewis dropped out, a lot of the eager anticipation attached to the Walker Cup week (in September) would have been lost and, fairly or unfairly, the blame would have been heaped firmly on his shoulders. Both the R&A and Nigel Edwards, the GB&I Walker Cup captain, put pressure on the player not just to stay in the team but to stick HKGOLFER.COM

Johnson: Still Searching Dustin Johnson is clearly one of the finest players in the game, but unless the tall Californian wins one of the big ones soon, his will be the name the pundits will single out when it comes to recurring major disappointments. Johnson, who finished the Open in a tie for second alongside Mickelson, has now been in the final group in three of the last five majors – but has walked away empty-handed in each. At last year's US Open, where he held a three -stroke lead after 54 holes, Johnson struggled terribly early on and finished well behind Graeme McDowell. Then there was the US PGA fiasco at Whistling Straits, where he was penalized two shots on the final hole for grounding his club in a scrubby patch of land that was later deemed a bunker. The unfortunate Johnson made a triple bogey on the hole; although he didn't know it at the time, a par would have been enough for victory. This time, at Royal St George's, Johnson, to his credit, battled back gamely after being four-over through 10 holes of his first round by making three birdies and a back-nine hole-in-one to bring it back to level par. A brilliant 68 in the third round brought Johnson right into contention but once again, a costly mistake arrived at the worst possible moment. Playing the par-five 14th and only two shots behind playing partner Clarke, Johnson tried to crunch a twoiron to the green only to watch in despair as his shot caught the wind and drifted right and out of bounds. The ensuing double bogey gave Clarke a comfortable cushion and he was able to coast to victory. Said Johnson: "I finally felt like I got some pressure on him ... I had a chance but I hit a terrible shot on 14. I probably should have a hit three-wood ... if I had to do it over again, I'd do three-wood. Still, it's a major, it's the final group. I had a lot of fun out there."–AJ

HKGOLFER.COM

HK Golfer・AUG 2011

2011 Open Championship Results 1 2= 4 5= 8 9= 12= 15 16=

Darren Clarke Dustin Johnson Phil Mickelson Thomas Bjorn Chad Campbell Rickie Fowler Anthony Kim Raphael Jacquelin Simon Dyson Sergio Garcia Davis Love III Lucas Glover Martin Kaymer Steve Stricker George Coetzee Richard Green Fredrik Jacobson Charl Schwartzel Webb Simpson YE Yang

HK Golfer・AUG 2011

NIR USA USA DEN USA USA USA FRA ENG ESP USA USA GER USA RSA AUS SWE RSA USA KOR

68 68 69 70 70 68 68 72 70 69 71 68 65 72 71 71 69 68 74 69 70 70 68 72 72 68 70 70 74 67 71 69 68 72 72 70 70 70 74 68 70 68 72 72 66 70 73 74 68 69 73 73 69 71 72 71 69 69 72 74 70 71 73 71 70 70 73 72 71 67 75 72 66 74 72 73 71 69 73 72

275 278 278 279 280 280 280 281 282 282 282 283 283 283 284 285 285 285 285 285

€999,540 €474,782 €474,782 €288,756 €201,759 €201,759 €201,759 €144,378 €115,873 €115,873 €115,873 €86,997 €86,997 €86,997 €75,521 €62,194 €62,194 €62,194 €62,194 €62,194

with his amateur schedule until the match was over. Lewis, it transpired, had been all set to play in the European Tour's Nordea Masters following St George’s instead of attending a squad session at Royal Aberdeen but was persuaded to change his ways. “I guess that if I’m going to stay amateur, I’ve got to do as amateurs do,” said Lewis (pictured). BUBBA WATSON was on something of a charm offensive at Royal St George’s following events at the French Open. When asked if he had enjoyed his visit to Paris, Watson dismissed the Eiffel Tower as “That tower”, the Arc de Triomphe as “an arch in the middle of the road," and the Louvre as “a building beginning with ‘L’." Since that day, anything in the way of an outof-sorts outburst from one of the players has been labelled “a Bubba Watson moment”. Sad to say, young Mclroy, so gracious in defeat and victory in the two previous majors, helped to kick-off the collection. Having finished in an anticlimactic share of 25th place, McIlroy said a disconsolate, “I’m not a fan of tournaments where the outcome has so much to do with the weather. It’s not my sort of golf.” HKGOLFER.COM

interview

Asian Supremo: Westwood's latest victory on this continent arrived at the Ballantine's Championship in May

Lee Westwood

The Englishman, one of the most consistent players in the world game, talks about the importance of decision making as part of a series of 'Great Minds' interviews for this year's Ballantine's Championship, which Westwood won in May

ow much of a part of success in golf is making the right decisions at the right times? Decision making in golf is nearly ever y t hing. You need to have made the right decision before you play the shot, and if you haven’t made the right decision on the club and play it well, you may still come up short or go long. So the planning you make beforehand is vital. You can play well, but if you don’t make the right decisions, you’re not going to make a good score. And on a day when you don’t play particularly well, if you make the right decisions, you can minimise the damage and walk off with a respectable score that can keep you in the tournament. Bernhard Langer was the master at that, or [Nick] Faldo, both were great thinkers. [Jack] Nicklaus had great strategy as well – he used to really plan his way around the golf course. It’s vital – you see a lot of players with poor course management, that ought to win, but don’t. What was it about the likes of Faldo, Langer and Nicklaus that was most impressive in their mental approach to the game? Faldo and Langer were a couple of leading players when I was taking the game up and they were the ones that always looked focused and had mapped everything out and the results speak for themselves – they are both multiple HKGOLFER.COM

Major winners. Jack Nicklaus had a strong mind and made great decisions. He would go to the golf course weeks in advance and then formulate a game plan. Is a good mental game something that you can learn? Yes, I think you can improve your course management by analysing your game and seeing where you made mistakes. But obviously some people have it and some people don’t and it can be a big strength. So even if you’re good at it you still need to work hard at it. How do you try and improve your decision making? I analyse previous rounds and see where I went wrong. When I play a practice round I am looking for the most efficient way around a golf course, to see where you might make mistakes and where you might play the hole a little bit easier to eliminate any trouble. You just learn over the years to find a safe way around the golf course. How much of good decision making is a rational, conscious process and how much of it is just a gut instinct? Sometimes you get an instinct, but there is definitely a decision to be made based on information available. Normally you make a plan in the practice rounds and stick to that. But obviously if you are coming down the final few holes and you need to make a couple of birdies to win, then you might change your game plan. Gut instinct comes into it every now and again, depending on the conditions. If it is windy, for example, you will need to rely on your instinct then. But I tend to find that I put the planning in beforehand and then just stick to that, and where you need to vary your tactics you do so accordingly and at the right times. Can you think too much about these things? Yes, you can think too much about it, but if you have done the homework on it and you have got a plan, then you just try and stick to that plan and not think too much around it. You just stay on that course. HK Golfer・AUG 2011

a couple of years ago I felt that I needed to be more aggressive rather than wait for somebody else to do it [he shot 64 in his final round and won the tournament by six shots]. I tend not to make too many mistakes so I tend to make good decisions.

Can the mental side of golf be of use in achieving success in wider life? Yes, I think so. I think in many ways it really reflects life. Golf seems to teach you the right way to behave, the etiquette of the game. To be honest and to respect the people you are playing with. You have to be very disciplined if you are going to get to a high level in golf, so it teaches you that. I think it also makes you very analytical, if you want to play to a higher level. You have to be very structured to be successful in golf and that really helps you in life. And to be able to apply that analysis under pressure as well is an art in itself? Yes, that’s where a lot of people fall down, because under pressure they don’t stick to their game plan and they allow themselves to waver because of the nerves. Is that what makes golf an attractive game to those who seek success in business? I think the mental aspect of golf is attractive to those who are successful in business. It takes a great deal of discipline, and you have to think about the game. I’m sure making the right decisions in business is as important as it is to make the right decisions on the golf course. Bad decisions tend to cost me a lot of money on the golf course and I’m sure that applies to the boardroom too! Major Moments: The Englishman, seen here at the 2010 Masters, is on the cusp of a big-time victory 36

HK Golfer・AUG 2011

Is there one particular occasion in your career where you made a big decision at the right time? I think you are doing it all the time during the round. At the Dubai World Championship

How would you describe the ideal state of mind when a big decision needs to be made? Very focused, very calm, and confident. Sometimes you just walk up to a shot and you see it straight away, but at other times you need to plan it out a bit more. For example if you are stuck bet ween clubs, t here is trouble at the back and the flag is at the back – you have to weigh up the percentages in that sort of situation.

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So is there a degree of just trusting in your instincts on these occasions? Yes, there is, especially when it gets windy. But it is as much about trusting in the game plan that you have formulated, rather than your instinct, as sometimes your instinct can be wrong whereas your game plan is more calculated. Would you describe yourself as a big thinker about the game? Yes, I’m fairly analytical and tend to weigh most things up. Having got yourself back to the top of the game again, what do you put the reversal in your fortunes down to? I think it was a combination of a lot of things. Your confidence takes a knock when you’re not playing very well, and to get that confidence back you’ve got to play some good golf. So, it’s a combination of working hard on everything – the mental side of the game, physical side, the swing, the short game – everything really.

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Great Minds Leave Great Impressions Ballatine's is exploring the role that mental strength plays in golf and the importance of making the right decisions at the right time. A host of the world's best players, including Lee Westwood, have been reflecting on how success comes to those with the ability to make these big decisions. For more information visit www.ballantineschampionship.com

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Tiffany Among World's Best Tiffany Chan proved she can be counted among the world's best young golfers with a brilliant performance at the Callaway World Junior Golf Championship in California last month. Seventeen-year-old Chan, who has swept all before her on the local golf scene over the past couple of years, opened up with rounds of 75, 71 and 70 over the famed North Course at Torrey Pines, which was playing at 6,298 yards to a par of 74) to lie in a share of second place in the Girls' 15-17 bracket with one round to play. Chan, who attends Diocesan Girls' School, wasn't quite at her best on the final day, and after an encouraging start stumbled slightly on the back nine to finish with a two-over 76 and a share of fifth place, 11 strokes behind runaway champion Kim HyoJoo of Korea. Nevertheless, it was a fine result, one of the best ever achieved by a Hong Kong player at the world's pre-eminent junior championship. "I'm very proud of Tiffany," said National Coach Brad Schadewitz (pictured here with Chan). "She handled herself extremely well and proved she can mix it with the very best young players around. She'll take a lot of confidence from the result and I'm looking forward to seeing how she goes on from here."

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

Hak's Stock Continues to Rise

Courtesy of the AJGA (Hak)

There was more great news Stateside as Jason Hak stormed to a brilliant seven-shot victory at the prestigious Rolex Tournament of Champions, an American Junior Golf Association tournament held in Oregon late June. Tsim Sha Tsui-born Hak, 17, carded a four-day total of six-under 282 over the Crosswater Course at Sunriver Resort to ease to his first AJGA title. "I just played my game and I didn't make many mistakes," said Hak, who made international headlines in 2008 when he became the youngest player in history to make the cut at a European Tour event when he achieved the feat at the UBS Hong Kong Open. "My [playing] partners were playing really well so I had to be on top of my game." Thanks to his win, Hak has moved up to number two in the AJGA's rankings, one spot behind American Jordan Spieth, who has been making news himself of late having featured prominently at the PGA Tour's Byron Nelson Championship in May. Hak has also risen to an impressive number 79 in the R&A's World Amateur Golf Rankings. "It's means a lot to win this championship," continued Hak, who bases himself in Lake Mary, Florida. "My junior golf career has been pretty good so far, but this win is the high point of it." Despite spending the majority of his time in the US, Hak regularly returns to Hong Kong and has represented the SAR in a number of international team events. 40

HK Golferă&#x192;ťAUG 2011

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news

HK Juniors Enjoy Summer Tour Success

HK Golfer・AUG 2011

Boulet and Fung Share HKPGA Honours Dominique Boulet and Derek Fung were declared joint winners of the HK$70,000 HKPGA Order of Merit - Leg Two event at Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club in late June after heavy rain caused the cancellation of the final round. The Fanling duo posted matching first rounds of 70 over the scenic cliff-top layout before foul weather curtailed the event. Asian Tour player Timothy Tang finished in third after a 71. "I played a nd putted reasonably wel l throughout and the course was in good shape," said Fung. "Bu it's a shame we couldn't finish all 36 holes." The Ladies' division, which was played a week later at the same venue, experienced the other side of Hong Kong's notoriously unpredictable summer weather. In sweltering conditions, first-round leader Sylvia Chan was forced to withdraw from the event due to heat exhaustion, which left the door open for Annie Lau and Jannet Sheng, who finished with two-day totals of 161, to take the event to a sudden-death play-off, which Lau won with a par at the demanding opening hole. Betty Ng placed third, a further two shots back. "It was not easy to play well under these conditions," said Lau (pictured). "I had to tell myself to be patient and fortunately I was able to putt well over the final nine holes." HKGOLFER.COM

UBS' Confirms End of HKO Sponsorship The Swiss banking giant has confirmed that its title sponsorship of the Hong Kong Open will end following this year's edition, which will be played from December 1-4 at Fanling. Executives at UBS, which has sponsored Hong Kong's oldest professional sporting event since 2005, said the bank will be turning its sponsorship focus away from golf. Since the start of its involvement, UBS has increased prize money at the championship from US$700,000 to US$2.75 million. Iain Valentine, Chief Executive of the HKGA, said: “We would like to thank UBS for all their efforts over the past seven years in bringing the tournament to the position it is now in, and the Golf Association is confident that any new sponsor will take the tournament to an even higher level in the years to come." Ian Poulter (pictured) won the 2010 tournament and is expected to return alongside US Open champion (and perennial Hong Kong Open contender) Rory McIlroy in December.

HKPGA Order of Merit – Open Division Following Leg Two 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Jimmy Ko Jean Van de Velde Derek Fung Timothy Tang Dominique Boulet Grant Gibson Tang Shing-chi Paul Riley Wong Woon-man Liu Kai-mung

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25,502 points 23,775 22,950 15,653 15,647 11,948 9,632 7,770 6,484 6,115

Club Results

Leonard Ho won the July Monthly Medal gross section held on the Eden Course at the Hong Kong Golf Club with a 74; Marcus Tsang won the nett section with a 66. John Ball claimed the honours in the gross section of the American Cup, also held on the Eden Course, with a 71, which was one better than runner-up Joe Pethes. At the Shanghai Visitors Cup, the pairing of Ken Ko and Albert Mok emerged victorious thanks to their stellar nett 62 over the Old Course ... At Clearwater Bay, Ryan Li and Glenn Yee won the JK Lieu Cup in early July; Jackson Chu and Tommy Lui placed second. In difficult conditions, Pia Fung recorded the lowest gross score at the July Medal, carding a 90, while Miki Motogui won the nett prize following her round of 75. Mei Wu was the runner-up after a 77. HK Golfer・AUG 2011

Charles McLaughlin

Even discounting Tiffany Chan's remarkable result at the Callaway World Junior Championship (see page 40), the junior summer tour of the United States saw some notable performances by Hong Kong golfers. At the World Junior Championship, held in San Diego, Kitty Tam put in a wonderful display to finish in a tie for sixth in the Girls' 13-14 age division following her three-round total of three-over par. Tam had shown her form a week earlier at the San Diego Junior Masters, where she finished in second place, just one shot behind the winner. There was success, too, for James Inge, who finished in a tie for 14th in the Boys' 13-14 age bracket at the Junior World. Inge closed with a memorable oneunder 71 at Riverwalk Golf Club to end the tournament on a score of 219, threeover. Steven Lam showed a welcome return to form at the SCPGA Jack Kramer Memorial tournament in early July by carding three solid rounds to finish in fifth place on one-under 215, just four shots back of the winner. Jackie Chan (224) placed 12th. Terrence Ng, meanwhile, proved what a consistent player he has become by claiming victory in the Boys' division at the College Golf Combine - West Combine, which took place at Oak Valley Golf Club a week later. Seventeenyear-old Ng fired rounds of 71 and 69 to take the title in fine style. Jackie Chan (fourth) and Shinichi Mizuno (tied fifth) also impressed. In the Girls' division, Tiffany Chan bounced back from an opening 77 with a 69 to place fourth and Mimi Ho put in consecutive 74s to end the event in a share of sixth.

july stableford

Albert KW Lai Junior Championship

junior events

Teens Cheng and Chong lead the way at the Hong Kong Golf Club

eba st ia n Cheng a nd Ch rist y Chong underscored their status as two of Hong Kong's most rapidly improving juniors with fine showings at the Albert KW Lai Junior Championship, which was held over the Old Course at Fanling in the second week of July. Cheng, a member at Discovery Bay Golf Club returned a tidy 33 points in the stableford format to win the overall Boy's event by a point from Lo Tsun in second place. Shinya Mizuno, the younger brother of Shinichi, the current Hong Kong Amateur Close champion, finished in a tie for third alongside Leon D'Souza and Bibendum Leung on 31 points. In the Girls' division, Christy Chong picked up her second HKGA title in as many months

Washout!

Daniel Wong

The fickle summer weather took its toll on the everpopular July Stableford Tournament, presented by bulthaup kitchen architecture, after it was cancelled due to persistent rainstorms that thundered above Discovery Bay Golf Club on July 19. Although some competitors were able to commence their rounds, conditions rapidly deteriorated and play was halted later in the morning. The event was sponsored by bulthaup, the leading German kitchen system manufacturer, which also hosted the June Stableford Tournament. For more information about bulthaup visit www.madison.bulthaup.com

thanks to a narrow one-point margin of victory over second-placed Carrie Ann Lee. Kelly Kung finished in third spot with 26 points. It's clear that Chong, a seven handicapper, has a liking for stableford events. In June, she won the ladies' division at the bulthaup Stableford Tournament at Discovery Bay by three points.

1 2 3= 6= 10

Sebastian Cheng Lo Tsun Shinya Mizuno Leon D'Souza Bibendum Leung Andy Liu Henry Au Marcus Lam Tong Siu-lun Kenneth Heng

Christy Chong 44

HK Golferă&#x192;ťAUG 2011

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Overall Girls' Standings

Overall Boys' Standings 33 32 31 31 31 28 28 28 28 27

1 2 3 4 5= 7 8 9 10

Christy Chong Carrie Ann Lee Kelly Kung Veronica Szeto Emily Leung Vivian Li Andrea Au Peony Tan Estee Leung Claudia Ng

32 31 26 23 22 22 21 20 18 14

Sebastian Cheng HK Golferă&#x192;ťAUG 2011

junior golf

Terrence Ng Seventeen-year-old Ng has proved to be one of Hong Kong's most consistent juniors in recent times. He talks to David Cunningham III about his much-improved game following his stellar victory at the Jack Nicklaus Junior Championship at Mission Hills

ongratulations on your recent win up at Mission Hills. What do you think was the key to your victory and what did you learn from the event? Thanks! The course was very short, so the key to winning the tournament was hitting my short and mid irons accurately to the greens. Obviously I had to also putt well and my short game had to be top notch. If you have a good short game, and you are putting well, it is not unlikely to shoot something like eight-under-par or even lower. Overall I am extremely happy with how I played. I struggled a little bit in the second round but was able to get through that and come out with a win. I really realized from winning this tournament just how important a solid short game is if you want to be a great golfer – it can really save you from a bad round, which is obviously important if you want to win. What does your summer season look like and what are your short-term goals? I have a really busy schedule. I’m going to the States for four weeks to play in some tournaments including the Callaway Junior World Championship. After my trip to the US I will go to Thailand for the Asia Pacific Junior Golf Championship. After that, I’m heading to Fiji for the Nomura Cup. My goals for this summer are to make the cut at the Junior Worlds, to improve my overall game, and to gain more weight. [With rounds of 80, 76 and 80 Ng finished in a tie for 117th at the tournament].

Target Orientated: Terrence in action at Fanling earlier this year 46

HK Golfer・AUG 2011

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Gain more weight? So you believe that fitness is essential to success in competitive golf? Yes, fitness is very important for all golfers. Most of the tournaments that I play in are three days or even four days long. After the first two days most people will think that they are okay, not tired at all. Even after day three most people will be fine. But when you are coming down the stretch with a chance to win a tournament, you don’t want to be focused on keeping tiredness at bay, you should be focused on what you need to do to win. An effective fitness routine can help you to maintain the same amount of energy throughout the tournament, and that’s very important to playing consistently. How often are you in the gym? I usually go to gym two or three times per week. The [HKGA international] squad has a trainer that helps out our entire team by telling us what we should be working on, how to do specific exercises, and other stuff like that. It’s really

What's in Terrence's Bag? Driver: TaylorMade Burner Superfast TP (10.5°) with Tour AD DJ-6 (stiff) shaft Fairway woods: Titleist 910F (13.5°) with Adila SV7 (extra stiff) shaft and Titleist 910H (17°) with Fujikura 904 (stiff) shaft Irons: Titleist CB 710 (3-PW) with NS Pro 105 (extra stiff) shafts Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design Spin Milled (52° and 58°) with True Temper Dynamic Gold shafts Putter: TaylorMade White Ghost Croza Ball: Titleist Pro V1

Says Terrence: I'm not the longest player but I average around 270 yards off the tee with my driver and I'm able to hit my strong three-wood 255 yards, which is useful for tight par fours. My regular seven-iron distance is 160 yards. I am quite superstitious. I will only play a number one or number four golf ball and I always use white tees for driving. I always feel I play better with those numbered balls and that I hit my drives straighter when I use white tees, especially the long ones from the HKGA.

HK Golfer・AUG 2011

fun. Usually I warm up by running for a little while, and then I do some weight training. For example bench presses, squats, other exercises like that. I will then do some bodyweight training, so sit-ups, pushups, and then some balance exercises. I end my workouts by doing some cardio and then stretching. What is the single best piece of advice you have ever been given concerning your golf game, and how do you apply that to your game when playing competitively? I think the best piece of advice I have ever been given is to never give up, even if I’m not playing well. Whenever I am playing in a tournament I always tell myself to not think too much about my swing and to just play normally. Even though I may have some bad holes, I just keep my head down, stay calm, and try to finish rest of my round the best I can. How often do you receive instruction and what have you been working on recently? I receive instruction once a week, sometimes twice a week. I have been working on my lower body movement recently. I’ve been trying to make sure that I don’t turn through too quick with my hips on my downswing.

The Pro's View: Brad Schadewitz Terrence has an all-round solid game. He is a very consistent player and doesn't really have any specific weaknesses. He's very straight off the tee – and because he's not erratic, if he gets on a course that suits his game he has the ability to go low. His win at the recent Jack Nicklaus Junior Championship at Mission Hills is a great example – he finished the tournament at an impressive 11-under-par. We talked a lot about the course set up prior to the event – it was a course that definitely fit his style of play – and he became comfortable with the idea of shooting a low score. That's what I try to do with all of the squad members before a tournament: help them prepare mentally for good scores. If they believe they can shoot low, they have a much better chance of actually doing it. In the past few years, Terrence has been working really hard in the gym. As a result, he has added about 25 yards to his drives, which has definitely benefited his ability to score. Terrence has been playing very well recently and he deserves to. He is an extremely hard worker and he puts so much effort into becoming a better player. Terrence is actually the leading overall player in our squad games, which is a testament to his consistency. He also has a very strong mental game; he concentrates extremely well and never gets ahead of himself. He never wastes an opportunity on the course to save a shot. Recently, we have been working on his lower body action. He's not a huge guy, so before he gained his distance, he was compensating by trying to derive power from a fast hip turn. This would sometimes cause him to get in the way of himself, which would lead to a blocked position. We have been working on keeping all parts of his swing connected and Terrence has made some great progress. Terrence has grown so much since our first summer tour four years ago. He has really matured into an outstanding young man. He handles himself very well both on and off the course and he has been an absolute pleasure to work with.

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What advice can you give aspiring junior golfers in Hong Kong? Hard work is the best thing you can do to improve your golf game. You need to practice as much as you can to improve your skills. The more you practice the more consistent you will get, and as you become more consistent you will become a better golfer. What are your future goals, and what do you think it will take to achieve them? I have quite a lot of goals for the future. First, I hope I can qualify for the UBS Hong Kong Open this year. Second, I really want to go to college in the states to play college golf. Lastly I hope I can make the [Hong Kong] team for the Asian Games in three years' time. I will keep working hard to reach my goals and will do whatever it takes. I need to start studying for the SAT as I get closer to applying for college. I also plan to go to the gym more often in order to get stronger and to be able to compete at a higherlevel high level. Do you have any particular tournament experiences that you believe have made you a better golfer? Playing in the Asian Amateur Championship last year was a great experience for me. I just made the cut and ended up finishing in a pretty good position [Ng finished in 62nd spot]. I was able to watch the leaders play a few holes and I learnt a lot from them. For example, how they handle themselves after a bad shot and how they are able to control their emotions so well. What do you think is the weakest part of the your game and what have you been doing to fix it? My weakest part of my game is long iron shots because as I said it before my lower body sometimes turns too quick through on my downswing, and I get disconnected. When I am hitting a longer club and this happens, it’s pretty hard to control myself, and my golf game. I have been working on some exercises my coach gave me to help solve this. One of the exercises is hitting low cut shots. And the strongest? My short game and also my mental game. When I am playing in a tournament and I hit the ball into a tough position to get up and down from, I am usually able to save myself because of my good short game. Also, I feel that I am very good at staying in the moment, which helps me get over bad shots and holes quickly. I always try to focus on the shot I am about to hit, instead of what happened or what will happen in the future. HKGOLFER.COM

How do you prepare for a tournament? The week before a tournament, I won’t go to gym very often – maybe only once, instead of my usual two to three times. I use this extra time to focus on practicing on the course, in order to get a feel for it, and to develop my tournament strategy. The day before the tournament, I try not to practice too much because it’s too late to change anything. So I usually spend only one to two hours on the range. On the day of the tournament I usually arrive at the course an hour before my tee time to warm up and get ready to go. I usually do this by going to the range and hitting some balls to loosen up my swing and get in the right mindset. Who has had the biggest impact on you? My dad, because he is the one who first let me touch a golf club and got me started playing. When I was eight or nine, he taught me how to grip the club, how to set up and how to hit the ball, so I really want to say thank you to him. If you could meet any professional golfer who would it be? I would like to meet Dustin Johnson, because I want to know how far he can hit the ball with his driver! I also want to talk with him about HKGOLFER.COM

last year's US Open and US PGA Championship [tournaments Johnson was in a prime position to win] because I really admire him for how fast he was able to recover and win the BMW Championship. Who would be in your dream fourball? Tiger Woods, Steve Stricker and Johnson. Steve is my idol; Tiger is my former idol and I like Dustin's style, he's so fun to watch. Stricker and I have a similar style of game. Neither of us is particularly long but we make up for it with our short games and putting. His putting is incredible; he can hole it from anywhere. I would love to play match play against Tiger. He's still one of the best players in the world and learn from him what I need to do to become a better player. Favorite vacation spot? San Diego, because it has a lot of good courses and the weather is perfect for playing golf. Tell HK Golfer readers something interesting about yourself ... I think I'm a pretty funny guy. I always make jokes around my friends and family. Even when I play a tournament I'm telling jokes.

Fun with Friends: Terrence shares a laugh with Shinichi Mizuno (left) and Liu Lok-tin (right). These three juniors have been at the top of their game in the 2010/2011 season HK Golfer・AUG 2011

uspga championship preview

A to Z

US PGA Championship Just who is Rodman Wanamaker? Why does Greg Norman shudder when he thinks of Inverness Club? And who is the oldest major winner of all time? This alphabetical history of "Glory's Last Shot", otherwise known as the USPGA Championship, explains all ... COMPILED BY ALEX JENKINS

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is for DAVE MARR, one of the most popular champions in the history of the US PGA. Marr claimed the 1965 championship after holding off Billy Casper and Jack Nicklaus by two shots at Laurel Valley. A jocular Texan who was a close friend of Arnold Palmer, Marr would later go on to skipper the US Ryder Cup team in 1981. He was also a brilliant broadcaster and raconteur, commentating for the BBC in the UK and ABC and NBC in the US. Palmer described Marr's solitary major win as "one of the happiest moments of my life." Marr died in 1997 at the age of 63.

American Dream (clockwise from left): The Highland Course at Atlanta Athletic Club, venue for the 2011 US PGA; a very young Dave Marr, who won the 1965 championship; Gene Sarazen, a three-time winner of the event, in action

is for EMPHATIC. Jack Nicklaus holds the record for the largest margin of victory with seven shots, which came in 1980 at Oak Hill Country Club, where he earned his final US PGA title. Incidentally, the Golden Bear's win at the 1971 championship completed his second Grand Slam.

F G

i s f or FE BRUARY. A lt houg h t he championship has historically been played in August, in 1971 the US PGA was held in February, making it the first major of that year. The move was short lived however, and by 1972 the event was back in its late summer slot. is for GENE SARAZEN, who won the championship on three occasions (1922, 1923 and 1933). The son of an Italian immigrant (Sarazen was born Eugenio Saraceni) would become the first golfer to win all four majors – the career Grand Slam – when he triumphed at the 1935 Masters after famously holing a four-wood from 235 yards at the fifteenth hole for an albatross. Sarazen is also credited with inventing the sand wedge.

is for ATLANTA ATHLETIC CLUB, the venue for this year's championship and the home club of the legendary Bobby Jones. The event will take place over the club's Highland Course, a lengthy track measuring in excess of 7,600 yards that also played host to the 2001 edition (won by David Toms) and the 1976 US Open, which saw Jerry Pate claim his one and only major title.

B 52

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is for BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK-TOBACK. Walter Hagen is the only man to have won the same major championship four years in a row. The

'Haig' added to his initial championship success in 1921 by claiming every US PGA crown from 1924-27. He finished his career with a total of five victories, a record he shares with Jack Nicklaus.

is for CELL PHONES, the use of which will be permitted within the grounds of Atlanta Athletic Club by spectators at the championship for the very first time. The guidelines, which limit phone use to designated areas, are vastly different to those at the Masters, where "mobile devices" aren't allowed anywhere on the Augusta property. HKGOLFER.COM

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in the last two decades to triumph at the event following his play-off win over Bubba Watson.

is for LOWEST AGGREGATE. David Toms holds the aggregate scoring record with 265 (also the lowest in major championship history), which he achieved at the 2001 edition. But because the Atlanta Athletic Club was playing as a par 70, his 15-under-par total was not the lowest of all time. Tiger Woods and Bob May scorched to 18-under-par of the 2000 event at Valhalla Golf Club, a par 72 layout, before Woods won in a play-off. Woods also finished 18-under at Medinah Country Club, site of his third US PGA victory in 2006.

M H

is for HOME ADVANTAGE. Players from the United States have claimed 76 of the 92 championships played thus far. Only Australia (with four), South Africa, England, Zimbabwe and Fiji (each with two) have seen their own triumph on more than one occasion.

is for MATCH PLAY From the first championship in 1916 until 1957, the US PGA was a match play tournament. This all changed in 1958 when organizers, under pressure from the American television networks, switched to a stroke play format. In recent times there have been calls from some within the industry to return the championship to match play in order to differentiate what is arguably the weakest of the majors from the other three stroke play grand slam events.

is for INVERNESS CLUB, which hosted the 1993 and 1986 tournaments that saw Greg Norman finish second on both occasions. In 1986, Bob Tway holed a bunker shot at the final hole to defeat the Great White Shark after the latter let slip a hefty back-nine lead; seven years later, Paul Azinger overcame the unlucky Australian in a sudden-death play-off.

is for OLDEST WINNER. In 1968, Julius Boros, then 48, defied the Texas heat and a last-hole charge by Arnold Palmer to become the oldest major champion of all time, at Pecan Valley Country Club in San Antonio. Boros, who was of Hungarian descent, also won the 1952 and 1963 US Opens.

is for JIM BARNES, the championship's first winner. Barnes won the inaugural event in 1916 at Siwanoy Country Club in New York, beating Jock Hutchison 1up in the final. Barnes earned US$500 for his efforts. He would also win second event, which was in 1919 after a hiatus of three years due to World War I. He remains to this day the only Englishman to have won the title.

is for PLAY-OFFS Since becoming a stroke play tournament, there have been 16 play-offs at the US PGA, the last of which came in 2010 when Germany's Martin Kaymer overcame Bubba Watson at Whistling Straits. Play-offs at the tournament are no longer decided by sudden death; instead, the lowest three-hole aggregate score determines the winner.

is for KIDS. The pundits seem to be expecting the likes of Rory McIlroy, Jason Day and Rickie Fowler to blossom at the US PGA but the fact remains that the championship seems to favour the older golfer. Last year's winner Martin Kaymer became only the third 20-something 54

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is for NINTH ALTERNATE John Daly's victory at the 1991 championship, a win that launched his rollercoaster career, was arg uably t he most improbable in the tournament's history. As the ninth – and final – alternate for the event, Daly only got into the field after Nick Price pulled out the day before the first round and none of the other standby players could make it in time. Driving through the night from his home in Arkansas to the Crooked Stick Golf Club in Indiana, Daly, without the aid of a practice round, managed to card a 69 on the day. Further rounds of 67, 69 and 71 gave him a three-stroke victory over Bruce Lietzke. The "Wild Thing" was born.

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i s f o r Q U A L I F I C AT I O N . T h e championship was established for the purpose of providing a highprofile tournament specifically for professional golfers at a time when they were generally not held in high esteem in a sport that was largely run by wealthy amateurs. This origin is still reflected in the entry system – it is the only major which does not explicitly invite leading amateurs to compete and the only one which reserves a large number of places – 20 out of 156 spots – for club professionals.

R S T

i s for RODMAN WANAMAKER, the wealthy department store owner who is credited with helping to formulise the Professional Golfers' Association in 1916. The US PGA champion earns the Wanamaker Trophy, one of the largest trophies in golf. is for SHAUN MICHEEL, who came from nowhere to win the title in 2003. That victory remains the American's sole win on the PGA tour, although he does have a definite affinity with the championship having also finished second at the 2006 edition. is for TH E KI NG. Despite bei ng recognised as one of the game's all time greats, Arnold Palmer never ma naged to w i n t he US PG A . Palmer, who claimed seven majors, including four Masters titles, came close numerous times, finishing second on no less than three occasions – in 1964, 1968 and 1970.

Winners and Losers (clockwise from left): Walter Hagen celebrates one of hsi five US PGA Championships; Greg Norman, twice a runnerup at the Inverness Club, would never capture the Wanamaker Trophy; Shaun Micheel celebrates his unlikely victory in 2003 HK Golfer・AUG 2011

Corageous Korean: YE Yang became the only player in history to defeat Tiger Woods after the latter held the lead throuh 54 holes of a major championship, with a brilliant win at the 2009 US PGA at Hazeltine

is for UNDERDOG. All majors have their surprise winners of course but the US PGA seems to provide more than its fair share. Aside from the underdogs mentioned elsewhere in this article (see Bob Tway, John Daly, Shaun Micheel and YE Yang), the championship has been won by golfing lightweights Jay Herbert (1960), John Mahaffey (1978), Mark Brooks (1996) and Rich Beem (2002).

is for VOLUNTEERS. While it's fair to say that volunteers form the backbone of any large scale professional tournament, the US PGA couldn't possibly be the event it is without the help of those willing to give up their time to help without payment. The 2011 edition will see a staggering 3,500 volunteers working at Atlanta Athletic Club.

is for WAYNE GRADY, the popular Australian pro – and frequent visitor to Hong Kong – won his only major championship at the US PGA in 1990 at Shoal Creek in Alabama. Grady, who now works as television commentator, claimed the title by three strokes from Fred Couples, a year after losing a play-off to Mark Calcavecchia at the Open Championship.

X Y

is for X100, the model of steel shaft produced by the True Temper Sports company which has been used by more US PGA champions than any other. Tiger Woods has used the shafts in his irons since his amateur days. i s for YE YANG, who became the first Asian major winner by overhauling no other than Tiger Woods to claim the championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club in 2009. Yang's brilliant efforts – which included a final-hole birdie – condemned Woods to his first major loss when leading after 54 holes.

i s for ZINGER, otherwise known as Paul Azinger, who won the 1993 championship following a play-off with Greg Norman (also see Inverness Club). One of the PGA Tour's most consistent performers throughout the late 1980s and 90s, the former US Ryder Cup captain's only major triumph was made all the more poignant after he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma soon afterwards. After months of treatment, Azinger overcame the cancer and returned to professional golf full time.

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punting

Mickelson's Major?

It's summertime, which means it's US PGA Championship time in the Deep South â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and it's also time for pie. Georgia, where the final major of the year will be played, is famous for its peach and pecan pies, but Archie Albatross is heading into the event eyeing up a savage slice of humble pie.

aving started the year well, with 2011 previews fingering the overall prospects for Luke Donald, Rory McIlroy and Steve Stricker, the subsequent picks for the Masters, US Open and Open Championship have all gone horribly wrong. Donald and Lee Westwood have barely troubled a major leader board and whilst there was no shame in missing Charl Schwartzel and Big Darren Clarke, this columnist was seriously remiss in discounting young Rory ahead of his runaway win at Congressional. Archie's year-todate report card reads: "B- Must Do Better". Atlanta Athletic Club presents a test of golf pitched somewhere between Augusta National (with its towering pine trees, colourful azaleas In the Frame: Phil Mickelson and lightening fast greens) and a traditional US Open course (long, hard, penal rough). The AAC perhaps lacks the glamour of other major sites but has a distinguished history in hosting both US Open and US PGA tournaments. Straight driving, crisp ironplay and patient putting will be key factors â&#x20AC;&#x201C; as evidenced by the master of those traits, David Toms when he won the last US PGA to be held here in 2001. The betting market is divided into a range of categories in this unusual field of top touring studs and the cannon-fodder of qualifying club pros. I have split my thoughts into three tiers: favourites, value and longshots.

Favourites

The bookies price up the top of the order as: McIlroy (9/1), Mickelson (12/1) and Donald (16/1) and I find it hard to argue with that. The perennial 'wood' boys â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Westwood and Tiger Woods â&#x20AC;&#x201C; are also at the 16/1 mark but the form of both is hard to gauge this year and in Tiger's case it is still not clear that he will be fit in time. Although Rory at single-digit odds is hard to see as stand-out value, I will not be underestimating the Ulsterman again and if he enters the championship with the same sense of confidence he had in the US Open, he'll certainly be in the mix. As for Mickelson â&#x20AC;&#x201C; regular readers will know that most of my interest in him outside of Augusta has been on the short side (enduringly profitable until last month's surprise showing at Sandwich), but I do feel this course will suit him well. In addition to his strong showing in 2001, he does play well in Georgia and has matured into a more patient major contender.

Value Plays

There are two dozen or so players priced in the 25-40/1 range including the new American generation of hopefuls: Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, Hunter Mahan and the others with Deliverance-inspired first names. Any could stake a legitimate winning claim if they find form that week. A good strategy is to pick three to four in this price range who are showing promise in the weeks preceding. Ahead of that though, I offer three choices from this category for different reasons. 58

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Steve Stricker holds the anchor slot. The master of consistency, he will hit fairways and greens and stay in contention. The similarity of his game to prior winner David Toms has to be noticed. Nick Watney has also had a superb season â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the most consistent of any in that group of 'next best Americans'. Lacking the flash of a Rickie Fowler, he has at least an equally good game and tends to fly under the bookies radar; how many other current leaders of the 2011 Fedex Cup standings would enter the USPGA at 30+/1? Jason Day, the exciting young Aussie, is building his year around the majors. Second in both the Masters and US Open, he could follow the recent South Africans as the next southern hemisphere major champ. Odds of 35/1 are decent; snap up anything higher.

Longshots

Gary Woodland is a tour rookie who has had the temerity to post five top 10 finishes in his first 17 starts on tour; one of which he won. Although major championship golf is another level up, the US PGA is the one that does tend to elicit relatively unknown winners (see Rich Beem, Shaun Micheel and YE Yang). Woodland might give you a thrill at over 100/1. Two 'Georgia Boys' complete the roster: Charles Howell III is a streaky player who perhaps never quite fulfilled his early potential. 2011 has been something of a come-back year for him however and I think the bookies are currently too generous on his chances. Anything in triple digit odds would be worth exploring. Lastly, Davis Love III makes an claim at 125/1. The heat and local topography will be happily familiar to him and his experience and patience will surely serve him well. As a past champion of this event, he will want to get his hands of that vast Wanamaker trophy one more time. For the frivolous, I can report one novelty bet currently on offer from Paddy Power: The "Chubby Slam"; a victory by another golfer from the management stable of Andrew "Chubby" Chandler, whose clients include all three of this year's major winners, would pay 3/1. HKGOLFER.COM

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feature

Wild Thing?

Blonde Bomber: Daly with the Wanamaker Trophy following his breakthrough victory at the 1991 US PGA Championship at Crooked Stick

David Cunningham III writes about the life and times of John Daly, who 20 years ago this month, shocked the golfing world with his win at the 1991 US PGA Championship

wenty years ago, the ninth and final alternate for the 1991 US competed, and he soon became a household PGA Championship shocked the golfing world as he raised name. Daly would win twice more – at the BC the Wanamaker Trophy after four days of quite mesmerizing Open in 1992 and the BellSouth Classic in 1994 play. This hulking figure of a man (replete with golden mullet) – before his next major surprise. claimed the title by shooting rounds of 69-67-69-71 for a threeIn 1995, Daly earned golfing immortality stroke victory over the seasoned Bruce Lietzke. When asked when he beat Costantino Rocca in a play-off at how he did it, he just smiled and in his Arkansas twang said, “Grip it and rip it.” St Andrews for the Open Championship. There John Daly has stayed true to that motto. He has gripped and ripped his was now no doubt in anyone’s minds concerning way through his entire life, a life mixed with extraordinary highs and shocking the talent Daly possessed – his win at the Home lows. In the 20 years since his triumph, Daly has been up and down as many of Golf was achieved more through his wondrous times as a captain of a 747, but one thing has stayed constant: you never know short game than his gigantic hitting – but a what he will do next. troubled personal life, and various addictions may Daly started playing golf at the tender age of just four. He quickly took a have been what kept him from winning again until liking to the sport, and developed what can only be described as a swing only a the Buick Invitational in 2004. mother could love. He swung in a way that crossed the flexibility of a gymnast If there were ever a golfer that a country and the downright craziness of a contortionist – but his timing was spot on. song could be written about, it would be John While it may not have been the prettiest sight, boy did that ball fly when Big Daly. Actually, Daly has recorded an album, John took a swing at it. titled My Life, but more on that later. Daly As Daly grew, so too did his golfing talents. Daly attended Helias High School might have been a golfer, but since his US PGA in Jefferson City, Missouri, where he became the state's golf champion. However his breakthrough he has lived the life of a rock talents extended beyond the course, as is evident by the multiple kicking records Daly star. He has four ex-wives, battles numerous holds in American football; he was a letterman in both sports. addictions including alcohol and gambling, Daly graduated high school and went on to play for the University of and has been suspended from the PGA Tour Arkansas golf team. He left college before completing his degree to pursue multiple times. professional golf, and in 1987, John Patrick Daly officially joined the paid ranks. Daly first married in the summer of 1987, He claimed his first professional victory that same year at the Missouri Open. when he tied the knot with Dale Crafton. Early on in his career, he attracted relatively large crowds when he was on However this only lasted a few years, and they the tee, however these gatherings usually diminished as he walked towards the divorced in February of 1990. Two years later, fairway. This didn’t bother Daly though; he knew that he had the short game Daly married Bettye Fulford, and they had and feel of a champion. a daughter, Shynah Hale. However they too His chance came at the 1991 US PGA Championship. Daly was the ninth divorced after a series of personal problems. In and final alternate, but was given the chance to play after Nick Price dropped 1995, Daly was once again married, this time out. None of the other others wanted to compete on such short notice, so Daly to a woman named Paulette Dean. Daly and got into his car, drove through the night to reach the Crooked Stick course, and Paulette gave birth to a daughter, Sierra Lynn. teed it up in the first round the very next day. Price, one of the nicest people in This was one of Daly’s longer marriages to date, professional golf, was kind enough to offer his caddie, Jeff "Squeaky" Medlin, lasting four years until 1999. to Daly for the tournament. Daly jumped at the opportunity and with Medlin's Finally in 2001, Daly married Sherrie guidance, he took on the lengthy layout with an intoxicating blend of raw power Miller, and they had a baby boy, John Patrick and a deft wedge game. Within the space of four days, Daly went from zero to hero. The golfing world had seen obscure major winners before, but it had never "Daly donated US$30,000 of his winner's seen anyone quite like John Daly. cheque towards the education of two Daly attracted a new demographic to the game. young girls whose father had passed away He was the good ol’ country boy who could hit the that week at Crooked Stick ... [Daly's] ball a country mile; and people who were previously not interested in golf, became interested in him. charitable nature is often left unreported." Attendance began to swell at events in which Daly 60

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Daly II. This marriage seemed to be a case of “fourth times a charm” for Daly, but the couple eventually split after several incidents. Daly’s other troubles also lay in his multiple addictions, mainly alcoholism and gambling. Daly once claimed that when he was 23, he drank a fifth of Jack Daniels every day. In May 1993, Daly was upset after a disappointing opening round at the Kemper Open. He threw his card into the scoring tent, walked off and was disqualified. Later in 1993 Daly was given an indefinite suspension for the 1994 season after quitting in the middle of the Kapalua HKGOLFER.COM

International, and was told to seek treatment for his alcoholism. Many think that Daly’s abusive alcohol consumption is what caused a lack of professional victories, and some very memorable blow up holes. Daly currently holds the record for the most strokes taken on a single hole in a professional event. Daly took 18 strokes to find the bottom of the cup at the 1998 Bay Hill Invitational, when he hit six balls into the water. When John Daly released his autobiography, the generally awful My Life in and out of the Rough, in 2006, he revealed that he suffered from a gambling addiction. He estimates that he has lost HK Golfer・AUG 2011

Global Traveller: Daly, seen here at the 2010 UBS Hong Kong Open, is truly a world player, despite having a fear of flying

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between US$50 and $60 million over the past 15 years, though he has been able to pay most of it off through paid appearances and sponsorships. Daly’s addictive personality does have a good side though; he is also a compulsive donor to charity. He has been involved with the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. Daly also appeared popular among his fellow golfers; there are countless stories of his generosity to complete strangers. For instance, Bruce Smith, who is a PGA teaching professional, had a very memorable meeting with Daly. Smith had the opportunity to play in the 86th PGA Championship, but was playing his practice round early in order to get back to a charitable Pro-Am at his local club for his daughter, who suffers from a lymphatic malformation on a portion of her face. Smith was playing ahead of Daly, but Daly caught up to him on the 16th tee, and the two ended up playing the remainder of their rounds together. The two talked, and Smith ended up

telling John that he had to catch a plane back to his hometown of Dallas to set up a charity event for his baby daughter. Smith told John that he wanted to go into the pro shop to get some items to auction off. Upon hearing this, Daly told Smith that he could do him one better, and get some items from his van sent over to him. As they neared the green, Daly reached into his pocket, pulled out a wad of cash, handed it to Smith, and said, "here, put that in your foundation." Smith just looked at the money, which totalled US$1000, shell-shocked at the generosity that Daly had shown to a man he had just met. Perhaps one of Daly’s greatest acts of generosity took place immediately after the world found out whom he was. After winning the 1991 PGA Championship, Daly donated US$30,000 of his US$230,000 winner's cheque towards the education of two young girls whose father had passed away that week after being struck by lightning in the grandstands at Crooked Stick. Those two girls have now grown up, and have both graduated from college. Daly has had to deal with a lot of unfortunate problems in his life, and we hear all about those problems – the addictive behaviour, and the failed marriages. His charitable nature is often left unreported. Daly entered the 2007 PGA Tour season without full exemption status for the first time since his 1991 US PGA victory. Because of this, Daly had to depend heavily on sponsor invitations, and exemption category 30, “past champions” to gain entry into tournaments. However Daly does have full exemption into the PGA Championship, AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-am, and The Open Championship, up to age 65, as a past champion. In December 2008, Daly was given a sixmonth suspension from the PGA Tour. Daly, who has always had issues with his weight, took this suspension as an opportunity to have LapBand surgery. This surgery basically limits the amount of food that he can consume. When we in Hong Kong last saw him – at the 2010 UBS Hong Kong Open – Daly had lost over 100 pounds, making him a svelte 185 pounds. Though he has complained that he now has nowhere to put his elbows when putting. The past 20 years have been a wild ride for John Daly. He has managed to capture the hearts and imaginations of the golfing world with his fantastic stories of triumph, but at the same time, has shocked us with his selfdestructive behaviour. He has thrilled us with his distance, and surprised many with his generosity. The next few years for Daly may seem unclear, but one thing is for certain: good ol’ John will grip and rip his way through it. HKGOLFER.COM

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GOLF TRAVEL A Player’s Guide

WHERE TO PLAY BLACK MOUNTAIN HHHH Richard Castka/Sportpixgolf.com

This five-year-old course, a 25-minute drive from the centre of town, has received a lot of hype, thanks in part to its twice-hosting of the Black Mountain Masters, an Asian Tour event, and last year’s Royal Trophy, the annual Asia versus Europe Ryder Cup-style tournament. Swedish star Johann Edfors owns a villa here, as does Simon Yates, the Scottish touring pro. And to be frank, the hype is well and truly justified. This is a high quality venue, one that is kept in mind-blowing condition year-round. While some of the routing is a little contrived – the mountainous terrain the developers had to work with isn’t exactly perfectly suited to golf – there are a great many fun and fabulous holes out here, particularly on the scenic back nine, which rises and plunges constantly. The surprising thing about Black Mountain – and one of the keys behind its popularity among recreational players – is its playability. A number of large man-made 64

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Heavenly Hua Hin Home to Thailand’s oldest course and now two of its most notable layouts, this increasingly popular beach resort, situated 140 miles to the south of Bangkok, has well and truly taken to golf. Alex Jenkins checks out the best of the bunch

lakes make this Phil Ryan design look a lot more menacing than it really is. The landing areas are wide, the greens large, receptive and not ridiculously contoured, while the rough is kept to a minimum. Not everyone will immediately take to it perhaps – the purists out there may not appreciate a few of the more ornamental features, such as the sculptured rock creation and babbling brook fronting the second green – but the majority will salivate over Black Mountain’s lush landscaping, superlative views and five-star clubhouse – and will undoubtedly do so for years to come. Black Mountain Golf Club YARDAGE: 6,881 PAR: 72 Designed by Phil Ryan/Pacific Coast Design Contact: bmghuahin.com Getting there:25mins from Hua Hin HKGOLFER.COM

Idyllic Setting: The par-three eighth at Black Mountain HK Golfer・AUG 2011

BANYAN HHHH

Occupying one of the greatest sites in Thai golf, Banyan is a magnificently natural layout, one that this correspondent hopes to play time and time again. Built over a former pineapple plantation, the front nine here thunders across relatively open country, while the closing stretch plays through a series of particularly lovely and heavily vegetated valleys. Mot her Nat u re cou ld have been credited with its design, but Banyan was in fact the work of Piraporn Namatra, the young Thai architect who made a name for himself after somehow carving out the spectacular – and seriously mountainous – Santiburi course on Koh Samui. Namatra’s reputation has only increased since Banyan opened three years ago – and rightly so. His routing is sublime, the green complexes have been particularly well thought out and he’s been kind enough to leave enough width on the longer holes in order for recreational golfers to open their shoulders. Signature hole honours at Banyan have been given to the 15th, a short downhill par-three with views across the Gulf of Thailand, but quite honestly, there is quality laced right through this course. Unlike most of the tracks in the region, Banyan uses local Zoysia grass on its fairways, which has proved to the right call; the turf is firm but you seldom get a

tight or “skinny” lie. It is a delightful surface to play from. Although the course is part of a larger real estate and resort concern, playing Banyan does give you a wonderful sense of seclusion. Unlike at Black Mountain, where the residential villas are in full view from many parts of the course, Banyan’s residences are located further afield … indeed, the only property you see, aside from the tasteful clubhouse, is a cliff-top home inhabited by monks. Banyan Golf Club YARDAGE: 7,361 PAR: 72 Designed by Piraporn Namatra/Golf East Contact: banyanthailand.com Getting there: 20mins from Hua Hin

SPRINGFIELD ROYAL HHHH

Before Black Mountain and Banyan arrived on the scene, Springfield was the place to play in Hua Hin. An unmistakable Jack Nicklaus design, which features more than its fair share of water and vast sandy waste areas, this gently undulating track benefits from an excellent routing and generally well maintained playing surfaces. Thanks largely to generous fairways, Springfield is very playable for all standards of golfer. The course is part of an all-encompassing resort (note the kiddies water park), which also includes a hotel and spa. A third loop of nine, designed by the prolific Schmidt-Curley firm, was added in 2005, but it isn't, in this writer's opinion at any rate, as scenic or fun to play as the original 18 holes. A busy team of on-course marshals keep the pace of play at Springfield to bearable levels. Springfield Royal Country Club YARDAGE: 7,043 PAR: 72 Designed by Jack Nicklaus Contact: springfieldresort.com Getting there: 25mins from Hua Hin

Alex Jenkins

Natural High: The demanding 10th hole at Banyan (right); the club's off-course facilities are top-class 66

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Royal Hua Hin Golf Club YARDAGE: 6,678 PAR: 72 Designed by OA Robins Contact: (66) 32 512-475 Getting there: Five minutes from Hua Hin

BEST OF THE REST

ROYAL HUA HIN HHH

The oldest course in Thailand, this is a charming little track that has stood the test of time admirably. Founded in 1924 and built by a group of Scottish railway engineers (the original Hua Hin station is situated next to the clubhouse), the course relies on its relative tightness off the tee to keep low scoring at bay. Mature trees line the fairways, which rise and fall constantly, following the natural topography of the land. The course’s higher points allow for ocean views, while a traditional Thai temple forms an almost fairytale-like backdrop at the 14th hole, a picturesque par-three. Turf conditions have been known to vary, however – RHH gets a little scruffy around the edges at times – but strangely, this only adds to its appeal. Not a great deal has changed in the 87 years the course has been open and as a result, RHH contrasts wonderfully with the newer crop of courses in and around the town.

Straight driving is required at Majestic Creek Country Club, a nicely presented course featuring plenty of water and mature vegetation, a 40-minute drive from town. The newlyopened Sea Pine Golf Course, an Army-owned affair, is one of the few courses close to Hua Hin that actually plays down by the coast and features a thrilling finish and stunning ocean vistas. Palm Hills Golf Club was the first of Hua Hin’s modern breed of courses to open in the early 1990s and is still worth a visit, thanks to its convenient location, just a few minutes from the majority of hotels and resorts, and pristine greens, which are considered among the fastest in the land.

WHERE TO STAY

You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to accommodation options in Hua Hin – there are myriad hotels to suit every taste and budget here. One of the standouts of those that fall within the luxury bracket is the Hyatt Regency (huahin. regency.hyatt.com), a beautifully landscaped lowrise resort occupying 16 acres of lush tropical gardens and lagoons. The Hyatt’s rooms and suites are immaculately presented – as is the hotel’s award-winning Barai Spa, a must-visit for anyone in need of pampering. But one of its biggest advantages over other resorts in the area is its access to sand and sea. The Hyatt’s 200-metre long beach front is the longest of

any hotel in Hua Hin. Another choice worth considering is the heritage-rich Sofitel Centara Grand Resort & Villas (sofitel.com), a colonialstyle property situated within an easy walk of the town centre.

WHEN TO GO

Hua Hin is one of the driest spots in Thailand, and even during the so-called "Wet Season" from July to October, mid-afternoon showers are generally short lived. The ideal golfing time is winter, from November through February, which experiences very little rainfall and is considerably cooler than the early summer months. Turf conditions are generally at their best during this time.

Richard Castka/Sportpixgolf.com (Black Mountain)

GETTING THERE

The Hong Kong to Bangkok air route is one of the busiest in the world and a plethora of carriers, including Cathay Pacific and Thai Airways, fly between the cities numerous times a day. It's a three-hour drive from Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport to the heart of Hua Hin – but try to avoid travelling on the first day of a public holiday, when Bangkok's notorious traffic bleeds out on to the southern expressway, increasing the journey time significantly. Hua Hin is also served by regular trains from the Thai captial, but with clubs in tow this might not be the most convenient mode of transport.

Thai Treat (clockwise from top left): The signature 15th hole at Banyan (top); the wonderful Hyatt Regency Hua Hin; the second hole at Black Mountain, a sumptuous par-five 68

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NEED TO KNOW

While booking rounds directly through the golf courses themselves is not usually too much of an ordeal, various tour operators offer tailor-made packages including hotels and land transfers. Bangkok-based Golfasian.com comes highly recommended. As in China, tipping your caddie at the end of the round is expected at the vast majority of clubs in Thailand. The amount is of course up to you, but THB300-500 for 18 holes is considered the norm.

The 2012 Hyatt Open For those wanting to experience Banyan Golf Club under the pressures of tournament play, consider planning a trip to Hua Hin around the popular Hyatt Open, a 36-hole stroke play tournament held every summer. The 2012 event is scheduled for July 21-22, which is when the final two rounds of next year’s Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes will be played. The tournament, which is open to both men and women, attracts a large cosmopolitan field, with competitors’ handicaps ranging from scratch up to the maximum of 24. This being Thailand, there are a number of extravagant prizes on offer to the winners. The 2011 event was won last month by 15-year-old Oscar Odestal, a 10-handicapper from Sweden. Odestal (pictured) fired nett rounds of 65 and 69 to claim the title by a shot.

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profile

Players to Watch #1

Robert Rock

In this new feature, we look at the players currently outside the top 50 in the world rankings who have the potential to reach the summit of the game. First up, Robert Rock – an unassuming Englishman with a swing to die for, writes Alex Jenkins "All things considered, his first round of 70 [at the US Open] was every bit as impressive as eventual champion Rory McIlroy's opening 65.'"

A AFP

t a time when many professional golfers try to outdo each other in the fashion stakes by adorning tight-fitting garb in any number of zany colours and patterns, Robert Rock stands out from the crowd for what he doesn't wear – a hat. The 34-yearold Englishman is probably the only world-class golfer who eschews headgear, and the reason is quite simple: unlike his contemporaries, Rock has chosen not to sign a full staff contract with any of the equipment brands, which gives him the freedom to play whatever clubs he likes and leaves his cranium refreshingly free of advertising. Call me old fashioned but I think there's something rather admirable about all of this ... and if you've ever seen him play, you'll know that Rock's game is something to admire too. Rock, who hails from the English Midlands, joined the European Tour in 2003 and was known as a solid iron player, one who could contend from time to time but whose putting had possibly prevented him from reaching the heights that his ballstriking deserved. Indeed, up until this season, the closest the likeable Rock had come to winning on tour had come at the 2009 Irish Open, where

he lost out to amateur Shane Lowry on the third hole of a sudden-death play-off in front of a partisan gallery. But 2011 has proven to be something of an annus mirabilis for Rock, who taught at the unfortunately-named Swingers Driving Range in his home county of Staffordshire before earning his tour card. Two top 10 finishes in the first two events of the season – at the Alfred Dunhill Championship and South African Open respectively – gave Rock a solid platform on which to build, and by the end of June he was celebrating a month which included his first win and a quite astonishing performance at the US Open, the season's second major. Rock's maiden professional victory, which came after 209 tour starts, arrived at the BMW Italian Open in Turin, where he bested a quality field by a shot thanks to a stellar 67 in the final round. With his long game in typically fine fettle, Rock was the first to admit it was his prowess with the flatstick that made the difference on this occasion. After seeing "just about everyone" to

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try to cure his putting woes, Rock turned instead to an old coaching manual the week before and decided to use a few of the tips from the book. "It helped me considerably," he said. The monkey off his back, Rock's next task was to get himself to Bethesda, Maryland for his debut appearance at the US Open. Having secured his place in the field by qualifying at Walton Heath two weeks previously, Rock had been struggling to secure a working visa for the United States. Fifteen years previously, while at university at Georgia State, Rock had been charged with drink-driving, and it was this incident that was slowing up the already sedentary diplomatic process. To expedite the situation, Rock ended up forking out a reputed US$24,000 in legal fees, but even then the paperwork wasn't complete until Wednesday, the day before the first round. Rushing to the airport, Rock boarded an early evening flight to Newark, arrived on American soil late Wednesday night and paid US$1,000 for a taxi journey to his hotel in Washington DC. He arrived at 3.30am, just hours before his tee off time. All things considered – Rock was feeling the effects of jet-lag and had never played the Blue Course at Congressional before – his first round of 70 (one-under-par), which gave a share of 10th, was every bit as impressive as eventual champion Rory McIlroy's opening 65. Making the cut with room to spare, Rock cobbled together a lacklustre 76 in the third round before roaring back with a 68 on Sunday to earn a tie for 23rd – and a very tidy payday of US$76,455. By then, the visa fees were well and truly forgotten. So far this season, Rock has played 21 events and missed only three cuts. He currently stands at 25th in the Race to Dubai standings and is on the verge of breaking through into the world's top 100-ranked players. He has some famous fans too. Sean Foley, the Canadian swing guru who counts Tiger Woods, Hunter Mahan and Justin Rose among his clients, couldn't wait to catch up with Rock at last month's Open Championship at Royal St George's. "Outside of my guys – obviously I'm biased – Robert Rock, to me, is one of the greatest hitters in the world," Foley remarked. "I love watching him swing ... I went up to him and told him I thought he was great and wanted to meet him. He's a cool cat." In light of his recent success here's hoping the cool cat doesn't scratch the UBS Hong Kong Open off his playing schedule. His record at Fanling isn't exactly laced with achievement. In his three previous visits to the Hong Kong Golf Club, Rock has yet to make it to the weekend action. HKGOLFER.COM

The Rock File BORN: April 6, 1977 TURNED PRO: 1998, aged 21 PROFESSIONAL WINS: 1 – BMW Italian Open (2011) TEAM APPEARANCES: 2009 Seve Trophy (GB&I) MAJOR RECORD: US Open (T23, 2011); Open (T7, 2010) WORLD RANKING: 102

What's in Robert's Bag? Driver: TaylorMade R11 Fairway wood: Callaway Tour-X (13°) Irons: Callaway X-Forged 2-PW Wedges: Callaway X-Tour Forged (52°) and Cleveland CG14 (58°) Putter: Odyssey White Hot Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Rock Solid: The Englishman's swing (left) has won him a host of admirers, including Tiger's coach; at this year's US Open (top), Rock overcame jet-lag and officialdom to post a fine opening round HK Golfer・AUG 2011

GLOBALTOURNAMENTNEWS

PGA TOUR

EUROPEAN TOUR

AT&T NATIONAL

ALSTOM OPEN DE FRANCE

Aronimink GC, June 30-July 3 Nick Watney claimed a two-stroke victory in Pennsylvania as KJ Choi's challenge stumbled in the closing holes. Watney had entered the final round in a share of the lead with Rickie Fowler after posting a course record eight-under-par 62 on the Saturday, but he could not shake off the attentions of Korean Choi. The pair were level at 12-under playing the par-four fifteenth, but Choi found the rough of the tee, hit a bunker with his second and fired his third through the back of the green and could not get down in fewer than six shots. Choi hit back by getting a birdie on the sixteenth, but that feat was matched by Watney who parred the final two holes to secure a second victory of the season. Fowler fell out of contention early, eventually signing for a 74. "It's a very addictive feeling to be out there and under the gun," said 30-year-old Watney, who won the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral earlier in the year. "To be able to hit good shots and putts is why I play, really." Defending champion Justin Rose finished in a tie for fifteenth, nine shots back. 1 2 3= 6= 8=

Nick Watney KJ Choi Charles Howell III Jeff Overton Adam Scott Robert Allenby Chris Stroud Chris Kirk Bryce Molder Webb Simpson

70 69 62 66 69 64 69 67 68 68 69 66 71 65 68 67 66 71 66 68 71 68 68 65 70 68 66 68 70 71 63 69 69 67 68 69 69 70 64 70

267 269 271 271 271 272 272 273 273 273

Le Golf National, June 30-July 3 Thomas Levet fired a final round of 70 to pull off an upset home win in the French Open at Le Golf National. Levet's seven-under par total of 277 left him one stroke clear of Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark and Mark Foster of England. It was 42-year-old Levet's fifth European Tour title and his first since he took the 2009 Spanish Open. But, emotionally for him, it was the first time he had won his home Open, 25 years after he first played on the French Golf Federation's flagship course outside of Versailles, which was recently awarded the right to host the 2018 Ryder Cup. He becomes the second French winner of the tournament after Jean-François Remesy, who triumphed in 2004 and 2005. "It was just crazy – the way it went was just like a dream," Levet said. "The people were going 'Allez, allez, allez'. The atmosphere was great – I felt like one of the Tour de France riders climbing a mountain. I had everyone behind me basically the same as a Ryder Cup and it was the same adrenaline rush." Levet continued: "It's the first time my kids have seen me win. I'm not done yet!" 1 2= 4 5= 7= 10

$1,116,000 $669,600 $322,400 $322,400 $322,400 $215,450 $215,450 $179,800 $179,800 $179,800

Thomas Levet Mark Foster Thorbjorn Olesen Martin Kaymer Simon Khan Richie Ramsay James Morrison Hennie Otto Brendan Steele Anthony Wall

70 70 67 70 68 68 68 74 66 71 71 70 71 69 67 73 70 70 70 71 69 68 68 76 66 66 72 78 69 71 71 71 74 70 67 71 68 73 69 73

277 278 278 280 281 281 282 282 282 283

€500,000 €260,565 €260,565 €150,000 €116,100 €116,100 €77,400 €77,400 €77,400 €60,000

BARCLAYS SCOTTISH OPEN JOHN DEERE CLASSIC

TPC Deere Run, July 7-10 Steve Stricker rolled in a 25-foot birdie putt from off the green on the final hole to post his third straight victory at the John Deere Classic. Stricker birdied his last two holes and benefited from a Kyle Stanley bogey at the last. "It was an unbelievable week and an unbelievable finish," Stricker said. "I still can't believe I'm sitting here." The birdie on 18 put the finishing touches on a roller-coaster round for Stricker, who led by five strokes when he made the turn and won the tournament by just one stroke. He dropped behind American compatriot Stanley by two shots on the back nine, but managed to close with a twounder 69. "I really did feel like the momentum was gone for a while," Stricker said. The Wisconsin native finished at 22-under 262 to become just the 10th different golfer in the modern era to win a tournament three straight times. With the win, Stricker joined an elite group of golfers in doing so. The list also comprises Tiger Woods, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Ben Hogan and Johnny Miller. The victory was his second of the year following his triumph at the Memorial Tournament in June. 66 64 63 69 65 67 65 66 64 69 70 64 66 69 67 65 66 62 68 72 66 68 70 64 66 67 67 69 66 66 63 74 68 6769 66 68 70 68 64

262 263 267 267 268 268 269 269 270 270

$810,000 $486,000 $261,000 $261,000 $171,000 $171,000 $145,125 $145,125 $121,500 $121,500

As of July 17, 2011

Luke DONALD

ENG 9.64

Luke DONALD

ENG €3,156,696

Lee WESTWOOD

ENG 8.48

Charl SCHWARTZEL

RSA €1,896,485

Martin KAYMER

GER 7.38

Rory McILROY

NIR €1,764,085

Rory McILROY

NIR 7.16

Martin KAYMER

GER €1,601,551

Steve STRICKER

USA 7.05

Lee WESTWOOD

ENG €1,551,803

Phil MICKELSON

USA 6.38

Darren CLARKE

NIR €1,303,927

Dustin JOHNSON

USA 5.86

Anders HANSEN

DEN €1,153,004

Matt KUCHAR

USA 5.46

Alvaro QUIROS

ESP €845,869

Jason DAY

AUS 5.37

Nicolas COLSAERTS

BEL €839,071

10 Nick WATNEY

USA 5.31

10 Miguel Angel JIMENEZ ESP €815,403

11 Graeme McDOWELL NIR 5.29

11 Pablo LARRAZABAL ESP €779,410

12 Charl SCHWARTZEL

RSA 5.29

12 Ian POULTER

ENG €756,591

13 KJ CHOI

KOR 4.76

13 Thomas BJORN

DEN €752,452

14 Bubba WATSON

USA 4.75

14 Thomas AIKEN

RSA €718,902

15 Paul CASEY

ENG 4.70

15 YE YANG

KOR €708,630

1 2 3= 10

Luke Donald Fredrik A'Hed Angel Cabrera George Coetzee Nicolas Colsaerts Lorenzo Gagli Scott Jamieson Mark Tullo Martin Wiegele Robert Coles

67 67 63 73 66 62 71 64 67 66 69 67 69 66 67 68 68 66 67 66 69 65 71 66 69 68 65 70 69 64

197 201 202 202 202 202 202 202 202 203

€550,250 €366,830 €126,117 €126,117 €126,117 €126,117 €126,117 €126,117 €126,117 €59,179 AFP

Steve Stricker Kyle Stanley Matt McQuillan Zach Johnson Chez Reavie Charles Howell III Cameron Percy Brendon de Jonge Brian Gay Briny Baird

EUROPEAN RACE TO DUBAI

AFP

1 2 3= 5= 7= 9=

OFFICIAL WORLD GOLF RANKINGS

Castle Stuart Golf Links, July 7-10 Luke Donald carded a flawless final round of nine-under 63 to win the rain-shortened Scottish Open by four strokes, his first victory since becoming the world's top-ranked player in May. The 33-year-old Englishman started the third and final round a shot behind a trio of joint leaders but rolled in nine birdies in a majestic bogey-free display at Castle Stuart. With only a light wind leaving the links course defenceless, Donald romped home with a winning total of 19 under, ahead of Sweden's Fredrik Andersson Hed (62). Seven players, including Angel Cabrera, tied for third, a further shot back. Donald's eighth professional title – and third this year – cemented his top ranking, which he secured for the first time nearly two months ago by beating compatriot Lee Westwood in a playoff for the PGA Championship on his last appearance in Europe. "I felt good out there, very comfortable, very in control, " said Donald, who is half Scottish and wore Tartan trousers for the final day. "There's always a little added pressure when you're number one but hopefully I've proved I can handle that. It was a pretty strong field this week."

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events

The Master: Albert Watson

The Macallan Masters Of Photography Club Lusitano was the venue for the arrival in Hong Kong of “The Macallan Masters of Photography: Albert Watson Edition” exhibition on June 2. This special evening was the final leg of a world tour that kicked off with a debut showing in London in 2010 and has since travelled to Moscow, New York, Paris, Taiwan, Singapore, Seoul, and Madrid. Albert Watson is perhaps the most successful fashion photographer of all time, with over 200 Vogue covers to his credit. He has also published several influential and successful books featuring his unique art images. For the Macallan Edition, he followed the journey of the casks which give The Macallan its unique flavour, visiting the forests of northern Spain, where the mighty Spanish oaks grow, to the traditional cooperage in Jerez, culminating in the alchemy and passion of The Macallan Distillery in Scotland. To celebrate this memorable exhibition and global tour, an extremely limited collection of 1,000 box sets featuring a bottle of The Macallan Sherry Oak 20 year old whisky are available for purchase worldwide. Each comes with a specially commissioned set of 10 portfolio prints from this edition. They can be purchased at luxury spirits retailers for a recommended retail price of £700 (HK$8,999). A further 36 individually customized bottles of The Macallan 1946 whisky – the date Watson first met his wife Elizabeth – with a signed one-off collectible platinum print can also be purchased. These come with a reserve price of £10,000. For further information write to whisky@hkgolfer.com – CM

Charles and Sarah McLaughlin

The Customized The Macallan 1946 74

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Limited Edition Box Set

Alexander Ly, Louise Hill, Laura Ly and Julian Gavin HKGOLFER.COM

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events

Cartier – Bags (and Boxes) of Class Cartier are rightly seen as one of the world’s premier jewelers and watch makers. However, for over 160 years they have also been creating exclusive accessories and gifts, including eyewear, bags, cufflinks, lighters and boxes. July 5 at Assaggio, in the Hong Kong Arts Centre saw the brand unveil their latest collection and, as ever, the design and workmanship is exquisite, and the breadth and inventiveness of the collection is breathtaking. HK Golfer presents our personal favourites from the collection. – CM

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final shot

Full Flow Clarke

Ten months ago the new Open champion told us he would win again but who knew it would be the game's greatest prize? Alex Jenkins reports

Daniel Wong

For the next few minutes, Clarke n the lead up to last year's UBS spoke exclusively about his career. Hong Kong Open, HK Golfer "A journalist once said that I Events – the events arm of this would have done much better if magazine – organized a golf I hadn't stopped off for a pint of day for one of our distinguished Guinness along the way – and advertisers – Audemars Piguet, that's a pretty good synopsis," the globally-renowned watch brand. It admitted Clarke, to cheers from proved to be a rather insightful occasion. the guests. "You've got to have a Not only did we have AP ambassador Rory good mix of fun and hard work McIlroy, soon-to-be US Open champion, at this game – but perhaps I've gracing the fairways with our lucky guests, enjoyed myself a bit too much." but the evening festivities promised to be There was no guessing by this fabulous, with Graeme McDowell (the point that Clarke, who has been reigning US Open champion before Rory known to enjoy a wee snifter or nabbed his thunder), Darren Clarke and two, was in full flow. India's Shiv Kapur all scheduled to speak " Pe r f e c t i o n i s t h e wo r s t at the gala dinner. Unfortunately – or affliction in professional golf, and fortunately, depending on how you look at I've been known to get a little it – things didn't quite go to plan. bit angry on myself on occasion" The fact was that both GMac and Kapur continued Clarke, with a laugh. were busily finishing off their rain-delayed "I have suffered a bit with that final rounds at the Singapore Open, which Darren Clarke: Great golfer, throughout my career" meant they weren't going to be able to join brilliant raconteur Clarke then touched upon his us here in Hong Kong. That's a shame, we wife, Heather, who as most will thought, but at least we still have Clarke, know passed away with cancer six who we were sure was going to entertain us with stories of his topsy-turvy career. That's the point about Big Darren: he's one years ago when the Ulsterman was in the prime of those top-class golfers who might not have fulfilled his true potential, but at of his golfing life. "I don't want to make excuses, but at the time least he'll give us plenty of memorable yarns that he'd picked up along the way. I was going in the right direction, I was just How wrong we were. Yes, Clarke, who was swathed in a rather swish grey-coloured suit and a mighty starting to get going," said the man who at the AP watch for the evening, gave us a sprinkling of what life on tour was all about. He time had just landed his second WGC event. made a few quips about his fellow competitors – particularly Colin Montgomerie, "That all changed when Heather passed." Following Heather's death, Clarke, who has but who doesn't do that? – and he beamed in the glory of Europe's then recent Ryder two young sons, changed his priorities. Cup win (which he vice-captained). But the really interesting parts – parts which "The boys came first, no question," he said. might explain why no-one should be that surprised by his Open Championship win "Golf took a back seat, I had two young sons, I - focused on what he had to say about himself. As Clarke took to the stage, Julian Tutt, the renowned television commentator had to look after them." Despite this, Clarke would later excel at the and emcee for the evening, was quick to talk about the Clarke that we, as golf 2006 Ryder Cup and followed that up with two fans, knew about. "Now, Darren," Tutt quizzed, "would it be fair to say that you haven't won as wins in 2008. It had been lean picking since, however. many times as your talent deserves?" "But I haven't given up hope. I am dedicated Clarke, who had by this time enjoyed, as his want, a number of glasses of the fine reds that were on offer, replied: "Oh, Jules, I don't believe you know how to this game and I'm working very hard, despite what some might say," said Clarke, who was many times I've actually won." smiling throughout. "I definitely think I can win Tutt looked decidedly unsure, and guessed, in that magnificent Etonian accent of his, 10. "I've had 20 professional wins, but you're right, I should have again." And so right he was. won more," Clarke replied matter-of-factly. 78

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