Luxury: Vietnam’s Laguna Lang Co, SalonQP, Tesla Model S
THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE HONG KONG GOLF ASSOCIATION
HKGOLFER.COM
ISSUE 71
DECEMBER 2012
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THIRD TIME’S A CHARM DISPLAY UNTIL 15 JAN
Jiménez books his place in HK Open history with another Fanling special
| CONTENTS
HK Golfer Issue 71
December 2012
28 On the Cover:
On the Cover: Miguel Angel Jiménez lifts the UBS Hong Kong Open trophy at Fanling last month for the third time. The Spaniard also won in 2004 and 2007. Photo by AFP
Features
Plus…
28 | Miguel Makes it Three
19 | Tee Time
36 | Numbers Game
26 | Driving Range
A numerical look at how the UBS Hong Kong Open was won and lost By Alex Jenkins
A review of the all-electric Tesla Model S, the single most important American car for decades By Ben Oliver
52 | The Rise and Rise of Justin Rose
39 | UBS Hong Kong Open Gallery
Jiménez joins the legendary Peter Thomson as a threetime winner of the UBS Hong Kong Open after a performance for the ages By Alex Jenkins
Our European correspondent talks to the Ryder Cup hero and world rankings climber – who is living proof that nice guys do indeed win By Lewine Mair
Four days of action captured by our intrepid lensmen By HK Golfer photographers
64 | New Year, New Gear
Twelve equipment must-haves for 2013 By Charlie Schroeder
Former Hong Kong international R ick Valentine claims World Hickory title using clubs his great grandfather made By The Editors
68 | Laguna Landing
50 | Golf & Investment Academy
Danial Wong (Olazábal); AFP (Rose)
An exclusive look at the soon-to-open Laguna Lang Co Golf Club, a brilliant Nick Faldo design situated on Vietnam’s Central Coast By Alex Jenkins
78 | Final Shot: Louis Oosthuizen
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Our watch editor reports on the watchmakers that made their mark at the recent SalonQP in London By Evan Rast
The sweet-swinging South African, number seven in the world rankings, discusses his outstanding season and goals for the year ahead By Brendan Barratt
47 | Hickory Hero
For those investors out there, you might find that golf and investing share a lot of similar attributes By the Editors
59| Ryder Redux
A pictorial review of the “Miracle of Medinah”, where José María Olazábal’s European Team staged arguably the greatest comeback in the competition’s long and rich history By Charles McLaughlin HKGOLFER.COM
HK Golfer
THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE HONG KONG GOLF ASSOCIATION DECEMBER 2012 • Issue 71
Editor: Alex Jenkins email: alex.jenkins@hkgolfer.com Editorial Assistant: Cindy Kwok Playing Editor: Jean Van de Velde Senior Editor: Roy Kinnear Photo Editor: Daniel Wong Contributing Editors: Lewine Mair Robert Lynam, Evan Rast, Ben Oliver Published by:
TIMES INTERNATIONAL CREATION Times International Creation Limited 10A Lockhart Centre 301-307 Lockhart Road Hong Kong Phone: +852 3590-4153 Fax: +852 3590-4533
68 D E PA R T M E N T S 10
HK Golfer Mailbag
12
Local Focus
14
Asia Focus
16
Global Focus
Richard Castka/Sportpix International
19 Clubhouse
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44
Around the HKGA
46
Tournament News
48
Celebrity Golf
HK GOLFER is published by Times International Creation, 10A Lockhart Centre, 301-307 Lockhart Road, Hong Kong. HK GOLFER is published monthly © 2012 by Times International Creation. Published in Hong Kong. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is strictly prohibited. PRINTED IN HONG KONG.
HK Golfer・DEC 2012
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HK Golfer Mailbag Another Fine Open OK, so Rory McIlroy failed to deliver, but last month’s UBS Hong Kong Open was another splendid edition, with a fantastic winner in Miguel Angel Jiménez, who held off his challengers with a nerveless performance over the closing holes. The Hong Kong Open is one of the few tournaments around the world that almost seems to guarantee an exciting finish. While it perhaps didn’t match the amazing conclusions of the 2011 and 2008 events [which saw McIlroy and Lin Wen-tang win in extraordinary circumstances], the story this time around, with a bunch of 40-something players and the teenage sensation Matteo Manassero in the frame, was no less enthralling. Congratulations to the European and Asian Tours, the Hong Kong Golf Association, title sponsor UBS, the Mega Events Fund and all the players that continue to make this event so special.
Miguel Angel Jiménez's third Hong Kong Open win was the best of the lot
Charles Ho Via email Editor replies: The Hong Kong public agrees with you, Charles, which is why this year’s tournament saw record galleries flock to Fanling. This was despite the lack of McIlroy on the weekend and the Hong Kong Observatory’s rather pessimistic weather forecast. Kudos to everyone involved, it was another fabulous tournament.
Keep Those Phones Off I had the pleasure of marshalling at the UBS Hong Kong Open. I have to say that Hong Kong put on a first-class event and the fans for the most part practiced good golf etiquette. However, there were some people who forgot to turn off their phones or switch them to silent. In one instance, the leaders were about to tee off. The crowd was completely quiet and still. As the player got ready to address the ball a spectator’s mobile phone went off. The phone could be clearly heard by the player and he had to take a pause before hitting his ball. This doesn’t only happen at tournaments. I have witnessed players using their mobile phones before taking their tee shots or while walking the course. Not only can this be a distraction to other golfers it can also slow down play. Let’s keep the mobile phones on silent in the golf bags – or better still in the club house locker so we all enjoy a better round. James Stevenson Tung Chung
that if I can’t spend four hours without consulting my phone then I won’t venture out on to the course, but many people – especially in a business-oriented city such as ours – would disagree with that. Some argue that keeping the phone on silent and checking e-mails and texts is acceptable, while others think nothing of making quick – and notso quick – calls in between shots. Of course, having your phone not switched to silent while watching or playing in any event – whether it be the Hong Kong Open or the monthly medal – is inexcusable. I look forward to hearing readers’ opinions on this.
More Ryder Cup Please I think it’s amazing that HK Golfer has its own reporters and photographers on the ground at some of the world’s major tournaments. I especially loved the Ryder Cup photos that appeared in the November issue. Please can we see some more? Stella Macdonald Central Editor’s reply: Thanks Stella. As you asked so nicely, please turn to page 59 for our continued pictorial instalment of Europe’s amazing come-from-behind Ryder Cup win at Medinah. 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.
Daniel Wong
Editor’s reply: Ah, the good old mobile phone debate. Given that mobile phones are not permitted to be used on courses in Hong Kong, it’s disappointing – if not that surprising – to see how many people ignore this and carry on regardless. I’ve always been of the opinion
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Local Focus Rory Fails to Spark Defending UBS Hong Kong Open champion Rory McIlroy plays his approach to Fanling’s famous closing hole after pushing his drive during the opening round of last month’s tournament. While McIlroy, who cut a nice iron shot around the trees to the back of the green, escaped with a par, the world number one couldn’t get his putter working at all and ended up missing the cut for the first time since the US Open in June. “I just got on a slide and I just sort of couldn’t stop it,” said McIlroy, who won the following week in Dubai. Photo by Daniel Wong
Asia Focus China’s Rising Star Guan Tian-lang, a 14-year-old from Guangzhou, will become the youngest player in history to play in the Masters after winning the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in sensational style last month. Guan used his belly putter, a club much in the news of late, to great effect, recording a 15-under-par total at Amata Spring Country Club on the outskirts of Bangkok to book his berth at Augusta National next April. “It’s a dream come true,” declared Guan, who opened with rounds of 66 and 64. “I really hope my performance can inspire young players from around the world.” Photo by David Paul Morris
Global Focus Poulter’s Mission Accomplished Champion Ian Poulter leads runners-up Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson, Scott Piercy and Jason Dufner out to the prize giving ceremony on completion of November’s WGC-HSBC Champions, which was held over the Olazábal Course at Mission Hills Golf Club in Dongguan. Poulter, who was in search of his first victory of 2012, powered to a two-shot win thanks largely to back-to-back rounds of 65 over the weekend. The performance lifted the colourful Englishman, who now has two World Golf Championship titles to his credit, up to 12th in the world rankings. Photo by AFP
CLUB
Away from the Fairways | TEE TIME
Time to Shine
Piaget's Altiplano Skeleton Ultra-Thin HKGOLFER.COM
Evan Rast reports on the watchmakers that made their mark at the recent SalonQP in London CONTINUED OVERLEAF
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Jaeger-LeCoultre unveiled its latest collaborative timepiece with British carmaker Aston Martin, the AMVOX 7, at SalonQP
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hen it comes to timepieces, we’re very much used to hearing the latest from Switzerland. The SalonQP however is a unique occasion where we see the best from a growing group of British independent watchmakers, mixed in with our standard Swiss bearers. The artsy Saatchi Gallery in London was once again the chosen location for the fourth edition of the show, which ran from 8 to 10 November. Founder and QP editor James Gurney compares the salon to a “car show for watches,” catering more to passionate enthusiasts than retailers and journalists. So apart from being able to try on and discover new models, the show organisers also made sure there were one-off experiences on offer. It was the first year that the salon hosted a lifestyle section, featuring luxury audio, jewellery and watch winders. Harrods set up a watch servicing and repair area for visitors. Workshops and demonstrations, from dial enamelling from Jaquet Droz, watchmaking from Chopard, Corum and Harry Winston, as well as gem-setting and watch assembly – courtesy of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s masterclass – were offered. And industry insiders, including watch journalist Ian Skellern, and The Jewellery Editor’s Maria Doulton, were invited as guest speakers. More than 50 brands participated in the event, a number of which chose the occasion to launch new timepieces.
New and Noted
Jae ger- Le Coultre unveile d it s lates t collaborative timepiece with British carmaker Aston Martin, the AMVOX 7. The watch comes in a fiery red and black combination, with the dial featuring the pattern of the latest Vanquish’s radiator grille (Aston Martin’s super grand tourer). The vertical-trigger chronograph, powered by the Calibre 756, showcases Jaeger-LeCoultre’s first radial power-reserve display that appears through two apertures on the upper part of the bezel. The 44mm case comes in grade 5 titanium. After the release of its Mikrograph – the chronograph that can measure up to 1/100th of a second – Tag Heuer presented the MikrotourbillonS, a tourbillon with a similar function. Tag Heuer has never produced a tourbillon because the accuracy of the complication has always been questioned. That is until the brand discovered a way to create tourbillons of zero-tolerance, chronograph precision. The watch has two rotating tourbillons visible on the dial. The first beats at a standard 4Hz and rotates once per minute, and the second controls the 1/100th second chronograph, running at a spectacular 50Hz and rotating every five seconds – that’s 12 times a minute! The energy required for this feat comes from a dualchain, dual-barrel automatic movement. The MikrotourbillonS was designed with the Carrera in mind, in black tantalum with rose gold accents. T he s alon was also where Vacheron Constantin’s latest addition to its Patrimony line, the Patrimony Traditionnelle Automatic, made its first appearance. More than 50 Released just weeks before, the brands participated watch has all the makings of a classic, with the refined lines and in the event, a the brand is known number of which craftsmanship for. The watch is an obvious display chose the occasion of Vacheron Constantin’s expertise in proportions, as everything seems to launch new to be just right, from the size of the timepieces. opaline silver-toned dial, the length of the dauphine hands and applied indexes, and the thickness of the bezel; housed in a slender (7.26mm) gold case. And over on the opposite end of the design spectrum, futuristic watchmaker Urwerk released the UR-210, a watch with the world’s first winding efficiency indicator. Designed like the UR-110, the first of the series with its satellite system of spinning hour indicators and retrograde minutes display, the UR-210 boasts an ingenious function that measures the difference between the energy consumed and generated by the mainspring over a twoHKGOLFER.COM
Our Master Watchmaker never loses his concentration With his legendary concentration and 45 years of experience our Master Watchmaker ensures that we take our waterproofing rather seriously. Gilbert O. Gudjonsson, our Master Watchmaker and renowned craftsman, inspects every single timepiece before it leaves our workshop. As a privately owned and operated company, we have the opportunity and duty to give all our timepieces the personal attention they deserve.
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hour period. To achieve this, an indicator on the upper left corner of the dial will move from red, if the watch isn’t getting enough winding power (say if the watch isn’t being used or the wearer isn’t moving much), to green if it is. At the back is an adjuster with three options: full, which charges the reserve with any movement, reduced, which engages an air turbine compressor to slow the rotors’ movement, and stop, which turns the watch into a manual winder. This ensures a good ratio of energy in and energy out, allowing for less strain on the mechanism and avoiding over-winding.
History Makers
Clockwise from top: Piaget's Altiplano Skeleton UltraThin; the UR-210 from Urwerk; the Patrimony Traditionelle Automatic, the latest addition to Vacheron Constantin's Patrimony line 22
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The Salon was also a unique opportunity to take a look at models that were continuing a series of record-breaking innovations. Piaget has been making headlines with its ultra-thin movements, and this year it presented the world’s thinnest automatic skeleton watch, measuring a mere 5.34mm. The Altiplano Skeleton Ultra-Thin is also powered by the world’s thinnest skeleton movement, at 2.40mm, the Calibre 1200S. It took more than three years of research to get the timepiece pared down to this level. Highlights include a micro-rotor in 950 platinum, a brand new symmetrical balancebridge and a slimmed down hour-wheel bridge. Harry Winston showcased its 12th Opus, which is astonishing to watch in action. The watch, initially launched at Baselworld, was created in collaboration with watchmaker Emmanuel 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
Bouchet, an expert in minute repeaters. Instead of regular hands, two blued hands shows the hour and the minute, but what’s unique about this watch is that at the turn of each hour, an animation of the 12 hands occurs, resembling a wave, with the blued hand moving around the indicators until it stops on the new hour. At the centre of the dial are a retrograde five-minute indicator, subsidiary seconds dial, and power reserve indicator. The watch comes in a 46mm 18k white gold case with the centre in Zalium.
the direction needed to point a telescope at a particular star in the night sky. The watch is fitted with the in-house A&S1311 handwound calibre, and comes in a 44mm 18k rose or white gold case. At Bremont, there was a buzz over the presence of a gold pocket watch owned by Admiral Lord Nelson, the hero of the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. This coincided with the launch of the brand’s latest limited edition, The Victory, which is inlaid with a piece of history: original oak timber and copper from the only remaining 18th century warship and the oldest At Bremont, there one still in commission, HMS Victory, the same Offering authentic and interesting was a buzz over alternatives to that of their Swiss ship that Lord Nelson the presence of a contemporaries, the British contingent helmed, are seen on the w as in f ull fo rce, p re s entin g gold pocket watch caseback. The timepiece is memorable pieces that were true to owned by Admiral a stunner in front as well, their heritage. with a vintage feel coming Lord Nelson, Arnold & Son presented the from the dial display of handsome DBS, which stands for retrograde seconds and hero of the Battle ‘double balance’ and ‘sidereal time’, date with sweep hands and of Trafalgar. which is a tribute to the first watches two counters at 12 and 6 John Arnold and his son created o’clock. The watch comes between 1796 and 1799, which showcased in stainless steel (250 pieces) or 18k rose gold (40 some of their most famous inventions: a thermo- pieces). Bremont has worked closely with the compensated Z balance, expansion escapement National Museum of the Royal Navy to produce and gold helical spring. The DBS is a dual time this new watch, with parts of the proceeds from watch with two sub dials, one for the mean its sale going toward important restoration work. solar time (local time) and the other for sidereal Based in Switzerland but British at heart, time, approximately four minutes shorter than Peter Speake-Marin showcased the Spirit Mark the average day, used by astronomers to track 2, a distinctive design with highly legible dial.
English Pride
Clockwise from top: Tag Heuer's MikrotourbillonS; the DBS from Arnold & Son; Harry Winston's 12th Opus; Bremont's limited edition watch, the Victory; Thomas Mercer's signature chronometer, the Classis; the Spirit Mark 2 from Peter Speake-Marin 24
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White Super-LumiNova treated numerals and hour markers contrast against a matte black background, creating a 3-D effect on the onepiece dial. The watch is equipped with a new automatic movement with 5-day power reserve, and features the beautiful hand finishing that Speake-Marin watches are known for. The watchmakers inspirational message, “Fight, Love & Persevere” is engraved on the caseback. Although Roger Smith – known for his fully Britishmade Daniels Anniversary watch, created with the late Dr George Daniels (Omega co-axial escapement inventor) – could not exhibit this year, a special preview screening of The Watchmaker’s Apprentice, a documentary about the life and work of Dr Daniels and his protegé, was shown at the Salon. The revival and re-launch of London brand Thomas Mercer also proves that the spirit of the British watch and clock-making industry is alive and well. Established in 1858, Thomas Mercer specialised in marine chronometers, a product line that is now increasingly popular because of the growing number of yacht owners. The brand unveiled the Classis, its signature chronometer, designed in partnership with super yacht maker Andrew Winch. The ultra-luxe model comes in fine ebony macassar and features a unique mechanism, with parts produced by internationally known furniture maker Linley. This renewed interest in British tradition and craftsmanship has certainly been good for the organisers of SalonQP, who seem to have perfected the recipe for a good watch show. An artistic location, big names, product launches, and enjoyable activities for the aficionados ensure that many will be back next year.
HKGOLFER.COM
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CLUBHOUSE | DRIVING RANGE
Game Changer
SCORECARD How much? TBA
The all-electric Tesla Model S is the single most important American car for decades, writes Ben Oliver.
Engine:
Liquid-cooled AC induction motor, liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery
Performance:
0-100kph 4.4sec, 213kph, 427km range
Power:
416hp, 443lb ft torque
How heavy? 2,108kgs
A
n electric car isn’t meant to feel like this. We come around the slip road onto the autobahn and see the round white sign with five black diagonal lines that indicate there’s no speed limit. None. So I floor the Tesla Model S. The response is – well – electric: supercar acceleration from the 416hp motor, eerie quiet and total composure as the speedo leaps three digits at a time to keep pace with the thrust and the car hits its electronic limiter at an indicated 213kph, or 132mph. It’s been an interesting few months for Tesla and SpaceX boss, 41 year-old dot-com billionaire Elon Musk. His Dragon capsule became the first commercial spacecraft to dock with the International Space Station. He opened the Supercharger network of fast charging stations that aims to make his Model S as usable across country as across town. He launched the Model S in Europe, and let me witness the full, extraordinary range of its dynamic abilities, free of pesky speed limits. In the US, the new car won both Automobile and Motor Trend magazine’s Car of the Year awards. But Tesla, the recipient of US$465m of low-cost Federal loans was also branded a ‘loser’ by Mitt Romney in the first Presidential debate. Turns out Mitt was the loser. And the Model S is the single most significant American car for decades, concentrating so many innovations in one new design that it might be remembered alongside the Model T and the Mini as an automotive game-changer. Until now, most EVs have been modified petrol cars. The Model S is so significant 26
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– and drives so well – because it is one of very few cars to be designed specifically as an EV, and arguably the only one to take full advantage of the opportunities that offers. Viewed in profile, the electric motor and invertor sit within the rear wheels, and the battery is just 10cm thick and sits under the cabin and between the axles. So the car’s centre of gravity is race-car low, meaning it offers sensational handling despite a relatively high curb weight of 2108kgs. But it also means that other than the suspension, the car’s mechanical package is as flat as a skateboard. This brings a whole bunch of benefits. The trunk is huge, and under the trunk floor where the gas tank would usually be there’s a deep recess for more bags, or legroom for kids in the two optional rear-facing child-seats: Musk has five, and wants to take them all on road trips. In the main cabin the floor is completely flat, with no transmission tunnel. And under the hood there’s no engine, of course – just another HKGOLFER.COM
huge front trunk, or ‘frunk’, as Tesla call it. This also makes the Model S much safer in a head-on collision, with no big lump of iron trying to break into the cabin and a front-end that is virtually all crash structure. Inside, the big news is the vast, 17-inch touchscreen that dominates the central console, controls virtually all the car’s functions with a swipe, and makes your iPad look dim, small and slow. But just like an iPad, your Model S gets wireless software updates. This is revolutionary: cars now no longer need be obsolete as soon as you drive them off the lot. The Model S is fast. It handles. Its claimed 427km range between charges is achievable, and it is a genuinely ground-breaking new car. Even at US$84,900 in the US for the Performance version we tried (entry models will start from US$49,900 with lower performance and range, with Hong Kong pricing to be confirmed), it really, really doesn’t feel like a loser, Mitt. HKGOLFER.COM
Until now, most EVs have been modified petrol cars. The Model S is so significant - and drives so well - because it is one of very few cars to be designed specifically as an EV, and arguably the only one to take full advantage of the opportunities that offers
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HK OPEN | REVIEW
Miguel Three
Jiménez joins the legendary Peter Thomson as a three-time winner of the UBS Hong Kong Open after a performance for the ages, writes Alex Jenkins
J
HK Golfer・DEC 2012
ust like his favourite Rioja, Miguel Angel Jiménez just keeps improving with age. The Spaniard’s third UBS Hong Kong Open victory, which made him, at the age of 48, the oldest player in history to win a European Tour title, was quite simply the best of the lot.
An eminently likeable character, Jiménez is the complete antithesis of today’s modern pro. In an era of flat bellies and distant personalities, he is known throughout the golfing world for his love of wine and cigars, his distaste for the gym and a downright comical warm-up and stretching routine. There can be few in the game that are as comfortable in their own skin as Jiménez, but one gets the feeling that with his greying red pony-tail and little pot belly, he probably doesn’t get the credit as a player – as a competitor – that he deserves. But as those who followed him over those final 18 holes at Fanling will attest, the man has an almost unmatched desire to win. Yes, he will wave to the galleries, share a joke with his playing partner and smile into whichever TV camera happens to be pointing in his direction, but when he’s in the hunt for a win, he can be as ruthless as they come. It was a testament to the quality of Jiménez’s play that he only recorded two bogeys in four days – both of which came in his first round. In actual fact, the now 19-time European Tour winner didn’t enjoy the best of putting weeks, which just goes to show how good his long game
A shot ahead with only one hole to go, Jiménez played Fanling’s famous closer imperiously. A drive down the middle was followed by a crisp 8-iron to 15feet. Two putts later and the Spaniard was crowned Hong Kong Open champion for a third time; Fredrik Andersson Hed (opposite) can’t believe his last-ditch birdie effort didn’t drop 28
Photography by Charles McLaughlin, Daniel Wong and Kimi Tai
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was. Finding fairway after fairway and firing at the pins with laser-like accuracy, the truth is he could have raced away from the field had his putter been working on all cylinders. “It’s very nice – I hope it’s not the last one [tournament win],” grinned Jiménez, who revealed he had been enjoying a post-round drink with his old friend HKGA Chief Executive Iain Valentine in the event's Public Village after each round, which he clearly believed had been doing him the power of good. Asked about the secret of his longevity Jiménez, responded: “This is maybe the olive oil in my joints, and the nice Rioja wine and those things keep you fit and flexible. “But I really love this place. I love the golf course – it’s a great golf course where you have to control the ball very well, it’s not a matter of distance.” An example of Jiménez’s sublime control was his second shot in the final round to the long and brutal par-4 ninth. The hole has proved to be a card-wrecker over the years but the man from Malaga played it superbly. Finding himself well over 200 yards from the flag, Jiménez cut a beautiful little 5-wood into the breeze which finished within tap-in distance for his third consecutive birdie.
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Finding fairway after fairway and firing at the pins with laser-like accuracy, the truth is that Jiménez could have raced away from the field had his putter been working on all cylinders. Although there were still another nine holes to play, the timing of the play was crucial, giving the Spaniard what proved to be an unassailable three-stroke lead.
Matteo Manassero, a winner in Singapore the week before, vaulted in contention with a third-round 64. Fanling clearly agrees with the 19-year-old. In three visits to Hong Kong, the Italian has two top-five finishes to his name 30
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While it was the fast-finishing Fredrik Andersson Hed who ended the closest to Jiménez after 72 holes – the Swede was mighty unfortunate that his last-gasp birdie putt didn’t lip into the hole rather than lip out – it was Michael Campbell, Matteo Manassero and Zhang Lian-wei which added the most intrigue to the “also-ran” story. Manassero, a victor in Singapore the week before, making him the first teenager to win three times on the European Tour, appeared set to be Jiménez’s closest challenger in the final round after a fantastic 64 on Saturday. Alas for the 19-year-old, who finished in a tie for second place at Fanling in 2010, two late bogeys scuppered his chance, but he’ll surely be back – most likely as one of the favourites – next time around. Midway through the third round it looked as though we had been transported back 10 years to 2002, given the leaderboard we were presented with featured not only the veteran Jiménez but
also the 43-year-old Campbell and, even more surprisingly, the 47-year-old Zhang. The former Chinese number one plays an extremely limited schedule these days, but gave the record galleries plenty to cheer with a quite staggering display on the greens. Opening with successive rounds of 66, Zhang remained in contention on day three thanks to a putter that can only be described as red-hot. With his unorthodox swing, Zhang will never win any style awards, but his short game, over a course he knows so well, was exemplarily. It couldn’t be sustained – the golfing gods are not that kind – but Zhang, who eventually finished in a tie for 15th after the batteries died on Sunday, would take away a lot from the week. “I have many friends in Hong Kong, so this has been a special tournament for me,” said the Shenzhen-based Zhang, who credited the then 59-year-old Tom Watson’s performance at The Open in 2009 for inspiring his new-found love for the game. “This performance means a lot and, while I’m not happy with the final round, I’m pleased to have played some good golf this week.” Campbell, the 2005 US Open champion, has had a torrid time of things since lifting the World Match Play title seven years ago, but a tie for third in Portugal in October boosted his confidence, and for 63 holes the New Zealander was right in the mix with Jiménez. A scrappy closing stretch demoted Campbell into a tie for eighth, but the ever-popular Kiwi showed something he hasn’t done for years – heart. HKGOLFER.COM
Midway through the third round it looked as though we had been transported back 10 years to 2002, given the leaderboard we were presented with featured not only the veteran Jiménez but also the 43-year-old Campbell and, even more surprisingly, the 47-year-old Zhang.
Clockwise from top: Zhang Lian-wei rolled back the years over the opening three rounds; Michael Campbell is starting to show some of the form that earned him the 2005 US Open title at Pinehurst; Matt Kuchar said he enjoyed everything about his first visit to Hong Kong 32
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“I can reflect on a very positive week,” declared Campbell. “I felt the desire has returned, the will to win and the belief I can do it again. I’ve still got plenty to work on but it feels great to be involved – to be playing in the final group – once more. I wish this was the beginning of the season and not the end but I’ve got a smile on my face and there’s a lot to be said for that.” He came, he saw, he failed to conquer and 24 hours after missing the cut as defending
champion, Rory McIlroy was sunning himself on a beach in Dubai. Given what it took tournament organizers – with financial aid from the government’s Mega Events Fund – to get the world number one to return to Fanling, his performance – and a first missed cut since the US Open in June – was unfortunate to say the least. Opening with a round of 73 in cool and breezy conditions – his worst at Fanling since his debut appearance in 2007 – McIlroy told the assembled press corps that they shouldn’t read too much into the score and that he had plenty in the tank to bounce back into contention on day two. And for a while we believed him. Starting his second round at the 11th, the Northern Irishman looked like the two-time Major champion that he is with four birdies in his first 10 holes. Lying only four shots off the lead at that point, things all changed at the third. Par-fives are normally meat and drink to the long-hitting McIlroy but, with only an iron in his hand for his second shot, he found a greenside bunker and couldn’t get up and down for birdie. McIlroy’s par proved to be a big momentum stopper, and he went on to make four bogeys in five holes thanks to some decidedly average putting. Needing a birdie at the 10th – his finishing hole – to have any chance of getting through to the weekend, the Ulsterman tugged his wedge approach and trudged off the green with a double bogey after somehow four-putting. “I got off to a great start and then I just started to go the other way,” said the clearly disappointed 23-year-old, who had his tennis star girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki following him inside the ropes. “You know, I just got on a slide and I just sort of couldn’t stop it. It’s just one of those things. I hit it in the wrong spot and misjudged the speed on a couple of putts – that’s just the way it goes.” McIlroy has long professed his love for Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Golf Club, and his legions of fans here will no doubt be hoping that he returns next December when the tournament will be played as one of the first events on the 2014 European Tour schedule. Given that McIlroy has stated that he wants to cut down the number of events he plays outside of the United States next year, this might seem unlikely, but the man himself didn’t rule it out. “I still love this course,” said McIlroy. “It’s just a pity that this year had to end like that ... I’ll have to see where it fits in the schedule [next year] but I always really enjoy coming here.” After McIlroy’s premature departure, the highest ranked player left in the field, world number 17 Matt Kuchar, fired rounds of 66 and 67 over the weekend to finish in solo seventh spot. It has been something of a Hong Kong HKGOLFER.COM
tradition to invite at least one leading American PGA Tour player in recent times, and Kuchar proved to be an enlightened choice. Aside from being a world-class talent, the tall 34-year-old proved to be a hit with both the galleries and the media thanks to his ready smile and willingness to sign every autograph and answer every question. “I’ve had a fantastic time in Hong Kong,” beamed Kuchar, who won this year’s Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass. “I’ve enjoyed this golf course – my game sets up well for Fanling – and everyone has been so nice. I would have liked to have been closer at the end but it was really a lot of fun.” The two-time Ryder Cup player, one of the most consistent players around with 30 top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour over the past three seasons, also revealed that he had been spending time with wife Sybi sampling some of Hong Kong’s famous culinary delights, while also taking in the sights. “It’s a fantastic city,” he said. “We’ve been to a couple of nice dinners and it’s been fun. We’ve left the kids at home so we’ve been able to enjoy some adult evenings and enjoy the dinners. We’ve been able to take in the views over the city and just have a lot of fun.” Generally speaking, the performance of Hong Kong players was disappointing. Six local golfers started the event but only one – Timothy Tang – survived the halfway cut. James Stewart, who was playing in his first Hong Kong HKGOLFER.COM
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McIlroy has long professed his love for Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Golf Club, and his legions of fans here will no doubt be hoping that he returns next December when the tournament will be played as one of the first events on the 2014 European Tour schedule.
to earn his berth at Fanling, was making his third appearance at the UBS Hong Kong Open but had little go his way with rounds of 80 and 79. “I played so bad, but I was still able to enjoy it,” said Lam, who joined McIlroy, Kuchar, Paul Lawrie and Europe’s Ryder Cup captain José María Olazábal in the “Urban Golf Challenge”, the Hong Kong Open’s curtain-raiser staged in Chater Garden in Central on the eve of the tournament. Instead, it was the 26-year-old Tang who was left flying the Bauhinia for Hong Kong after coming back brilliantly to make it through to the weekend action at Fanling for the first time. After nine holes of his second round, Tang, who lost his Asian Tour card at the end of 2011, was five-over-par for the tournament and seemingly on his way home. But a birdie at the 10th was followed by an eagle at the 13th, where he holed a 25-foot putt, and despite a bogey at the 15th, back-to-back birdies at 16 and 17 saw him through with a shot to spare. “It felt really good,” said Tang of his secondround 67. “I was nervous and the course was playing tough, but I told myself to stay patient and go out there and do my best. It was a big relief.” Tang would finish the tournament in a share of 72nd alongside Australia’s Scott Hend on a total of 291 (11-over), which earned him €2,342 (approximately HK$23,450).
Open since 2008 after winning the qualifying tournament at Kau Sai Chau a month before, failed to get his putter to fire as he carded lacklustre scores of 79 and 75 despite striking the ball nicely, while fellow professionals Wilson Choy (73-79), Jimmy Ko (80-74) and Wong Woon-man (77-77) also found themselves at the foot of the standings. Steven Lam, one of only two amateurs in the field (the other being England’s Edward Richardson), had high expectations heading into the tournament but his form all but disappeared. Lam, who triumphed at the Hong Kong Amateur Close Championship earlier in the year
World number one Rory McIlroy (top) and Hong Kong amateur Steven Lam (seen here with his caddie, Tiffany Chan) both had disappointing weeks. The defending champion finished his second round miserably, while Lam, who won the Hong Kong Amateur Close title at Fanling earlier in the year, couldn’t get anything going in his third Hong Kong Open appearance
2012 UBS Hong Kong Open Final Standings 1
Miguel Angel Jiménez
ESP
65 67 68 65
265
€260,638
2
Fredrik Andersson Hed
SWE
66 66 70 64
266
€173,759
3 Marcus Fraser 4= Stephen Gallacher
AUS SCO
67 69 68 64 68 68 68 65
268 269
€97,897 €66,411
Peter Lawrie
IRL
68 68 67 66
269
€66,411
Matteo Manassero
ITA
67 70 64 68
269
€66,411
7
Matt Kuchar
USA
69 69 66 67
271
€46,915
8= Michael Campbell
NZL
67 64 69 72
272
€37,063
ESP
69 70 65 68
272
€37,063
ENG
69 68 68 68
273
€27,211
Pablo Larrazábal
10= Mark Foster
Anders Hansen
DEN
69 64 70 70
273
€27,211
Thongchai Jaidee
THA
72 66 67 68
273
€27,211
Paul Lawrie
SCO
69 69 67 68
273
€27,211
Chris Wood
ENG
72 70 68 63
273
€27,211
15= David Horsey
ENG
67 70 71 66
274
€21,581
José María Olazábal
ESP
66 71 69 68
274
€21,581
Ricardo Santos
POR
71 65 73 65
274
€21,581
Zhang Lian-wei
CHN
66 66 69 73
274
€21,581
19= Paul Casey
ENG
70 71 67 67
275
€18,766
Simon Dyson
ENG
68 70 72 65
275
€18,766
James Morrison
ENG
70 67 70 68
275
€18,766
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Charles McLaughlin, Daniel Wong, Kimi Tai, Getty Images
NUMBERS GAME
The Open in Review
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The cost of a pint of Stella Artois, the official beer of the tournament, on the Hong Kong Golf Club’s terrace during the Hong Kong Open. That’s right. For those lucky enough to gain entry to the most sociable corner of the Fanling property, free beer was the order of the day.
The number of Hong Kong players that made the half-way cut. Six local players started the tournament, but only Timothy Tang made it through to the weekend action. England’s Edward Richardson, who won the Hong Kong Open Amateur Championship a month earlier to book his berth in the tournament, also missed the cut.
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The number of bogeys that tournament winner Miguel Angel Jiménez made during the week. The Spaniard dropped shots at the ninth and 10th holes during the first round – his 17th and 18th of the day – before keeping his scorecard for the final three rounds blemish-free. Incredible!
With his victory, Jiménez joins the legendary Peter Thomson as the only players in Hong Kong Open history to have claimed the title on three occasions. Only Taiwan’s Hsieh Yong-yo, with four victories (1963, 1964, 1975 and 1978), has more.
4.33
T h e s co r ing aver ag e at the first hole during the week, making it the hardest hole at the Hong Kong Golf Club. Only 23 birdies were made at the par-4 opener, which normally plays as a par-5 for the club’s membership, while 143 bogeys and 14 double bogeys were also recorded.
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World number one Rory McIlroy made this many bogeys – and a gruesome four-putt double bogey – on his way to missing the halfway cut during his title defence. McIlroy, who blamed a stone-cold putter for his travails, managed only five birdies in 36 holes.
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The number of eagles that were recorded at the par-5 13th hole, which played as the easiest hole during the tournament. The hole averaged 4.45 shots. The only other par-5 on the course – the third – was the second easiest, averaging 4.8 strokes. The 2012 Hong Kong Open was the 54th edition of the event. The tournament, which was won by Taiwan’s Lu Liang-huan – the famed “Mr Lu” – in its inaugural edition back in 1959, is Hong Kong’s oldest professional sporting event.
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Zhang Lian-wei’s four-round total – six-under-par – after a memorable week at Fanling. The 47-year-old former Chinese number one rolled back the years with opening rounds of 66, 66 and 69 to find himself well in the title hunt before a disappointing 73 on the last day dropped him into a share of 15th.
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Was Michael Campbell’s world ranking heading into the Hong Kong Open. The 40-year-old New Zealander, who won the US Open in 2005, shared the third-round lead with Jiménez before dropping into a share of eighth after a closing 73. He rose to 288 following his Fanling display, having started the year in 805th.
6,734
The length, in yards, that the Composite Course played during the week of the Hong Kong Open, making it the shortest track on the European Tour calendar. Not that it’s relative lack of length made scoring easy to come by. Jimenez’s winning score of 15-under-par was eight shots higher than McIlroy’s victory one week later at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai. The Irishman was 23-under over a course that measured over 900 yards longer.
10,000
T he amount, in US$, that England’s Steve Webster received from tournament sponsor UBS following his hole-in-one at the par-3 12th during the second round. Webster used a gap-wedge from 137 yards for the only ace of the event.
Clockwise from opposite: Jiménez made only two bogeys all week at Fanling; a rejeuvanted Michael Campbell did his world ranking a power of good; McIlroy missed his first cut since the US Open in June; Zhang's 73 on the final day saw him drop into a share of 15th; the long par-4 first hole played as the most difficult on the course; Webster receives his hole-in-one cheque from Caroline Darcy of UBS; Tang was the only local competitor to make it through to the weekend; Jimenez joins the legendary Peter Thomson as a three-time Hong Kong Open champion HK Golfer・DEC 2012
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UBS Hong Kong Open Gallery Photography by Charles McLaughlin, Daniel Wong and Kimi Tai
Hong Kong amateur Steven Lam takes part in the "Urban Golf Challenge" under the watchful gaze of Rory McIlroy, José María Olazábal, Paul Lawrie and Matt Kuchar HKGOLFER.COM
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2000 Hong Kong Open champion Simon Dyson
Despite the unfavourable weather forecast, the galleries turned out in record numbers
The evercolourful John Daly failed to make it through to the weekend Miguel Angel Jiménez was in total command of his game all week
Ryder Cup captain José María Olazábal got off to a strong start, shooting 66 in the first round A smile was never far from the face of a resurgent Michael Campbell
Australia’s Andrew Dodt splashes out
A young fan enjoys himself at the tournament’s special Fun Zone
Plenty to see at the fourth hole, named “Temptation” Thailand’s Arnond Vongvanij tees off at the 11th The facial hair didn’t help Padraig Harrington, the 2003 Hong Kong Open champion missed the cut
Raphael Jacquelin of France fired a brilliant 64 in the third round
Thongchai Jaidee tees off at Fanling’s famous closer
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Paul Casey finished with consecutive 67s to sneak into the top-20
First-round lead Javier Colomo and wife-caddie Christine
Manassero was undone by two late bogeys to finish in a tie for fourth Michael Campbell blasts out during the second round
In-form Scotsman Paul Lawrie was consistency personified with four rounds in the 60s Matteo Manassero has established himself as a firm Fanling favourite
Italy’s Lorenzo Gagli got off to a fast start, firing a four-under 66 on day one
Trophy – check, cigar – check; Jiménez gets his hands on the Hong Kong Open silverware for a third time
First-class service at Emirates, a long-time sponsor of the Hong Kong Open
The state of play after three rounds
Colomo at full stretch
The Great Triumvirate – 2032
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The legend Zhang Lian-wei was imperious through three rounds
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An intelligent filter World Stars Visit HSBC Headquarters European Ryder Cup heroes Ian Poulter, Luke Donald, Lee Westwood and Graeme McDowell and Open Champion Ernie Els stopped off in Hong Kong en route to the WGC-HSBC Champions event, which took place at Mission Hills Golf Club in Dongguan in early November. The players visited title sponsor HSBC’s Hong Kong headquarters to officially launch the tournament and, in accordance with Hong Kong custom, rubbed the paws of the famous bronze lions outside the Norman Foster-designed building to bring good luck ahead of the tournament. The act clearly worked for Englishman Poulter, the 2010 UBS Hong Kong Open champion, who emerged with a two-stroke victory.
Michelle Moving to Madison
AFP
Congratulations to Hong Kong international Michelle Cheung, who has earned a golf scholarship to the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Cheung, 17, seen here signing her letter of intent, will commence college life next September and is set to become an integral part of the Wisconsin Badgers side, which plays in the Big Ten conference. “Michelle has a lot of talent and I’m really pleased for her – she’s been great to work with over the past few years and really deserves it,” said HKGA National Coach Brad Schadewitz. Cheung, who finished fourth at the 2012 Hong Kong Ladies Amateur Open and was second in this year’s Hong Kong Close Championship, will be just the fifth international athlete to play women’s golf at Wisconsin. “We’re really delighted to be adding Michelle to our golf programme,” said Badgers Coach Todd Oehrlein, who saw Cheung play several events in the US as part of the HKGA’s junior summer tour. “In addition to her accomplishments on the golf course, I’ve been extremely impressed by her personally. We’re very proud she has chosen Wisconsin.”
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Mizuno Solid at Asia-Pacific Amateur Shinichi Mizuno finished in a credible tie for 33rd at the AsiaPacific Amateur Championship, which was held at Amata Spring Country Club in early November. Mizuno, 18, carded a four-round total of 296 (eight-over) over the rolling Bangkok course, while fellow Hong Kong international, Terrence Ng (pictured), missed out on the weekend action following rounds of 80 and 81. China’s Guan Tian-lang, aged just 14, won the tournament in sensational style. The Guangzhou-based Guan finished at 15-under-par to win both the title and a spot in the 2013 Masters Tournament, which, along with the R&A and the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation, organize the Asia-Pacific Amateur. Guan, who also received a berth into the International Final Qualifying for The Open Championship, will be the youngest player in history to tee it up at Augusta National Golf Club for the Masters. HKGOLFER.COM
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| TOURNAMENT NEWS
Hickory Hero Former Hong Kong international Rick Valentine claims World Hickory title with clubs his great grandfather made.
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Courtesy of the World Hickory Open Championship
ong Kong now has a world champion golfer – Rick Valentine, who won the World Hickory Open Championship, played at Monifieth and Carnoustie Burnside, Scotland, in October. Rick, who is the son of HKGA Chief Executive Iain Valentine and the grandson of Scottish amateur legend Jessie Valentine, carded an opening 75 before settling for an 81 to tie 2010 champion Perry Sommers on a two-day total of 156. With the light fading, Valentine defeated his Australian rival on the sixth hole of a sudden-death play-off thanks to a par. "The World Hickory is a great event and I have been involved from the start," said Valentine, who represented Hong Kong at international level and is now the director of golf at Loretto School Golf Academy in Musselburgh. "I have finished third on two occasions so to win this year is a great achievement." It turned out to be a successful championship for the Loretto Golf Academy because Valentine also teamed up with two of his pupils, 15-yearolds George Sutherland and John Dunn-Butler, to win the concurrent team prize. "Winning at Carnoustie was special as my grandmother Jessie Valentine also won the Scottish Ladies' Championship there in 1953," continued Valentine. "During the years I have played in the Hickory I have managed to learn a lot about the history of the game within my family." Rick's great grandfather was Joe Anderson, a well-known clubmaker from Perth. "With the help of the hickory enthusiasts I have managed to collect a full set of Joe Anderson clubs, which I used to win here," said Rick. The World Hickory Open Championship was inaugurated back in 2005 and has since become popular across Europe and the USA. This year, it attracted almost 100 amateurs and professionals from Sweden, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark,
Valentine, winner of the 2000 China Amateur, in action over the Carnoustie Burnside course during the final round of the World Hickory Open Championship in October; with the trophy (opposite) after winning at the sixth hole of a sudden-death play-off 46
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“I think spending some time playing hickory clubs is great for your game as it re-focuses you on tempo and puts a premium on good ball striking.” the USA, Australia, South Africa, France and Poland as well as from the four home countries. Under the rules of the tournament, competitors are allowed to use modern balls but clubs have to have been made before 1935, or be replicas of clubs manufactured before that date. "I think spending some time playing hickory clubs is great for your game as it re-focuses you on tempo and puts a premium on good ball striking," added Valentine, who won the China Amateur in 2000. "There is a lot more flex and torque in hickory clubs so swinging fast and jerkily won't get you anywhere. You've got to learn to feel your way around the golf course and that's a skill that can help you when you go back to playing the modern game." HK Golfer・DEC 2012
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| CELEBRITY GOLF
Hollywood Comes
Garcia, cigar in mouth, lines up a putt on the 18th hole of the Blackstone Course at Mission Hills Haikou alongside his professional playing partner, Matt Kuchar; sharing a laugh with fellow actor Adrien Brody and 2011 Open Champion Darren Clarke (opposite) while waiting for the prize presentation
to Hainan
Andy Garcia records second pro-am win with victory at the Mission Hills World Celebrity event in Haikou late October.
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cigar hardly left the mouth of Holly wood actor and producer A ndy Garcia during three days of golf at the Mission Hills World Celebrity Pro-Am event on Hainan Island at the end of October.
AFP
But it didn’t stop the eight-handicapper from Lakeside Golf Club in Los Angeles taking the amateur trophy with stroke scores of 86 and 82 and from sharing the team event with the professional partner, Ryder Cup player Matt Kuchar. You could say the Cuban-born Garcia, 56, was smoking hot all weekend. Played at Mission Hills’ signature Blackstone course, the event attracted pros Darren Clarke, Simon Dyson, Ian Woosnam, Rich Beem and Anthony Wall as well as several LGPA stars. They paired with celebrities including Ryan Reynolds, Ronaldo, Minka Kelly, Michael Phelps, Yao Ming and Adrien Brody. Garcia – who starred in The Godfather Part III, Ocean’s Eleven and its sequels and Internal Affairs – began playing golf in 1985. He is an enthusiastic once-a-week club player who showed considerable driving skills and touch around the greens. This was his second pro-am victory. In 1997, he won the Pebble Beach Pro-Am with Paul Stankowski, with a still record score of 43-under-par. “Since then, I’ve only made the cut once [at that event]. It’s great to compete and win, but it’s more about the memories and relationships you create,” said Garcia. “Sometimes the golf gods smile upon you, but that’s not what’s important. Having the chance to play with new people and meet Matt and his family is what counts. At the end of the day, when you look up and close your eyes you have these memories. “This event is a little more mellow than Pebble Beach,” Garcia continued. There you are surrounded by noise and people all well but everyone has had a great time.” 48
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“For me to be able to come here, enjoy this hospitality and play golf shows me once again how lucky I am. It’s great to see people here in China taking to golf. I had heard that was the case but I have never been to Asia before so it’s great to be able to finally see things for myself.” His expected main challenger in the amateur event, former world snooker champion Stephen Hendry, who plays off seven at Blairgowrie Golf Club in Scotland, was unable to match Garcia’s accuracy off the tee and excellent iron play. Garcia birdied the last two holes on the final day, a difficult par-4 and par-5 respectively. “I feel as though I played well,” he said after the round. “I’m not a range type of guy – I just like to get out and play. “The course here is magnificent. It’s difficult but still beautiful. For me to be able to come here, enjoy this hospitality and play golf shows me once again how lucky I am. It’s great to see people here in China taking to golf. I had heard that was the case but I have never been to Asia before so it’s great to be able to finally see things for myself. Unlike Garcia, Hendry is a China regular, visiting the country every month for snooker clinics and other commitments. The 43-year-old, a seven-time world snooker champion, has been playing golf since he was 14. Since retiring from professional snooker this year, he intends playing golf more often. “I didn’t play well in this event. If I had played to my handicap I could have won and I should have scored better,” he said. As for the difference between snooker and golf, he remarked: “In snooker, the table never changes. Golf is a different challenge altogether.” HKGOLFER.COM
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| SPECIAL FEATURE
Haney Golf Tip Sand traps cause a lot of fear for the amateur golfer. When you find yourself bunkered, your goal should be very simple – get out of the trap and on to the green in one shot. You do that by using your sand wedge the proper way and that means having your clubface open when you hit the golf ball. So when you address the ball, hold the sand wedge open and then take your grip. That way the clubface will be open when you hit the golf ball. The bottom of the club will act as a rudder – it will keep the club from digging too deep into the sand.
Golf & Investment
Academy
For those investors out there, you might find golf and investing share a lot of similar attributes. Both require careful planning, patience, and discipline, to site a few examples. Charles Schwab, Hong Kong, Ltd., a financial services firm serving investors in Asia, certainly believes so.
Hank Haney is a PGA Teaching Pro and a Charles Schwab client in the US To learn more from Hank, visit: www.ijgtasia.com. Hank Haney and the IJGT: Driving junior golf in Asia.
About Charles Schwab
#7 Charles Schwab on the Connection
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harles Schwab was a kid of 13 when he really got into golf. At first, it wasn’t so much the sport. He figured he could be a caddie – a great caddie – and make US$5 a day. But as he began playing he started reflecting on how much time he had to put into golf in order to get good at it, and remain good at it. He realized he just didn’t have enough time. So he embarked on hjs business career and found out that if he was going to retain golf for fun, and not for professional reasons, he really needed someone helping him on occasion. Mr. Schwab has found that in all his years of playing this wonderful sport there is never a short term fix. There are many occasions when you have a great round and then, just 24 hours later, you’ve lost something – whether its timing or technique – and suddenly you’re not able to play nearly so well. This is the disadvantage of golf: it’s so tough. Investing is also tough. Golf and investing are the kinds of pursuits that, if you want to keep getting better and better, there is nothing like having the perspective of a professional to help you out, to help you achieve your best objective. In our experience, this is the wonderful parallel – the connection – between golf and investing, and both are fun.
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Just as importantly, put the ball forward in “To be successful your stance – too many amateurs keep the ball too far back – so that it is opposite the inside of out of bunkers, open your left heel. Aim your body a little to the left of the face of your the target and try to feel like you’re swinging the sand wedge and club along the line of your body. The key issue now – and something that not follow through each enough amateurs do – is to make sure you follow and every time.” through. The sand of a bunker offers resistance but if you follow through you’ll carry that ball right on to the green. To be successful out of For more on the connection bunkers, open the face of your sand wedge and between golf and investing, visit: schwab.com.hk/golf follow through each and every time.
“Golf and investing are the kinds of pursuits that, if you want to keep getting better and better, there is nothing like having the perspective of a professional to help you out.”
HKGOLFER.COM
Charles Schwab Corporation’s Founder and Chairman, Mr Charles Schwab, is an avid golfer himself. Over the years, he has found both golf and investing are tough games and that there’s no short term fixes. His firm, which is the Official Investment Firm of the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour, strives to guide investors along their investing journey, formulate plans, and provide resources to help investors be successful. When Schwab first opened its doors in 1971, the company knew that the key to success would be getting the fundamentals right. By focusing on the basics, the firm managed to take an early market lead, offering a combination of low prices with fast, efficient order executions, and soon became the United States’ largest discount broker. Today, the company is one of the US’s leading financial services firms with around US$1.83 trillion in client assets. Charles Schwab, Hong Kong, Ltd. is a subsidiary of The Charles Schwab Corporation. HKGOLFER.COM
Early November saw Tom Lehman win the Champions Tour's season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship by six strokes. The victory enabled Lehman, who set a record aggregate of 258, to also claim the Charles Schwab Cup, becoming the first backto-back winner of the season-long points race HK Golfer・DEC 2012
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| INSIDE THE ROPES
The Rise
Rise
and of
Justin Rose Our European correspondent Lewine Mair talks to the Ryder Cup hero and world rankings climber – who is living proof that nice guys do indeed win.
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t 32, Justin Rose is as well-rounded as they come – an eager young man doing a job he enjoys whilst remembering that there is a world outside. On the Tuesday of the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, the week when he had that staggering fourth-round 62 to finish second place behind Rory McIlroy, he had been tending his jet-lagged son, Leo, for much of the night. And thinking nothing of it. Again, though it might have been a little different had this interview taken place after that 62 rather than ahead of it, he was less interested in talking about his own feats than the Ryder Cup. The match in general as opposed to merely the 2012 instalment. He had not had time to savour the putts he holed against Phil Mickelson in Medinah – “I’ll look at the film over Christmas” – but he had been studying results from Chicago and Celtic Manor in tandem. Europe won on both occasions but he wondered if people appreciated how they had captured only two out of seven of the foursomes and fourball sessions on offer over the two matches. (They halved two of the others and lost three.) “I think,” he said in the manner of one who could not quite believe it, “the situation has suddenly flip-flopped. We used to be the stronger in the foursomes and foursomes but, this year in particular, the Americans were the ones coming up with the great pairings. It’s definitely something we need to look at for 2014.”
AFP
Out of darkness: Justin Rose emerged from a dispiriting start to his professional career to become one of the finest talents that England has produced in a generation 52
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Those 21 missed cuts are long in the past but there is no question that they did as much as anything else to define the player. From this distance, Rose says that they were good for him as a person if not obviously so good for his golf. On the personal front, he has never developed any kind of an ego, for which he is grateful. He remains endlessly humble and has no great craving for attention: “Golf, rather than fame, has always been my driving force.” It is a state of affairs to have had people wondering how on earth he and Ian Poulter could ever have become such great mates. Yet, to no small extent, it was this unlikely alliance which helped Rose to recover his shattered confidence. The two shared a room on the Challenge Tour – Europe's second-tier circuit – and Rose would sit by, mesmerised, as Poulter would turn on some outrageously loud music in the mornings “ and bully himself into playing well.” Gradually, Rose came out of his shell. He started to win and, though his game would take another violent dip on the death of the father, everything has now come together. Apart from being totally committed to the “Blessings in a Backpack” charity in which his every birdie
No top player has known more highs and lows in the intervening years than Rose has, with particular reference to that extraordinary juxtaposition of events in 1998. That was the year when, as a 17-year-old amateur, he finished in a heady share of fourth place in The Open at Birkdale before promptly missing 21 cuts in a row at the start of his professional career.
AFP
Rose is one of the purest ball strikers on tour (top) and, after working with David Leadbetter in his early years, is now under the guidance of Sean Foley, who also coaches Tiger Woods; reacting to his magical putt for birdie at the 17th hole during his Ryder Cup singles match with Phil Mickelson (opposite) 54
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When the conversation finally switched to Rose’s own feats – he hauled himself into fourth place on the world order in Dubai – he threw in a fascinating little aside. Shortly before he had left for the United Arab Emirates, someone had shown him a clip of old film in which his late father, Ken, was talking to a local TV station about his offspring’s golfing future. “I was 14 at the time and I’d just made it through to final qualifying at The Open,” Justin began. “What dad was saying was that he felt I had what it takes to be a top-20 player on the European Tour. It was fascinating to see it – and satisfying to think that I’ve exceeded those expectations.” No top player has known more highs and lows in the intervening years than he has, with particular reference to that extraordinary juxtaposition of events in 1998. That was the
makes money for hungry children, he has his own lovely family and the optimum golfing team. The team includes a coach in Sean Foley and a caddie in Mark Fulcher, both of whom bring out the best in him. Foley, he says, has been just as right for him as he has for Tiger. “What people don’t seem to realise about Tiger,” he volunteered, “is the huge mental knocking he took at the time of his troubles.” He did not proffer an opinion on whether the former world number one would return to his previous heights but he did venture, quietly, that he felt would be a better father to his two children because of the way things had turned out. Rose and Fulcher, who used to caddie for former LPGA player Alison Nicholas, fall into easy chat in every round, agreeing on some things, not on others. Fulcher, for example, believes they have left it too late to ban the long putter; Rose, on the other hand, says that he, like other short-putter men, would like to see it banished. “It’s definitely easier for a flat six-footer,” maintains the player, though he added that it would be madness if the R&A and USGA were to be influenced by the fact that the 14-year-old Guan Tianlang was using a long putter as he won the Asia Pacific Amateur. “Anyone can hole anything at 14,” said Rose, who suspected that his propensity for holing 30-footers and chips at that age had hardly helped to make his older rivals look at him in a more kindly light. More and more, Rose has found contentment in his peripatetic way of life – and it is probably because of his more laid-back attitude that he has been able to fathom one more piece of the golfing jigsaw. Namely, the right way of getting over the finishing line. Though he did not come out on top in Dubai as he had done in Turkey and in the WGC-Cadillac Championship, he again had the satisfaction of knowing that
year when, as a 17-year-old amateur, he finished in a heady share of fourth place in The Open at Birkdale before promptly missing 21 cuts in a row at the start of his professional career. “What happened at The Open skewed everything," he recalls. “Months earlier, dad and I had agreed on a three-year plan. He had always said that the best place to learn to be a professional was on the professional tour and I was always going to make the switch after Birkdale. “But that one week left everyone with ridiculously high expectations. We no longer had any hope of enacting that plan even vaguely under the radar.” There was a crescendo of negative publicity, much of it saying that he had turned professional too soon. Looking back, Rose says that he and his father felt like “a couple of outcasts.” Things would be a little different today but, at that stage, the nearest player in age to the by then 18-year-old Justin was the 23-year-old Steve Webster. “I didn’t fit in then any more than I had on the amateur scene,” says Rose. With regard to that amateur reference, he had been hugely successful at an early age whilst all the time ruffling feathers among his older rivals. “There was a bit of jealousy in there,” he admits, before adding a revealing, “the banter of 18-yearolds was maybe a bit much for a 12-year-old.” HKGOLFER.COM
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WEB
MOBILE
HKGolfer “Winning is not about keeping your fingers crossed that you are still ahead at the end. It’s about so enjoying competing under the pressure that, when you get to the 72nd hole, you’re almost wishing you could play a 73rd. You want to carry on holing those pressure putts and making your performance run into the next week.”
he had done everything right. He had kept fighting every step of the way. “Winning,” he explains, “is not about keeping your fingers crossed that you are still ahead at the end. It’s about so enjoying competing under the pressure that, when you get to the 72nd hole, you’re almost wishing you could play a 73rd. You want to carry on holing those pressure putts and making your performance run into the next week.” That is precisely how it was during the last few holes of his 62, though if there was ever the right moment for a round – and a season – to end, this was it. Almost certainly, he will break into a smile every time he recalls the putt he came within a whisker of holing on the home green. The 90-footer slowly wended its way over one slope then another, giving Rose goose-pimples as it paused on a ridge before finally running down to the hole’s side amid a rising roar from the greenside stands. Everyone had talked of how boring the tournament would be with McIlroy having tied up the Race to Dubai title before the last event but, as it turned out, people were over-excited rather than the reverse. With particular reference to those manning the score-board to the side of the 18th green ... even before Rose tapped in for the birdie, they had his score up in lights.
AFP
The South African-born Englishman has four European Tour and four PGA Tour victories to his credit. His biggest win to date arrived at the WGC-Cadillac Championship in March 56
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Ryder Redux
McIlroy and GMAC check a line on the 12th on the opening day
A pictorial review of the “Miracle of Medinah”, where José María Olazábal’s European Team staged arguably the greatest comeback in the competition’s long and rich history.
Think you've seen everything in Hong Kong?
Photography by Charles McLaughlin
Irish bookmaker Paddy Power must have known something most of us didn’t. The firm’s skywriters show the way Garcia with McIlroy’s caddie JP Fitzgerald
Thursday: McIlroy with assistant captains Clarke and Bjorn
GMAC gets things underway with the opening tee shot of the 2012 Ryder Cup
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Bradley on 16 during the first-day’s action
Darren Clarke
Another birdie drops during Poulter’s extraordinary performance in the secondday fourballs
Bradley and Mickelson after the latter hit his tee-shot on the 17th to within two feet for the match
Garcia, Rose, Donald and McDowell celebrate in time-honoured tradition
Garcia splashes delicately – beautifully – from a greenside bunker on the 16th
American fans on day two
Woods points towards the hole after a birdie on Saturday
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Europhiles!
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Donald, Rose and Westwood congratulate Kaymer after the German’s crucial – and match-tying – victory Johnson and Dufner sum up the mood of the US camp at the Sunday evening press conference
A smiling Lee Westwood on Sunday
Michael Jordan shares a joke with Garcia and Donald
Assistant captain McGinley shows his appreciation An unidentified Team Europe supporter
Lawrie holes his chip shot at the fourth hole during in his singles match
McIlroy blasts from a greenside bunker ...
... while Molinari plays his own shot from sand at the last in his halved singles game against Tiger Woods
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McIlroy celebrates in the aftermath of an epic final day
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EQUIPMENT |
New Year, New Gear
With the R&A and USGA effectively banning long putters (as of 2016), it may be time to rethink which flatstick you wield on the greens. If the new ruling already has you fearing the yips, then you may want to consider adding a mallet putter to your arsenal. They work on more of a straight-back/straight-thru line, which makes it easier to keep your putter travelling on the right path (as opposed to blades which travel on more of an arc). Consider the Sandy-12 from Yes! It weighs a hefty 351 grams and has a high MOI that keeps the putterhead stable. Adios yips! Comes in length options between 32 and 36 inches.
Equipment editor Charlie Schroeder selects 12 must-haves for the season ahead.
HK$1,240. yesgolf.com
There are two new drivers in Titleist’s 913 series, the 460cc D2 and a 445cc D3. Aside from clubhead volume, what’s the difference between the two? The D2 boasts a full pear-shaped head, is more forgiving and has a slight draw bias. (Perfect for those of you who tend to slice the ball.) The D3, on the other hand, is a traditional pear-shaped head that’s more workable with no draw bias. (Perfect for those of you who are itching to go head-to-head with Rory McIlroy.) Both measure 45 inches and feature the company’s nifty SureFit Technology, which allows users to change the loft and lie independent of one another. Suggested retail for both is HK$5,400. titleist.com
Dreamt up from stylish British touring professional Simon Hurd, Druh Belts and Buckles can be found around the waists of 60 European Tour pros and close to 100 Asian Tour players. These stylish handmade leather and snakeskin belts come in traditional and modern styles. “I wanted to have a bit of fun designing belts and buckles that were a little bit funky, yet stylish,” Hurd says. They range from turquoise to pink and fifteen leathers in different embossed styles, from crocodile to ostrich effect. The interchangeable buckles come in brushed nickel, polished silver or gold. Handmade in Thailand.
Cleveland’s new 588 RTX wedges have grooves that are 16 per cent larger than previous designs. That makes it easy to maximize spin on shots that originate from wet, thick or sandy lies. Another fine feature is a laser-cut face texture which helps generate friction at impact, and hence, spin from any lie. Better yet, they’re designed with added forgiveness which makes them both a shotmaker’s wedge and a game-improvement wedge. Translation? No matter what your skill level, you’ll benefit by putting one in your bag. Look for a directionally milled face pattern that adds roughness and imparts spin on open-face wedge shots. Available in Satin Chrome or Black Pearl finish.
HK$950-1,500. druhbeltsandbuckles.com
HK$930. clevelandgolf.com
Bridgestone has four balls in their B330 lineup. Each features Dual Dimple technology (a dimple within a dimple), which offers superior aerodynamics and enhanced performance in the wind. One of the game’s leaders when it comes to ball fitting, Bridgestone makes it easy to find the right B330 for your game. All you have to do is know how fast you swing. Over 105 mph? Then you’ll want the B330 or B330-S. Less than 105? Choose the B330-RXS or B330-RX. From there, narrow your search to spin and launch characteristics.
Originally introduced in 1950, the Samba quickly became a global sensation. This year Adidas introduced a spiked version for golf. I first tried them a few months ago in the US and based on the number of people who came up to me asking, “Where did you get those shoes?” these could be a real hit. The limited-edition line inspired by this year’s four majors are sure to be a hit with every golf nut who loves his football as well.
HK$350/dozen. bridgestonegolf.com
HK$TBA adidasgolf.com 64
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As seen on Fred Couples during the 2012 golf season, the new BIOM Golf Hybrid shoe from ECCO is a lightweight blend of new-age materials and breathable Yak leather. “BIOM Hybrid presents a footwear experience that’s unlike anything else the walking golfer has ever experienced,” says Michael Waack, Head of Global Golf at ECCO. Originally developed for the premium running market, ECCO has used Natural Motion technology with these new kicks and it provides exceptional insole support. The outsole is grippy, the inside is comfortable and the styling is so good, we want to wear them off the course. And what’s best with these cleatless shoes, we can. HK$1,475. ecco.com/en-HK
Using the new WinnDry polymer, the Dri-Tac is Winn’s best all-weather grip to date – a must for playing in Hong Kong’s wet season. The tacky, nonslip, soft outer grip covers a firmer inner grip that makes gripping the club easier and more comfortable. Plus it absorbs shock like nobody’s business. A top pick, as now’s the time golfers should be replacing their worn grips from a year on the links. The Dri-Tac is a must for any golfer who wants that classic Winn Grip feel in a grip that’s made to tackle wet conditions. Comes in ladies, standard, midsized and oversized versions. winngrips.com
OK, so it’s not a piece of equipment but there’s nothing quite as beautiful as a classic golf course. In fact sometimes you wish you could capture one so you can look at it any time of the day. The publishers of 18 Greatest Golf books understand how we all feel. Their first two limited edition volumes, “18 Greatest Scottish Golf Holes” and “18 Greatest Irish Golf Holes” take you on a visual journey through those two golf rich countries. Printed in Italy at Editoriale Bortolazzi Stei and photographed by John Kernick, they feature some of the world’s most scenic layouts, including the Old Course at St Andrews, Turnberry, Carnoustie, Ballybunion, Portmarnock and Royal Portrush.
Billed as Sun Mountain’s most popular golf bag outside North America, the H2NO men’s carry bag boasts nine pockets, a 4-way top and, what’s best for Hong Kongers, it’s made with waterproof material so your clubs and valuables stay dry. Comes with a matching rainhood and seven colour combinations. HK$1,500. sunmountain.com
HK$1,500. 18greatestgolf.com
Mizuno’s MP-64 forged irons are billed as player’s cavityback irons and one player, Luke Donald, has already put them in play. Made of one-piece, grain-flow forging, each club looks like a blade at address, but has built-in forgiveness in the form of a subtle cavity. The long irons are forgiving, the short irons are easy to control. All around the focus is on producing a soft feel at impact. HK$7,700. mizuno.com
Boasting “MyFly” technology, Cobra’s soon-to-bereleased Amp Cell driver gives you an incredible six loft settings: 8.5°, 9.5°, 9.5° with a draw, 10.5°, 10.5° with draw and 11.5°. And what’s best is that you can place the face angle at either square or draw, depending on how well you’re making contact that day. Comes in four colour options – Barbados Red, Vibrant Orange, Directoire Blue and White. Boasts a Fujikura Rombax stock shaft and measures 45.25 inches. Right-hand only. HK$TBA. cobragolf.com
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GOLF ATRAVEL Player’s Guide
Laguna Landing
Alex Jenkins takes an early look at Laguna Lang Co, a rugged Nick Faldo design on Vietnam’s Central Coast that is set to officially open in March 2013. Photography by Richard Castka/Sportpix International
A
little over two years ago, I wrote glowingly about Danang as a golf destination. And with good reason. Vietnam’s third city, situated roughly halfway up t he cou nt r y ’s leng t hy seaboard, found itself well and truly on the Asian golfing map with the completion of the wonderfully manicured Montgomerie Links and the splendid Danang Golf Club. Combine this with a growing list of truly first-rate hotels and resorts, its proximity to the charming old town of Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage Site,
a stunning coastline and a laid-back, easy-tonavigate city, the place was really very agreeable – and, unlike, say Phuket, excitingly free from mass tourism and therefore exotic to boot. But just as importantly, the two courses themselves represented a significant step in the right direction from an architectural point of view. Abutting the famed and historic sands of China Beach and laid over rolling, dune-filled terrain framed by scrubby wastes and native shrubs and grasses, the golf here is about as far removed from the cookie-cutter layouts (replete with ghastly cheek-by-jowl “mini-mansions”
The artfully bunkered seventh hole, a short par-4, at Laguna Lang Co 68
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Like all world-class courses it’s the quality and diverse nature of the site that the six-time Major champion and his team have worked with that puts Laguna Lang Co firmly in this category.
Clockwise from top: things get a little rocky at the par-3 11th; a mountainous backdrop awaits at the 10th; the splendid par-3 eighth hole, surely one of the great short holes in Asian golf 70
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lining the fairways) that have become standard fare at many new developments in this part of the world. While Montgomerie Links was, and remains, unashamedly modern in scope, Danang, the work of Greg Norman and lead designer Harley Kruse, is a real throwback, with natural, blown-out bunkering and firm and fast playing surfaces. It very quickly became my favourite course in Southeast Asia. How long Danang retains this highly coveted position remains to be seen, however, because now the region has a third course – the Nick Faldo-designed Laguna Lang Co – and, while it won’t officially open until March, it already has all the makings of something very special indeed. Wedged between the imposing mountains of Bach Ma National Park and the crashing surf of the South China Sea at Lang Co Bay, about an hour’s drive from both Danang and the ancient Vietnamese capital of Hue, the club’s setting is blissfully – and luxuriously – remote. As the course is the centrepiece of the Laguna Lang Co resort, which, when fully developed, will comprise upwards of six low-rise hotels
containing some 2,000 rooms, there will soon be no shortage of accommodations to choose from, although the recently opened Banyan Tree, with its 49 all-pool villas (see Trip Planner sidebar) and an array of fine dining and opulent amenities, must surely be considered, even at this stage, to be one of the country’s most exclusive stays. While the integrated nature of the resort is an advantage, it isn’t what makes Faldo’s creation exceptional. Like all world-class courses it’s the quality and diverse nature of the site that the sixtime Major champion and his team have worked with that puts Laguna Lang Co firmly in this category. Incorporating sand dunes, rice paddies and exposed rock formations, this undulating tract of land lends itself to golf in the same way the linkslands of the British Isles and Melbourne’s sandbelt do. The captivating coastline, which hoves into view most prominently around the turn of this traditional out-and-back layout, and tropical peaks that rise grandly to the south of the property add a visual splendour that brings to mind some of the more spectacular vantages of the Hawaiian Islands. Simply put, Laguna Lang Co adds another magnificent dimension to Vietnam’s Central Coast golf experience, an experience that, as word gets out, will surely be savoured by more and more visitors from Hong Kong and beyond. HKGOLFER.COM
Faldo is unlike many player-architects in the amount of input he has on the design projects that bear his name. It’s no secret that many courses around the world simply pay for a notable professional’s signature, while the pro himself has really had little to do with the project itself save cutting a ribbon at the grand opening. But Faldo is different. Since retiring from a full playing schedule, the Englishman has built up a flourishing course design business and is very hands-on at every stage of the process. When he’s not busy commentating on PGA Tour events – another sphere of the game in which he has built up an excellent reputation – he’ll often drop in unannounced at his courses to cast an expert eye over proceedings. Faldo loves little more than discussing architecture – I once listened to him speak nonstop for 10 minutes at a press conference after a mainland Chinese journalist asked him what he thought made a good golf course – and alongside his lead architect, South African Paul Jansen, Faldo has produced a highly strategic layout that flies in the face of what resort courses have come to mean. Resort golf usually allows players – in this case, resort guests – to ease themselves into their rounds with an easy opening hole. But this is no ordinary resort course and Faldo prefers to reward those who arrive at the first tee with their game in some semblance of shape. As a result, the first at Laguna Lang Co is a meaty par-4 which features water running down the entire right flank before cutting in towards the green. It’s not a beast – the HKGOLFER.COM
landing area is generous – but most will be happy enough to walk away with away with just the one dropped shot. The opening stretch – holes one thru four – is routed inland and, while the massive, rumpled greens give an indication of what’s in store, this is also the most water-strewn section of the course. It was, for me at least, the least enjoyable run – quite possibly because I failed to take advantage of the club’s excellent practice ground beforehand, but mostly because what comes next is so good. The fifth, a mid-length par-3 featuring large mounds around the green that mirror the mountain in the background, is the first of four standout one-shotters and where Faldo’s artfully rugged bunkering shows its teeth. While not everyone will agree with the mounds – they’re an example of the few obviously man-
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But Faldo is different. Since retiring from a full playing schedule, the Englishman has built up a flourishing course design business and is very hands-on at every stage of the process. When he's not busy commentating on PGA Tour events – another sphere of the game in which he has built up an excellent reputation – he'll often drop in unannounced at his courses to cast an expert eye over proceedings.
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made elements on this most natural of tracks – they’re fun in their way and stimulate debate. It also shows that Faldo can be a bit quirky, which comes as something of a surprise to those who watched him – head down, blinkers on – during his playing heyday of the late 80s and 90s. After two fine short par-4s that lead you closer to the beachfront and can be tackled off the tee with anything from driver to six-iron – such is the array of options available – comes the wonderful par-3 eighth. Not long at a shade over 160 yards from the championship tee, the eighth features a green that sits on a natural ridgeline and is protected at the front by great swathes of sand. It’s beautifully framed by casuarina trees and, with the sandy scrub punishing anything underhit, wouldn’t look completely out of place at Pine Valley. It really is that special. This is something that can also be said of the very next hole, the 9th, another brilliant short par-4, that plays alongside the beach to a green betwixt the dunes. The back-nine heads back inland and is every bit as memorable. The 10th calls for an aggressive drive over a sand hill to leave an approach to a stream-fronted green, while the bunkerless 11th is a short yet potentially lethal par-3 with a narrow putting surface that is protected by giant boulders on two sides. The fun continues throughout, reaching a crescendo at the 16th, with its plateau green and sharp fall-off, the 17th, where the ideal drive must challenge the out-ofbounds down the right, and the mighty par-5 closing hole, where sandy splashes punctuate the landing areas and green complex. Call me old-fashioned but it’s refreshing to note that Laguna Lang Co, even from the back tees, measures less than 7,000 yards and plays to a par of 71. Having been fed on what feels like a never-ending diet of lengthy “championship” HKGOLFER.COM
tracks, all with a standard par of 72, across the border in mainland China, playing a brandnew (indeed, yet-to-be-opened) course that has been designed for the able amateur, rather than the mega-hitting tour pro, is a joy. It’s not that distance isn’t rewarded – certainly the longer player will, as is right, hold the advantage at the 15th and 18th, the two longest holes on the course – but that isn’t the only way to play here. Strategic acumen over the bomb and gouge approach can prevail. Once the course has fully grown in and the final sculpting of the bunkers is complete, Laguna Lang Co, if its owners ever felt the need, could easily host elite tournament play. One thinks that the wind that rips in off the ocean and swirls around the property, combined with the course’s fast-running and contoured greens would combat any really low scoring. Faldo has done what every architect sets out to do but precious few really achieve – produce a world-class course that can be enjoyed by all but still presents a challenge to those in the very top echelons of the game. Clockwise from top: luxurious accommodations at one of the Banyan Tree Laguna Lang Co’s pool villas; a twin look at the gorgeous par-4 ninth hole, with its beachside green location
TRIP PLANNER GREEN FEES Resort guests (Weekday/Weekend): HK$580-758 Visitors (Weekday/Weekend): HK$684-906 Caddie Booking Fee: HK$40 Cart Fee: HK$260 Note: The recommended caddie tip is VND250,000, which is approximately HK$100
COURSE INFO Yardage: 6,958 Par: 71 Fairway Grass: Zoysia Manila Green Grass: Bermuda TifEagle Designed by Faldo Design
WHERE TO STAY Eventually, Laguna Lang Co will be home to six upmarket hotels, but on completion of phase one (scheduled for March 2013), the accommodation options will include the already-opened Banyan Tree, comprising 49 all-pool villas, and the Angsana, a low-rise, fivestar resort with some 200 rooms and suites. Aimed at the well-heeled and sophisticated
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traveller, the Banyan Tree has been designed to celebrate the opulence of Vietnamese dynasties past and each villa features traditional Vietnamese architectural elements, finishes and furnishings. Vietnam’s Central Coast is not short of luxurious resorts – the coastal road to the south of Danang is lined with numerous examples – but the Banyan Tree Laguna Lang Co looks set to raise the bar even further.
GETTING THERE At the time of press, visitors from Hong Kong must transit through either Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi airport in order to connect with regular Vietnam Airlines flights to Danang (one hour). Vietnam Airlines and Dragonair both offer daily flights to Hanoi (one hour, 45 minutes), while Vietnam Airlines and Cathay Pacific both run services to Ho Chi Minh City (two hours, 15 minutes). A direct flight to Danang from Hong Kong has long been rumoured, and it is thought – but not yet confirmed – that Dragonair will commence the route in early 2013. The transfer from Danang’s new airport terminal to Laguna Lang Co takes one hour.
CONTACTS Laguna Lang Co Golf Club Banyan Tree Laguna Lang Co Angsana Lang Co Vietnam Airlines Dragonair
lagunalangco.com/golf banyantree.com angsana.com vietnamairlines.com dragonair.com
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Greenock Creek Winery
The Open... "If I had to select the number one Australian winery, it would be hard not to choose the Greenock Creek Winery... the quality that emerges from this estate is extraordinary." I grew up playing on windy courses where you need to just feel the shot. That’s why I love playing links golf, where it’s windy and you’ve got to see completely different shots.
Exclusive HK Golfer Offer*
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 78
You’ve had a pretty good year – two wins and some close calls have reminded everyone of your playing ability. How have you felt the year has gone for you?
Email: wine@hkgolfer.com or call on: (852) 3590 4153 Please quote code: GreenockHKG 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon (WA 94) HK$400 2001 Alices Shiraz (RP 98) HK$900 2004 Alices Shiraz (WA 98) HK$500 SOLD OUT 2006 Alices Shiraz (WA 91+) HK$500 2006 Apricot Block Shiraz (WA 91+) HK$500 2006 Seven Acre Shiraz (RP 93) HK$550 2004 Creek Block Shiraz (RP 99) HK$1,450 2001 Roennfeldt Road Shiraz (WA 99) HK3,000
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Approaching the 10th hole at Augusta National during this year's Masters. Oosthuizen says the tournament took a lot out of him but he was able to bounce back in superb fashion by winning the Malaysian Open the very next week HKGOLFER.COM
It’s probably been my best so far. Even better than last year and 2010. You know, last year it took a while for me to get over everything [after winning The Open in 2010]. I started well this season and I think Augusta took a lot out of me, so I took three weeks’ break on the farm where I didn’t really do anything and I lost a bit of form and rhythm. I got it back after the US Open – that’s when I felt I started playing better. I did well at FedEx, which was my first one. So yeah, I’m very happy with it. Do you think it’s taken a bit of time for you to get comfortable on American soil? And playing on that tour? Ja, it’s completely different to Europe. I mean, you need to be comfortable on very fast greens. I like European golf. The green speed
and conditions are similar to South Africa – not the weather, but the golf itself, especially where I grew up, in Mossel Bay. In America, from 100 yards, you’ve got to be spot on with your game the whole time. And my putting has improved so much just being on the US Tour for the last two years. For my second year running my overall putting has improved and even though I don’t always make putts, I know I’m putting so much better. I’m leading the stats this year for putts from inside five feet, which is great. The tour is a lot easier in many ways, but a lot more competitive. Every week you’re in the company of the likes of Tiger, Rory or any number of superstars. Are you able to take stock and look at how far you’ve come as a professional golfer? I think once you play at a certain level, you don’t really even think about things like that. In 2010, I got up to 15th in the world rankings – I fell back a bit after that – but I got a feeling of what it’s like [near the top]. I knew I wanted to get back to that level. I needed to win again to just get the game right and I won the Africa Open last year, but still had a very quiet season. When all the Majors started, I put a lot of pressure on myself – I almost felt I had to prove myself again, that [the Major win] wasn’t a fluke. But this year I’ve had the attitude that I don’t have to prove anything to anyone. I’m just here to play and enjoy myself. HK Golfer・DEC 2012
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- Robert Parker
interests and distractions. Is it quite hard to keep focused? Actually it keeps me going once I’m off the golf course. We’ve started a restaurant here in Mossel Bay, called Route 57. I’ve also got my academy, which is going along nicely. It all keeps me motivated to play well on the course. Once I’m out at the golf course or at the tournament, I don’t think about anything else. I’m there to win the tournament and to do my best. But off the course, it motivates me to do even better. How are things happening in terms of travelling with your family? Do they come with you to the tournaments? Or do you have a base in the UK?
I mean, when I came so close in the Masters, it was sad. It would have been a dream come true for me get the jacket from Charl [Schwartzel, Louis’ great friend]. I think if I look back, I was a lot more focused on what I was doing and not caring what everyone was thinking I was doing. So it was a good experience to put my head down and just play. And I managed to get into the top 10 of the world rankings this year. I just want go back to, obviously, a very important week of your life. I was there when you won The Open in 2010 and it just looked like the perfect week at the perfect time. Have you always felt The Open is something that’s within your reach?
AFP
Oosthuizen is a truly global player, plying his trade in all corners of the world. At the WGC-HSBC Champions at Mission Hills in October (top); celebrating with the Claret Jug, the most famous trophy in the game, following his brilliant win at St Andrews in 2010 76
HK Golfer・DEC 2012
No. I mean, at that stage I had just won my first European Tour event. I never thought I could come close to winning a Major that quickly. I like links golf and I like St Andrews, and that week I was hitting it so well that I didn’t really put myself in any danger the whole week. I didn’t look like making a worse score than bogey. Now and then I made a bogey, but I putted great that week. It’s always been a thing for me that, often I’d be striking the ball well, but I wouldn’t be making any putts. It’s not that I’d be putting
terribly, I just wouldn’t make anything. I think America made my putting so much better. The greens are so nice and soft. It’s all speed and line, whereas in Europe, you need to adjust more. You’ve got to see it at a different speed. It’s just different. And for that weekend in St Andrews, I felt everything come together. I played beautifully the whole weekend. I think at Augusta this year, it was probably as close as I’ve come to how I hit it in 2010. I actually felt that in the Playoffs a few weeks ago, when I finished second to Rory, I was probably hitting it better than when I was playing in the Masters.
I’m actually moving to the States now, to Florida next year. So I’ll be based there. It makes the travelling so much easier. A lot of tournaments are co-sanctioned with the European Tour, so after the US season I’ll go east to get my numbers up and I always try in December/January to be here in South Africa. But I’ll try to get four weeks off or something. I’ll travel with my family until the kids start going to school. When they start going to school, we probably won’t do that many on the road. If they are at that stage, I can just fly back to Florida on a Sunday night or something.
I’d like to see myself climbing up the world rankings. I would like to get in the top 10 and stay there. And I want to be competitive in Majors. If I can have close to the season I had this year, I will put myself in positions to win. That will be great. Obviously Majors are important. We try to get our game perfect for Majors, which is not easy. So Majors and World Ranking – that’s what’s keeping me going. It would be great climbing the World Ranking, and I wouldn’t mind lifting a few more trophies!
Yeah, I would say I’m more of a feel player. There are a few things I always work on that give me good rhythm and put my swing in good places. Other than that, I grew up playing on windy courses where you need to just feel the shot. That’s why I love playing links golf, where it’s windy and you’ve got to see completely different shots. In terms of how well South African golfers are doing around the globe, is it just a matter of success breeding success? What’s the secret?
You know, the Americans are making a big fuss that I haven’t won over there yet. As long as I’m in contention in a lot of tournaments going into a Sunday, I give myself an opportunity and I know it’s gonna happen. I’ve come close in the Deutsche Bank, in Houston as well as Augusta. So if I can just keep on doing that, I’ll be very happy.
It’s great to see Branden [Grace], George [Coetzee], Thomas [Aiken] and everyone coming through. I just think we are such a sporting country. We love our sports. In South Africa, the biggest advantage we have is great weather. You can play 12 months of the year, whereas in Europe a lot of guys need to go to Dubai just to practise. Also, I think the Sunshine Tour does great work getting the guys ready for the European or US Tours. I remember Branden was playing well
HKGOLFER.COM
What goals have you set for yourself for next year and the not-too-distant future?
You must have heard how the American commentators just love your golf swing. Are you quite a technical player or are you more of a feel player?
You have been getting into contention quite a lot recently. Do you sometimes think the next win is just around the corner?
How have you handled the pressure and the opportunities that come with being a Major winner? There must be plenty of business
and couldn’t break through and he got the win in South Africa [in the CocaCola Charity Championship] and he went on to have one of the best seasons on the European Tour by a ‘rookie’. And Ernie winning The Open surprised a lot of people, but they don’t realise how much he still practices. Whenever I go to his house, he is always on the range practicing. He’s worked so hard and he deserved to win another Major. He proved a lot of people wrong. It’s great to see him still having so much success.
HKGOLFER.COM
Whenever I go to Ernie Els’ house, he is always on the range practicing. He’s worked so hard and he deserved to win another Major. He proved a lot of people wrong. It’s great to see him still having so much success. HK Golfer・DEC 2012
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| FINAL SHOT
Louis Oosthuizen
GREAT GOLF STARTS WITH GREAT ADVICE
The sweet-swinging South African, number seven in the world rankings, talks to Brendan Barratt about his outstanding season and goals for 2013.
When it comes to golf and investing, everyone can use a little help from the pros.
Oosthuizen in action during the 2012 Masters. The South African, possessor of arguably the most fluid action in the game, holed out for an amazing albatross two at the par-5 second hole before losing out to Bubba Watson in a sudden-death play-off
The Americans are making a big fuss that I haven’t won over there yet. As long as I’m in contention in a lot of tournaments going into a Sunday, I give myself an opportunity and I know it’s gonna happen.
AFP
By most accounts, 2011 was a tough year for Louis Oosthuizen, and it was always likely to be testing. Matching his breakthrough 2010, where he won a Major and a further European Tour event, seemed to be a near-impossible task. What’s more, he had an annoying voice (both in his head and outside it, and mostly in an American accent) that was telling him his win at St Andrews was a fluke. Having been inside the ropes at that event, I can assure you that there was very little that was lucky about Oosthuizen’s seven-shot victory. It was as close to golfing perfection as one could hope to see – and yet Louis still felt he had something to prove, particularly in the United States, where he set up his base last year. This year, something clicked. It kicked off in the Masters, where Oosthuizen holed a 4-iron for an albatross on the second hole of the final round and then 78
HK Golfer・DEC 2012
pushed eventual winner Bubba Watson all the way to the end. The Americans were starting to like humble, laid-back Louis, who smiled all the way through the final round, the play-off and the post-round interview, where he was gracious in defeat. As bitterly disappointed as he must have been – he missed the rare opportunity to have the Green Jacket placed on him by his best friend and compatriot Charl Schwartzel – Louis hopped on a plane and sped across the globe to honour a commitment to play in the Malaysian Open. As luck would have it, this time he won, albeit a week too late for his liking, as he joked about the colour of his winner’s jacket being the wrong shade. “It would have been better if I had the Green Jacket,” he laughed, “but coming here and winning after what happened last week showed me that I can pull it off, so it’s very important.” Oosthuizen is now, like so many South Africans before him, a global golfer, competing on both the US and European Tours, with commitments in Asia and South Africa as well. As a Major winner, he’s in high demand, but one gets the sense that even for him, the endless travel is getting to be a bit too much. With a young family (Louis is married to Nel-Mare and has two young daughters, Jana and Sophia), it makes sense that he’s making a home for himself on the PGA Tour, where the weather and travel is often easier to deal with. Back in the States, he’s come agonisingly close to winning on a number of occasions, racking up five top-five finishes without actually getting over the line, eventually finishing seventh in the FedEx Cup final standings. CONTINUED ON PAGE 75 HKGOLFER.COM
Hank Haney PGA Teaching Pro
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