Event Season: Mizuno Hong Kong Close Amateur Champs review
THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE HONG KONG GOLF ASSOCIATION ISSUE 74
HKGOLFER.COM MARCH 2013
$50
+
SRI LANKA: ASIA'S EMERALD ISLE
MARTIN KAYMER
Why Europe's Ryder Cup hero has plenty to smile about DISPLAY UNTIL 15 APR
| CONTENTS
HK Golfer Issue 74
March 2013
46 On the Cover:
Martin Kaymer, Europe’s hero at September’s Ryder Cup, talks to our Europe correspondent Lewine Mair. Photo by AFP
Features
Plus…
30 | Cometh the Hour
12 | In Focus
After helping Europe secure the Ryder Cup with that dramatic 18th hole win at Medinah, Martin Kaymer has his sights set on his best season yet. By Lewine Mair
36 | Passport to Golfing Success
23 | Tee Time
An exciting new degree has been launched offering opportunities for graduates to work in the golf industry. We find out more about the programme and looks at where it can take you. By The Editors
This year, Cartier has plenty of tricks up its sleeve, writes our watch editor. By Evan Rast
41 | Just the Tonic for Slimline Max
26 | Driving Range
Fanling member Max Wong made up for three years of runner-up finishes with an impressive victory at the Mizuno Hong Kong Close Amateur Championship over the Lunar New Year. By Alex Jenkins
46 | Closing it Out
Seventeen-year-old Michelle Cheung wins her first Ladies Close title and earns a place in the World Ladies Championship at Mission Hills Hainan. By Alex Jenkins
Daniel Wong
50 | The Wait is Over
41 6
HK Golfer・MAR 2013
A pictorial review of the past 30 days – both locally and globally. By The Editors
The old Porsche Cayman was close to perfect. Somehow, the new car is a whole lot better. By Ben Oliver
28 | Liquid Assets A tour of one of the greatest wineries in northern Spain – La Rioja Alta. By Richard Sutton
53 | Growing the Game
How would TaylorMade follow up the enormous success it found with its white-headed metalwoods of recent years? With adjustability, a dash of colour, a variety of shaft options and new names. By Charlie Schroeder
What’s it take to launch a caddie programme at a brandnew club? We travelled to the Nick Faldo-designed Laguna Lang Co in Vietnam to find out. By Paul Myers
54 | Asia’s Emerald Isle
32 | Events
Home to just a handful of courses, Sri Lanka might lag behind some of the region’s most popular destinations in respect of playing opportunities. But with a tradition in the Royal and Ancient game virtually unmatched in this part of the world, golf is the perfect complement to a visit to this rejuvenated nation’s many off-course wonders. By Alex Jenkins
Audemars Piguet and Prince Jewellery & Watch paired up last month for an Haute Horlogerie exhibition in Tsim Sha Tsui. By The Editors
HKGOLFER.COM
HK Golfer
THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE HONG KONG GOLF ASSOCIATION MARCH 2013 • Issue 74
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
54 D E PA R T M E N T S 10 Mailbag 12
Local Focus
14
Global Focus
18 Divots 20
Tour Talk
23 Clubhouse 38
Around the HKGA
60
Travel News
61
Global Tournament News
70
Five Minutes With ...
Alex Jenkins
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. 8
HK Golfer・MAR 2013
Publisher: Charles McLaughlin Art Director: Derek Hannah Assistant Designer: Mimi Cheng Office Manager: Moira Moran Advertising: For advertising information, please contact: ads@hkgolfer.com For purchasing information contact: sales@hkgolfer.com For subscription information contact: subs@hkgolfer.com Hong Kong Golf Association Suite 2003, Olympic House 1 Stadium Path, So Kon Po Causeway Bay, Hong Kong Phone (General): +852 2504-8659 Fax: +852 2845-1553 Phone (Handicaps): +852 2504-8197 Fax: +852 2504-8198 Email: hkgolf@hkga.com handicaps@hkga.com In association with: www.thymedesign.hk
HK Golfer is available onboard all Cathay Pacific and Dragonair First and Business Class cabins and in Singapore Airlines First and Business Class lounges.
HKGOLFER.COM
HK Golfer Mailbag In Praise of Ogilvy I very much enjoyed reading Paul Prendergast’s interview with Geoff Ogilvy in the latest issue [Taking Aim, February 2013]. Ogilvy has always struck me as an intelligent sort of chap and he certainly spoke a lot of sense in the article. His views on the way equipment has evolved and its effect on the modern game was of particular interest. Like him, I think there’s plenty of other topics the governing bodies could have been looking at before this whole situation regarding the long putter erupted. I hope to see Ogilvy appearing on a few more leaderboards than he has of late. Keep up the good work. Thomas Quentin Via email
For fine parkland golf we have Fanling; the cliff-top course at Clearwater Bay is as spectacular as they come; Discovery Bay has arguably the best conditioning of any course in China; the Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau is comfortably the finest public facility in the entire continent; and Shek O is about as unique a club as you’re likely to find anywhere. In many ways, the golf here is incomparable. Dr Thomas Chen Magazine Gap Road
Editor replies: Thanks Thomas. Yes – Geoff Ogilvy had plenty to say in the interview and, as always, he spoke eloquently and at length. Interestingly enough, Paul Prendergast’s interview in this publication earned international recognition, with many influential golf websites, including the Golf Channel’s, picking up the story and running news items of their own based on what he said.
Editor replies: I absolutely agree with you, and I’m sure our readers all concur. The golf courses in Hong Kong are superb, no question. The diversity is remarkable and the tradition and history, particularly at the Hong Kong Golf Club and Shek O Country Club, is unique, especially for the size of our city. The writer of that story, Duncan Forgan, as I’m sure you’re aware, was simply pointing out the number of courses in Singapore in comparison to what we have available here.
We Want to Hear from You!
1-down? More like 1-up!
AFP
With regard to your story on Singapore and the fact that Hong Kong and the Lion City are always compared (1-Up to the Lion City, February 2013], I would like to say this: the golf courses in our city are far more enjoyable than those down there. Yes, I realise that Singapore has far more options when it comes to playing, but I would say, quite frankly, the courses in Hong Kong are as good as you’re likely to find in any Asian city.
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.
10
HK Golfer・MAR 2013
HKGOLFER.COM
Local Focus Cheung Claims Close Michelle Cheung, seen here playing out of a fairway bunker on the 17th hole at Clearwater Bay Golf Club, claimed the Hong Kong Ladies Close Amateur Championship title in fine style last month. The 17-year-old, a South Island School student, closed with a final-round 73 for a two-shot victory over Kitty Tam in second place. The win was Cheung’s first in the event and earns her a spot in this month’s World Ladies Championship, which will be played at Mission Hills Hainan. Photo by Daniel Wong
Global Focus Woods in Seven Heaven Tiger Woods, the world number two, notched his seventh win at Torrey Pines with a dominating performance at the Farmers Insurance Open on the California coast at the end of January. Woods now has 75 PGA Tour wins to his credit, just seven shy of the record held by Sam Snead. The American’s affinity with the course was perhaps best illustrated during his stirring comeback win at the 2008 US Open, where he birdied the final hole of regulation and then defeated Rocco Mediate in a play-off. Photo by AFP
MORE SPEED. MORE DISTANCE. MORE FOR YOUR GAME.
High performance 460cc full pear-shaped driver with exceptional forgiveness and control.
High performance 445cc classic pear-shaped driver with forgiveness and Tour-inspired workability.
| DIVOTS
Schwab Confirms HKGA Rules Seminar Sponsorship
Charles Schwab, Hong Kong, Ltd., the local subsidiary of US financial services giant Charles Schwab, has renewed its sponsorship of the HKGA Rules Seminar, which will take place at the Hong Kong Golf Club on Saturday 23 March. The Seminar, which was first sponsored by Schwab in 2012 and includes both theory and practical sessions, will be conducted in English and is open to anyone who is passionate about golf
and interested in the Rules. If they wish, participants will also be able to sit the R&A Level 1 accreditation exam on the day. The HKGA was the first governing body in Asia to offer this accreditation using locallyqualified referees as instructors. Hong Kong r u les of f icia ls are internationally recognised and many have refereed at European Tour events. “The Hong Kong Golf Association is delighted to once again receive the support of Charles Schwab, Hong Kong, Ltd.,” said HKGA Chief Executive Iain Valentine. “The Rules Seminar is always an informative and entertaining day, one that is of benefit to golfers of all abilities.” "The Rules Seminar last year was a great success and we are very glad to be continuing our support for golf in Hong Kong. At Schwab, we are passionate about both golf and investing and the belief that guidance from a professional can really help your game,” said Charles Schwab Hong Kong Managing Director, James Sun. (pictured). The closing date for entries – which can be made through the HKGA website (hkga.com) – is 8 March. For more information call Dolla Chui at 2504 8202.
train. learn. become. SPORTS CAMPS (YEAR-ROUND) PRIVATE SCHOOL PRO/ADULT TRAINING
Dedicated to helping individuals realize their true potential, IMG Academy offers innovative, comprehensive, and customized training programs. With expert instruction, a proven training methodology, professional-quality facilities and a challenging and motivating learning environment that brings together individuals of all ages and backgrounds, IMG Academy provides the ultimate foundation for future success.
Learn more:
IMGACADEMY.COM
info@imgacademy.com / 1-800-872-6425 Bradenton, Florida
FJ introduces an even greater feel for the course. M-PROJECT. The more innovation we added, the lighter they got. Exactly what you’d expect from FJ, the brand chosen by more Tour players than any other. www.footjoy.com.hk
| TOUR TALK
Asian Tour Celebrates 10th Season CEO Mike Kerr and Executive Chairman Kyi Hla Han usher in the New Year with bold projections for growth in the region.
Mike Kerr and Kyi Hla Han mark a decade of the Asian Tour’s existence at an event in Singapore after the Lunar New Year
T
Asian Tour
he Asian Tour outlined a glittering vision for the future and took a swipe at rival OneAsia as it held celebrations to mark the start of its 10th season last month. CEO Mike Kerr said by 2023, the Asian Tour aimed to offer more than US$100 million in prize money and up to 39 events a year. He hoped Asia would have three players in the top 10, three more Major winners and at least one Olympic medal. But both Kerr and Executive Chairman Kyi Hla Han said Asian golf’s development in the last decade had been badly affected by the dispute with OneAsia, the region’s alternative circuit which emerged in 2009. And any rapprochement in the lunar year of the snake, marked by a lion dance during a gala lunch at Singapore’s Laguna National Golf and Country Club, looked unlikely as Kerr said no formal contacts had been made between the two bodies. “Absolutely,” Kerr told the AFP news agency, when asked if Asian golf would be in a stronger position without the arrival of OneAsia. “Like any competitive threat, like any business that has a competitor, it’s taken market share. But ultimately it’s a relatively small market share,” he said. “Certainly in the last few years, there’s been no growth [for OneAsia]. The damage that was done in 2009 still to this day hasn’t been replaced, in terms of prize fund. “The events themselves that are on OneAsia have not increased in terms of global profile, whether it’s in prize purse or whether it’s in world ranking points. “So I see them as competition, I respect them as competition but I don’t necessarily believe that they are a growing competitive threat.” 20
HK Golfer・MAR 2013
Asia is the big growth area for world golf but despite years of development, players often lack the standards of their non-Asian rivals and the region’s biggest tournaments are cosanctioned by the European or US PGA Tour. After YE Yang’s surprise Major victory at the 2009 PGA Championship, big wins have been rare, with some experts blaming Asia’s inter-tour dispute for spooking sponsors and putting off players. “It could have been better,” said Kerr. “You can see in 2009 there was a real impact on golf in Asia-Pacific and really to some extent the Asian Tour has recovered, we’re back up to where we were in 2009. “But golf as a whole has been affected and it’s difficult to get over that. It’s because there was an organisation who felt they could do something different or better caused a serious impact that we’ve yet to recover fully from.” Han agreed the stand-off had “definitely” affected Asian golf and said the Asian Tour was still considering appealing November’s ruling, when a Singapore court judged that it had illegally restrained trade by barring players from OneAsia events. “Competition’s always there so we’re not going to get too worried about it,” Han said, when asked about the chances of the two tours working more closely together. “We’ll see if we can cooperate, we’ll see if we have to compete.” And Kerr, a week before the Asian Tour’s 10t h season star ted wit h t he Zaykabar Myanmar Open in Yangon, made it clear that joining hands with OneAsia was not high on his agenda. “To think that somebody has come into the market, set something different up to compete against the establishment and then feel that the establishment should somehow accept them into the fold because they’re a competitive threat, that’s not necessarily the way it works,” he said. HKGOLFER.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.
www.jswatch.com
Official HK Agent: Times International Creation ltd. Contact: jswatch@timesic.com Tel: +852-3590-4153
CLUB
Away from the Fairways | TEE TIME
The Magician’s Code
This year, Cartier has plenty of tricks up its sleeve, writes Evan Rast The Rotonde de Cartier Double Mystery HKGOLFER.COM
CONTINUED OVERLEAF HK Golfer・MAR 2013
23
fine watchmaking collection, highlighting two mysterieuse watch models; a perpetual calendar and jumping second time zone; and an extension of its Calibre line. The Rotonde de Cartier Double Mystery Tourbillon is certainly the headliner for 2013’s novelty presentation. Inspecting the watch, you’ll see a gaping hole on the dial where a flying tourbillon turns on its own axis every 60 seconds, and a titanium cage performs a second rotation every five minutes, but with no visible connection to the movement. We’ve Innovations and flying tourbillons breakthroughs that seen before, but this one looks seem mechanically like it’s suspended in midimpossible become air; a convincing illusion of myster y timepieces even more gaspthat’s very entertaining to inducing once watch in action. What the manufacture has done is the technicalities to attach the carriage of are explained. the tourbillon to a sapphire cr ystal disc with antireflective finishing to make it seem like its floating, where the disc then acts as a large gear wheel that performs the turn every five minutes. The 45mm watch comes in platinum, with a sapphire crystal caseback for a see-through effect. Forming a figure eight on top of the tourbillon is a subdial for the hours and minutes, and on the sides of the slate-coloured dial, are Cartier’s signature Roman numerals. A simpler version of the mystery movement is the Rotonde de Cartier Mystery, which, instead of the tourbillon, has the hour and minute hands suspended. The calibre 9981MC is constructed The Rotonde de Cartier Double Mystery was certainly the headliner for Cartier’s 2013 under the same principle as the Double novelty presentation. Inspecting the back of the watch (above), you’ll see a gaping Tourbillon, with the hands driven by large crystal hole on the dial where the flying tourbillon turns on its access every 60 seconds discs that rotate. While it sounds simple, getting to the perfect dimensions, including the thickness magician never reveals his secrets, and construction of these discs to avoid friction, because letting his audience was the challenge for the watchmaking team know what’s behind the ruse tend at Cartier. In order to limit friction, the sapphire to make them lose their impact. crystal discs were made to turn on fine pivots, like For watchmakers though, it’s wheels in a gear train, instead of the traditional quite the opposite. Innovations guide grooves in mystery clocks. The discs were and breakthroughs that seem mechanically also made to be lightweight at 0.56 grams, impossible become even more gasp-inducing yet durable enough to pass certification tests, once the technicalities are explained, because including more than 500 consecutive impacts, these prove that research, painstak ing and being dropped on a hard floor from the craftsmanship and long hours of debate were put height of one metre. The manual winding watch into the creation of that timepiece. In fact, when offers a power reserve of 48 hours, and comes in it comes to great watchmaking feats, there are a 42mm case water-resistant to 30m, in options of 18k pink or white gold. no shortcuts. This year, with a theme that’s centred on magic and mystery, Cartier presents a rather dramatic
A
CONTINUED ON PAGE 68
24
HK Golfer・MAR 2013
HKGOLFER.COM
At the end of a great day... ... a sublime experience
As Jim Murray said in his Whisky Bible, “…A whisky that gives you the will to live !” We chose this as our first release because we had never tasted a distilled spirit at once so old – and so young. Only a taste can tell you how splendid it really is. And when it’s finished (which is very soon, now) there may not be anything like it for a while; it took us many years to find these 1,348 bottles, and it will be a long search for its successor. Meanwhile, we suggest you have a look at our cognac 1950, 478 bottles of which have just been released.
lastdrop@hkgolfer.com; (852) 3590 4153 lastdropdistillers.com
CLUBHOUSE | DRIVING RANGE
The Pick of Porsche The old Cayman was close to perfect. Somehow, the new car is a whole lot better, writes Ben Oliver.
A
friend who lives in Los Angeles and did well in the dot-com boom mountain roads. All were good, but the Cayman called me to ask what sports car he should buy. I told him, instantly, was easily the best. Even on open roads, the that he should order a Porsche Cayman in white with black wheels. more powerful 911 felt like a big dog tugging He could have afforded a far more exotic machine. But the next at its leash, the driver constantly having to hold it back. The lighter, less powerful Cayman felt time I was in LA, there he was outside my hotel waiting to collect me, perched on the hood of his Cayman, and better balanced, with sweet handling allied to sufficient power, and better suited to real-world he couldn’t have looked more pleased. No wonder. It is an exceptionally good sports car, and my favourite car currently driving: it’s so much more satisfying to stretch a car than restrain it. on sale. It has just been completely redesigned, and All this applies to the new Cayman. It has driving a new model like this is always a nervous The Cayman is the same sublime balance of informative, moment when the outgoing model was so good. But better suited to Porsche doesn’t screw up. The latest Cayman is a little delicate, accurate steering, fine ride quality bigger and faster and prettier than the old one but its real-world driving: even over poor surfaces, and a fabulously exciting drivetrain. There are two engine DNA is unchanged. it’s so much options: a 3.4-litre flat-six with 320hp that Porsche’s line-up has multiplied in recent years and more satisfying will break 100kph in 4.7 seconds, and a 2.7 in addition to the iconic 911 sports car now includes with 271hp and a 5.7 seconds sprint time. this cheaper Cayman coupe, the Boxster roadster, the to stretch a car And just like last time, that lower-powered Cayenne off-roader and the Panamera four-door coupe; than restrain it engine may be the better bet; power is more with a smaller SUV, a station-wagon version of the than adequate and you can explore its more Panamera and the 918 hypercar all on the way. A little while ago I was lucky enough to be able to assemble an example of each exciting upper ranges more often than with the of Porsche’s current line-up and drive them all back-to-back over some empty bigger engine, especially on roads like Hong Kong’s. 26
HK Golfer・MAR 2013
HKGOLFER.COM
SCORECARD
Porsche Cayman 2.7
How much?
HK$877,000
Engine:
2706cc flat-six ‘boxer’
Transmission:
Six-speed
Performance:
5.7sec 0-100kph, 265kph
How heavy?
1,340kgs
And while keen drivers will appreciate the fact that there is still a manual gearbox option – some more exotic sports cars no longer offer them – Porsche’s PDK double-clutch automated manual, which allows both F1-style paddle-shift manual changes and a seamless automatic mode might be the better option in city traffic. When I jumped into my friend’s car to drive us to the restaurant I noticed his clutch was already worn after just 18 months of stop-start LA traffic. He could afford the replacement, but loved the car so much he really didn’t seem to mind. HKGOLFER.COM
HK Golfer・MAR 2013
27
CLUBHOUSE | LIQUID ASSETS
Hitting New Highs
Richard Sutton, managing director for Armit Wines Hong Kong, takes us on a tour of one of the greatest wineries in northern Spain – La Rioja Alta.
T
he fall in the prices of top Bordeaux wines has been welcome news to Hong Kong’s drinkers, if not investors. Even now, though, prices of firstgrowth claret are still in the region of HK$4,000-8,000 per bottle, thus out of reach for daily drinking for most of us mortals. So to which regions should we look to find the highest possible quality at affordable prices? Which producers and which grape varieties offer superb and interesting wines at prices which won’t prevent us upgrading to the new set of TaylorMade irons in the same month? In the first of a new series of features in HK Golfer, I shall make recommendations of some top tips and lesser-known gems, from Tuscany, Piedmont, Veneto, Chile, South Africa and Spain. A recent wine dinner hosted by Armit Wines at Fofo by El Willy, which is home to some of the best tapas in Hong Kong, showcased a selection of the best wines from one of the greatest wineries in northern Spain – La Rioja Alta. The group, which was founded way back in 1890 in Haro, owns a total of 710 hectares in the most renowned wine-making areas of Spain: Rioja Alta, Rioja Baja, Rioja Alavesa, Rías Baixas and Ribera del Duero. The closest attention to detail at every stage of the winemaking process, in their own state-of-the-art winery, and in the finest selection of French and American oak, might lead us to expect wines in the modern blockbuster style of fruit-forward, over-extracted jam bombs. However, Rioja Alta is one of a handful of remaining top producers of the old school, producing wines of elegance, The vineyard of Lagar de Cervera class and refinement. Minimal technical intervention is preferred, allowing the wines to age gracefully and naturally. These are unequivocally terroir wines, freely expressing the land on which they grow, the characteristics of each vintage and the grape variety. Incidentally, this does not prevent the wine scoring high marks from the critics, with Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate describing them as “quite simply, some of the finest Riojas that can grace your cellar: complex, refined, classic.” One of my favourite aspects of buying new releases from Rioja, is the fact that the estate only releases the wines onto the market when they are ready to be drunk. Why spend years of waiting and paying for expensive storage on wines, when some producers will do all that for you? So it was a delight to start the evening with a crisp and refreshing Albariño Rias Baixas DO 2011 (HK$127 per bottle through Armit), a perfect match for Fofo’s snapper ceviche. A second fish course of cod with a wild mushroom sauce was paired well with one of the lighter red wines – the delicious Viña Ardanza Reserva 2004 (93 Parker, 28
HK Golfer・MAR 2013
HK$198 per bottle, other formats also available) – this is a steal for this quality, and understandably one of Armit’s best-selling wines. Eighty per cent Tempranillo (the usual grape for red Rioja) is spiced up by the addition of 20 per cent Garnacha (called Grenache in France), producing a compelling effort: full of bright fruit, complex and with good length on the palate. Try it with a simple pasta dish like Bolognese. For value for money, this was the star of the show. Then came the really serious wines, the long oak-aged Gran Reservas. First up was the very wellpriced Gran Reserva 904 2000 (HK$348 per bottle). Ninety per cent Tempranillo from 40-year-old vines and 10 per cent Graciano – this is still in the bracket of regular weekday night affordability, and would pair well with roast meats, cheeses or slightly spicy casserole dishes. At Fofo, it was brilliantly paired with succulent Iberico pork cheek. Finally, the crème de la crème, La Rioja Alta’s top cuvee, the Gran Reserva 890 1995 (96 Parker, HK$985 per bottle). This is a great Rioja vintage (other top vintages being 1964, 1973, 1982, 2001 and 2004). Comprising 96 per cent Tempranillo from the finest parcels of vines, and aged in cask for six years and in bottle for a decade, this is one of the truly great Rioja wines. It is incredibly complex, has great length and will continue to age well for many years – if you can resist enjoying all your bottles now, that is. At Fofo it was matched with pigeon, foie gras and morel rice – and almost ethereal experience. Save this one to impress your friends – it is much cheaper than Lafite. La Rioja Alta is available in Hong Kong from: Armit Wines (Hong Kong) Ltd Email: wine@armitwines.hk; Call: 5349 2188 Web: armit.co.uk HKGOLFER.COM
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." - Robert Parker
Exclusive HK Golfer Offer* Email: wine@hkgolfer.com or call on: (852) 3590 4153 Please quote code: GreenockHKG 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon (WA 94) HK$400 2001 Alices Shiraz (RP 98) HK$900 2004 Alices Shiraz (WA 98) HK$500 SOLD OUT 2006 Alices Shiraz (WA 91+) HK$500 2006 Apricot Block Shiraz (WA 91+) HK$500 2006 Seven Acre Shiraz (RP 93) HK$550 2004 Creek Block Shiraz (RP 99) HK$1,450 2001 Roennfeldt Road Shiraz (WA 99) HK3,000
...and pour *Subject unsold. Terms & Conditions apply
| COVER STORY
Cometh the Hour After helping Europe secure the Ryder Cup with that dramatic 18th hole win at Medinah, Martin Kaymer has his sights on his best season yet, writes Lewine Mair.
W
AFP
hen Martin Kaymer describes himself as being ‘in good shape’ ahead of this year’s Masters, you need to know that it is rather more than merely a glib aside. Not only has the 2010 PGA Champion finally mastered the right-to-left shape of shot he needs for Augusta but he has altered his body-shape. In the case of the latter, he says that he has “changed completely” and that he is happy with the results. Even to the casual eye, he emerged at the start of this season looking bigger and stronger about the shoulders – and more assertive to boot. In Qatar, and again in Abu Dhabi, he finished in the top 10. Tiger Woods was arguably the first to go down the road of marrying his body to his swing. Lee Westwood has since done the same and, had the Englishman succeeded in setting a Major alongside his new physique, the public at large would have been that much more inclined to take note. Yet Westwood’s fellow players, Kaymer included, could see the difference and were impressed. The swing and body adjustments made by the 28-year-old Kaymer may be readily apparent but the inner Kaymer remains the same. He is an intensely private young man and as unlikely a source of tabloid stories as it is possible to get. “Martin is totally focused on the game and plays because he loves it,” said his manager, Johan Elliot. “He’s certainly not interested in the fame. If it comes to him through his golf, that’s OK, but otherwise it’s neither here nor there.”
30
HK Golfer・MAR 2013
HKGOLFER.COM
Kaymer has worked hard during the offseason on both his swing and physique
HKGOLFER.COM
HK GolferăƒťMAR 2013
31
Kaymer spent eight weeks as the world number one but, where others would have been celebrating, he felt less than comfortable in that position. “For me,” he said, “it wasn’t the right time. I was the number one but I didn’t feel like it.”
AFP
Not usually one to show his emotions, Kaymer let loose after sinking the crucial that now famous six-footer at Medinah (opposite) in September; en-route to winning the US PGA Championship at Whistling Straits (above) in 2010 32
HK Golfer・MAR 2013
It was in June 2006 that the connoisseurs first committed the name 'Kaymer' to memory. That was when the then 21-year-old German returned a 59 in the Hadsberg Classic on the minor European Development Tour. It was newsworthy enough for the BBC's golf correspondent to give it a mention in his short report from that week’s main tour event. Kaymer’s winning of the PGA should have propelled him into the limelight rather more than it did. As it was, his victory was not unlike Paul Lawrie’s Open Championship triumph in that it begat a couple of other stories which the press saw as rather more significant. Where Lawrie’s coverage suffered at the expense of Jean Van de Velde’s adventures in the Barry Burn, Kaymer’s achievement had to play second fiddle to not only Bubba Watson’s implosion at the third extra hole, but also to Dustin Johnson’s two-shot penalty when he grounded his club in an area of sandy waste that had bunker status.
Kaymer won four times in 2010, with his other victories coming in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, the KLM Open and the Alfred Dunhill Links. He followed up with a similarly arresting 2011 season in which he won in Abu Dhabi for the third time in four years and set a WGC event, the HSBC Champions in Shanghai, alongside his Major. That spring, he spent eight weeks as the world number one but, where others would have been celebrating, he felt less than comfortable in that position. “For me,” he said, “it wasn’t the right time. I was the number one but I didn’t feel like it.” His concerns were mostly down to his game and how it was still "work in progress". He confirmed how he was doubly aware of the shortcomings every time he turned up at Augusta where his habitual left-to-right flight was never going to be the answer. He missed the cut in each of his first four years at the Masters and last year he missed it again. By then, though, he had dedicated himself to mastering a draw under the eye of his coach, Gunther Kessler. Because of the remedial work, his 2012 season was nothing to write home about and he accepted as much: “Sometimes you just have to do the things that feel right. They may not make sense to other people but that doesn’t matter. Not as much as it should matter to you. HKGOLFER.COM
“I don’t want to look back in 10 years and think, maybe, I should have done this, that or the next thing.” Shortly before the Ryder Cup, when the story went the rounds that he was thinking of standing down on account of his poor form, he was quick to set the record straight. He had indeed asked questions of himself but, on the eve of the contest, he made it clear that he was well and truly ready to do battle. His week was not the best until it came to the end. That was when he made that six-footer which secured a famous European victory. “It was,” he says, feelingly, “such a fine line between being the hero and the biggest idiot.” Later, he would elaborate on how, away from its context, the putt had been simple. “At the end of the day, if you stick to the facts, it was the easiest putt you can have – uphill and inside right. We have that putt millions of times ... I said to myself, ‘There’s no doubt here. It’s inside right, step up and make it.’ So they were very clear thoughts.” That the six-footer had been his to tackle is something he will forever see as a gift. “It’s very, very rare that you are in a position to make such HKGOLFER.COM
an important putt,” he marvelled. He proffered the further point that it would not be the same if he were to have one of similar magnitude in 2014 “because I would have done it before.” Because he is not that sort of a man, Kaymer had been taken aback at his emotional response to the moment. He had asked his brother if he had looked ridiculous and his brother had assured him that that was not the case. “He told me that even if it did look ridiculous, it was a good thing, because it comes natural. It was a true feeling.” It was in watching the closing stages of the match on German TV that Kaymer almost welcomed the fuss being made by the European media. As he listened to the German TV commentators, his heart had sunk. He went so far as to mimic their miserably monotone commentary. “It was like, ‘Oh yeah, Kaymer’s putt has dropped in. It’s very nice, there is great celebration.’ They are just so flat and, for me, it is difficult to understand. “You try your very best, not only for yourself but for golf in Germany and then there’s so little excitement. There is something so big that is happening and in they just don’t get it ...” HK Golfer・MAR 2013
33
“But madam,” the Mission Hills caddie master began, “there are thousands of caddies and they’re all in love with Martin Kaymer.”
AFP
Kaymer has a terrible record at Augusta (above), making only one cut in five attempts; the German's win at the 2011 WGC-HSBC Champions tournament in Shanghai was his first in China 34
HK Golfer・MAR 2013
When he arrived in St Andrews for the following week’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, he had found himself thinking, wistfully, of what the atmosphere would have been like in pubs such as the Dunvegan Hotel and the Jigger Inn as people had poured in to watch the denouement. Then the wistfulness had given way to a feeling of warmth. Where better for him to be at that point than at the Home of Golf where everyone understood. Kaymer will never attract a rush of screaming, shouting fans like a Tiger or a Rory. But, make no mistake, he has his share of admirers. At last winter’s HSBC Champions, when I had something to hand over to a girl caddie whose name I had not quite caught, I did my best to explain which girl it was by furnishing the caddie master with the following clue: “It’s the one who’s in love with Martin Kaymer.” “But madam,” he began, “there are thousands of them and they’re all in love with Martin Kaymer.” The girl in question had been on buggy duty that week and had given me a lift down from the practice ground one evening when Kaymer and his caddie, Craig Connolly, had been the only team still at work on the range. She had not exactly jumped at the chance to
give me a ride but, half-way down the hill, she had put her foot on the brake and explained herself. For years, she had worshipped Kaymer and, that evening, she had finally got herself into a position in the buggy queue where she was certain to have him as a passenger. That is when I had stepped in and, if unwittingly, ruined everything.
HKGOLFER.COM
| INSIDE THE INDUSTRY
Passport to Golfing Success An exciting new degree has been launched offering opportunities for graduates to work in the golf industry. HK Golfer finds out more about the programme and looks at where it can take you.
G
olf isn’t just a game – it is also an industry that generates in the golf industry include Matt Davies and Sam billions of dollars worldwide annually through the millions of Green, both currently based at the world-famous golfers who regularly tread their favourite fairways and greens. Mission Hills Resort in China while students And, like any industry, golf requires well-educated and from South Korea and Hong Kong are currently enrolled on the AGMS course. skilled personnel to ensure its successful operation. For Matt, the AGMS degree has opened up Across the golfing world a wide and varied selection of management roles are available for degree educated personnel which is why the an exciting career opportunity where he is set to three-year Applied Golf Management Studies International (AGMSI) degree join the China Britain Business Council to open has been launched by The Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) and the up a PGA representative office in Shenzhen, University of Birmingham aimed at young people in the Far East eager to make China where he will be working on behalf of the PGA World Alliance to develop its education a career in golf. PGA Director of Education and Career Development, Dr Kyle Phillpots, programmes in the Far East. Davies commented: “I have always been explained: “The AGMSI degree opens up a world of possibilities for people passionate about golf, passionate about working in golf. part icularly about “The three-year degree is targeted pursuing management specifically at those interested in role s a nd g a i n i n g a managerial roles within golf across degree through one of developing golf nations ... it will the UK’s best universities equip graduates with the skills and i n ta ndem w it h T he expertise to succeed across a range of PGA has proved an ideal management roles in the golf industry.” platform to realise my The launch of the AGMSI degree ambition.” follows the success of the Applied Golf Green added: “I don’t Management Studies (AGMS) degree think I would have got which this year celebrated its 10th this opportunity without anniversary since it was launched. the AGMS degree. My Each year graduates emerge into ma nager out here is the golf industry to take advantage of really interested in the exciting opportunities and The PGA degree and utilising what and University of Birmingham hope Sam Green on the 18th tee of the Olazabal Course I’ve learnt and seeing if it the AGMSI programme will create at Mission Hills Golf Club in Dongguan can be put to good use at similar openings for its overseas students.Among the AGMS students making their way in the world of golf is Mission Hills.” Dr Phillpots said: “Like the AGMS course, Eleanor Woodall, who after graduating landed her dream job in France as Ryder the AGMSI course will be very challenging but Cup project supervisor for the 2018 matches. “I applied for the job never expecting to it get as I was really young, had only offers all students a solid grounding for a wide just graduated and given that so many people in France have got degrees, I didn’t range of careers in the golf industry. “ Elea nor, Matt a nd Sa m have shown expect much,” she said. “At the interview, they were quite shocked that I was so young and with a the opportunities are there and many other graduates have gone on to secure excellent considerable amount of experience and had to ask me again just to check I was 21. “The AGMS degree gave my application added value, not only for what I roles within the game and we expect AGMSI learned but also for the experience I gained on placement. I’ll be supervising the graduates to enjoy similar career prospects.” Anyone interested in finding out more programme and overseeing the co-ordination of all of the projects linked with the entire event in France. One of them is to get 100 new golf clubs and make about the course should email Dr Martin Toms, programme manager from the University of the sport more financially accessible for everyone.” Other graduates who have used their AGMS degrees as a springboard to success Birmingham at m.r.toms@bham.ac.uk
36
HK Golfer・MAR 2013
HKGOLFER.COM
Unique global partnership degree programme in the management of golf
o
Unique three-year undergraduate degree programme based in the UK
o
Collaboration between The Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) and the University of Birmingham
o
Course developed specifically for students from developing golf nations interested in studying the business, management and development of the game of golf
o
Modules taught by specialist world-leading academics and researchers, including PGA golf specialists
o
Excellent global employment opportunities for graduates
o
Lectures take place at the PGA National Training Academy, European Centre of Excellence, The Belfry, and at the University of Birmingham
www.birmingham.ac.uk/agmsi
Learn more Dr Martin Toms, Programme Leader, BSc Applied Golf Management Studies International Email: m.r.toms@bham.ac.uk Telephone: +44 (0)121 415 8392
® PGA
is a registered trademark of The Professional Golfers’ Association Limited.
From the President After another fantastic UBS Hong Kong Open at the end of last year, 2013 has continued apace with the staging of two of the Hong Kong Golf A ssociation’s most important events – the Mizuno Hong Kong Close Amateur Championship and the Hong Kong Ladies Close A mateur Cha mpionship, which took place at Fanling and Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club respectively. Both, I’m delighted to say, were highlighted by excellent individual performances. In the former, Max Wong was in superb form, playing the four rounds over his home course in four-under-par to replicate his achievement in winning the 2007 edition of the tournament. Max was pushed all the way by teenagers Matthew Cheung and Shinichi Mizuno in what was another fine tournament for young Hong Kong golfers. Indeed, of the 24 players that made the halfway cut, 18 were players in their teens. This is a clear indication of the strength of junior golf in the city and a testament to the junior development programme, which has been supported by EFG Bank over the past few years. At the Ladies Close, Michelle Cheung, another junior, secured a gutsy victory to claim the title for the very first time. Michelle held off the challenge of fellow Hong Kong international Kitty Tam and will next play at the World
DBGC Claim Interclub Champs Win
Ladies Championship at Mission Hills Hainan this month. Michelle earned her berth at this Ladies European Tour event thanks to the generosity of Mission Hills Golf Club, which decided to award an invitation to this year’s winner. I’m sure she’ll do a fantastic job representing Hong Kong at this starstudded event. Michelle is one of a number of our squad players who will be leaving Hong Kong this year to continue their education overseas. She’ll be heading to the University of WisconsinMadison, while Tiffany Chan and Steven Lam have already commenced their studies at colleges stateside. Marcus Lam will be travelling to college in Canada, Isabella Leung will be going to Hawaii and Shinichi Mizuno has recently left to embark on a degree at the University of Kyoto. On behalf of the HKGA I would like to wish them all the best of luck and look forward to seeing them back representing Hong Kong in the future. On a final note, I hope readers will consider joining the HKGA Rules Seminar, which will be held on 23 March at the Hong Kong Golf Club. The Seminar, which is being sponsored for the second successive year by Charles Schwab, Hong Kong, Ltd., is open to anyone who is passionate about golf and interested in the Rules. If they wish, participants will be able to sit the R&A Level 1 accreditation exam. Please turn to page 18 for more information or visit the HKGA website. Peter Aherne President , HKGA
From left-to-right: Jay Won, Michael Stott, William Chung, Casper Schonfeldt (General Manager), Abhinav Gorawara, Ron Totton and Shinichi Mizuno
Discovery Bay Golf Club defeated reigning champions the Hong Kong Golf Club to win the 2013 InterClub Championship on 17 February. In the final game of the afternoon fourballs, which took place at Clearwater Bay Golf and Country Club, William Chung and Shinichi Mizuno crushed the Fanling pair of Stuart Murray and Andrew Tsui 5 and 4 to help give Discovery Bay a 4-2 margin of victory. Discovery Bay last won the championship in 2011, although the Hong Kong Golf Club has dominated the event, winning 13 times in the last 15 years. In the match for third/fourth place, Clearwater Bay defeated Shek O Country Club 5-1. 38
HK Golfer・MAR 2013
HKGOLFER.COM
An intelligent filter The judgement to spot talent early; the expertise to nurture it. Blending the finest solutions for clients. Proud sponsors of the EFG Bank Hong Kong Golf Association Junior Golf Programme.
Practitioners of the craft of private banking
Hong Kong : 18th Floor, International Commerce Centre, 1 Austin Road West, Kowloon, Hong Kong, T +852 2298 3000 • Singapore : 25 North Bridge Road, #07-00 EFG Bank Building, Singapore 179104, T + 65 6595 4888. Also in Bangkok, Jakarta, Manila, Seoul and Taipei. EFG Bank is part of EFG International, which operates in 55 locations in over 30 countries. www.efginternational.com
HKGA | NEWS
HK’s Guinness World Record Breaker
40
Celebrity nutritionist and personal trainer Brian Cha (above) broke a Guinness World Record, hitting almost 10,000 golf balls within a designated perimeter in 12 hours at the Whitehead Golf driving range in Ma On Shan on 18 February. With a 9,959 balls falling within the area – he had to hit the balls over 100 yards within 30 degrees of where he was standing to qualify – Cha broke the record last held by Briton Steve Purdy, who hit
7,917 balls in the same amount of time. On average, Cha hit a ball every 4.13 seconds in order to break the record. C h a ’s G u i n n e s s a t t e m p t w a s made to raise money for the Redford Charitable Foundation and Hong Kong Rehabilitation Power, as well as a trust for the children of a friend who is in a coma. His efforts have so far raised nearly HK$1 million. To help raise more funds, the public can buy the golf balls used to break the record. “I am excited to represent Hong Kong to break this Guinness World Record,” said Cha. “It was especially difficult for a non professional golfer l i ke me, a nd i ndeed a cha l lenge t o p r ac t ic e m a ny h o u r s a we e k to reach the designated time and number of drives. I am so grateful for all the support from sponsors and friends, and hope that many more people will show their support by buying the event memorabilia and golf balls as all proceeds will be donated to people in need. I hope my efforts will help underprivileged youth, the elderly and handicapped people in Hong Kong.” For more information and contact details visit 8k12.onelinkup.com.
Solid Showing by HK Juniors at Chung Shan
Michelle Earns Maiden Macau Title
Hong Kong’s Fritz Lo (right) finished second at the 2013 Titleist Zhong Shan Young Golfer Development Foundation Invitational – and with it a spot in two American Junior Golf Association events this summer, courtesy of Titleist – at the end of January. Lo carded a final-round oneunder 71 at Chung Shan Hot Spring Golf Club, home to the first course in modern China, for a total of 221 (five-over). Wang Yi-chen, representing the Shenzhen Golf Association, won the title with a total of 219. Leonard Ho (225) tied for fifth, with Michael Regan Wong a further three shots back in a share of 10th. In the girls’ division, Kitty Tam was Hong Kong’s best performer, her three-round total of 231 earning her 10th spot. Vivian Li (241) finished in a tie for 13th and Carrie Ann Lee (243) placed 16th.
Michelle Lee (right) c la i me d t he Mac au Ladies Open title at t he end of Ja nu a r y by hold i n g of f t h e challenge of Michelle Cheung for her f irst international victory. Lee, who is a onehandicapper, put in an excellent performance ove r t h e t r ic k y, windswept course at the Macau Golf & Country Club, firing rounds of 74 and 72 for a threeshot margin of victory. Cheung, who held the first round lead after firing a 71, stumbled to a final-day 78. Sandy Hu i a nd Ru ng napa Winchester tied for third.
HK Golfer・MAR 2013
HKGOLFER.COM
HKGA | MENS CLOSE
Just the Tonic for Slimline Max Fanling member Max Wong made up for three years of runner-up finishes with an impressive victory at the Hong Kong Close, writes Alex Jenkins. Photography by Daniel Wong
HKGOLFER.COM
HK GolferăƒťMAR 2013
41
"There are so many juniors now and they’re all so good that it feels great to finally come out on top again.”
Clockwise from above: Shinichi Mizuno, the 2011 champion, finished the tournament strongly to earn second place; Terrence Ng shared the first-round lead after a fine 67; Australia-based Matthew Cheung surveys a putt on the last day; Max Wong is all smiles after collecting his second Hong Kong Close title 42
HK Golfer・MAR 2013
A
r e-energised Ma x Wong Chen-kun claimed his second Mizuno Hong Kong Close A mateu r Cha mpionsh ip with a runaway victory at Fanling over the Lunar New
Year holiday. Wong, the champion in 2007, showed his class over the final 36 holes to finish on a fourunder total of 276, a seven-stroke advantage over the fast-finishing Shinichi Mizuno (283) in second place. Seventeen-year-old Matthew Cheung Hung-hai (285) placed third, a further two shots adrift. “This is one for the old guys,” declared Hong Kong Golf Club member Wong, 38, who finished runner-up to players in their teens for three straight years between 2010 and 2012. “There are so many juniors now and they’re all so good that it feels great to finally come out on top again.” He isn’t wrong. Such has been the rise in the standard of junior golf in Hong Kong in recent times that of the 24 players who made the halfway cut, 18 were aged 19 or under. Incidentally, the cut mark of 154 (14-overpar) is thought to have been the lowest in the championship’s long history. Wong has lost 30 pounds in weight in the past six months and his improved fitness showed on a gruelling final day. Taking a slender oneHKGOLFER.COM
shot lead over 18-year-old Terrence Ng, Wong fired a steady 71 in the morning round to build his advantage before pulling away from the field with a fine 68 in the afternoon. “My goal was to stay bogey-free in the final round and I almost achieved it,” said Wong, whose only dropped shot came at the 18th hole. “The important thing was getting the pace of the greens.” As a result of his win, Wong, who holed a fouriron at the fourth hole for an ace during his first round of 67, earns a berth into the Hong Kong Open, the territory’s oldest professional sports event, which will be played in early December. “I’m delighted with that,” beamed Wong. “I can’t wait to go up against the pros.”
Mizuno Hong Kong Close Amateur Championship Results 1 Max Wong 2 Shinichi Mizuno 3 Matthew Cheung 4 Terrence Ng 5 Jackie Chan 6 Oliver Roberts 7 Leonard Ho 8 Doug Williams 9 Michael Regan Wong 10= Max Ting Tim Orgill 12 Fritz Lo 13= Bibendum Leung Martin Liu 15= Alexander Jewkes Lucas Lam 17 Leon Philip D’Souza 18 Ambrose Tam 19 Tong Siu-lun 20 Stephen Ahmoye
67 73 69 67 73 72 69 75 75 75 71 76 77 75 73 77 75 75 78 75
70 73 70 71 68 70 78 76 75 70 79 77 72 75 79 71 75 78 76 75
71 69 75 73 77 72 74 73 77 83 78 72 76 75 76 77 76 74 79 77
68 68 71 76 71 78 75 73 71 72 72 76 77 77 75 78 78 80 75 82
276 283 285 287 289 292 296 297 298 300 300 301 302 302 303 303 304 307 308 309
Shinichi Wraps Up Order of Merit While Shinichi Mizuno, the 2011 champion, didn’t get the result he wanted, his fine play over the final two rounds – a 69 in the morning and a 68 in the afternoon – helped him sew up the HKGA Order of Merit title for the 2012/2013 season. The 19-year-old, who has since enrolled at the University of Kyoto, has enjoyed a highly consistent past 12 months with wins at the Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau International Open and Midsummer Classic as well as a third place at the Hong Kong Open Amateur Championship. Mizuno’s second place at the Close Amateur earned him 24 points, giving him a total of 80 points and a 31-point advantage over Doug Williams in second place. Terrence Ng, Mizuno’s international teammate, finished third on 47 points. “Winning the Order of Merit is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, so it’s nice to have accomplished it before I head off to university,” said Mizuno. “I tried my best to win here but Max [Wong] played great and he is a very deserving champion.”
HKGOLFER.COM
HKGA Order of Merit Results 1
Shinichi Mizuno
80 points
2
Doug Williams
49
3
Terrence Ng
47
4 Michael Regan Wong
33
5
Jackie Chan
32
6 Max Wong
30
7
23
Jeffrey Wang
8 Humphrey Wong
21
9 Matthew Cheung
20
10
17.5
Leon Philip D’Souza
HK Golfer・MAR 2013
43
Jackie Chan
Tim Orgill
Fritz Lo 44
HK GolferăƒťMAR 2013
Terrence Ng
Oliver Roberts
Doug Williams
Michael Regan Wong HKGOLFER.COM
HK Golfer Events
Bespoke Golf Days Corporate Hospitality Tournament Management
With over twenty years’ experience, HK Golfer Events is Hong Kong and southern China’s leading golf tournament and event organizers HK Golfer events is a division of HK Golfer, Hong Kong’s premier golf publication. Call (852) 3590 4153 or email info@hkgolferevents.com
HK Golfer
HKGA | LADIES CLOSE
Despite feeling nervous early on in the final round, Michelle Cheung put in a solid performance when it mattered; with National Coach Brad Schadewitz (opposite) after receiving the silverware and an invite to the Ladies World Championship 46
HK GolferăƒťMAR 2013
HKGOLFER.COM
Closing it Out Seventeen-year-old Michelle Cheung wins first Ladies Close title and earns a place in the World Ladies Championship at Mission Hills Hainan, writes Alex Jenkins.
M
Photography by Daniel Wong
ichelle Cheung Wingyee won the Hong Kong Ladies Close Amateur Championship – and with it a spot in this month’s World Ladies Championship – after an accomplished display in the final round at Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club in late February. South Island School student Cheung, 17, closed with a solid 73 over the scenic clifftop layout for a three-day total of 227 and a two-shot advantage over fellow Hong Kong international Kitty Tam Yik-ching, 17, in second. Michelle Lee Ching-suet showed she will be one to watch in the future, the 14-year-old claiming third place, eight shots further back. “I was nervous over the first couple of holes but I was able to par both of them, which calmed me down, and I was pretty steady after that,” said Cheung, who started the round with a slender one-shot lead over Tam. “I only knew I was leading after the 17th hole, which probably helped, but it’s definitely a great feeling to win.” Cheung, who will attend the University of Wisconsin - Madison on a golf scholarship later this year and had Hong Kong men’s international Terrence Ng on her bag, played the dangerous final hole impeccably. A long drive at the par-five closer was followed by a lay-up and a fine pitch to within 10 feet of the flag. Two putts later and she was declared the champion. The World Ladies Championship, a Ladies European Tour event which will feature three of the world’s top 10 players – Inbee Park, Shanshan Feng and Suzann Pettersen – will be played at Mission Hills Hainan from 7-10 March, and Cheung will be one of only six amateurs to take their place in the elite field. HKGOLFER.COM
“Whatever happens there it will be a amazing experience,” said Cheung, who was informed of her berth by Mission Hills Group Executive Director Iain Roberts after holing the winning putt. “I can’t believe it’s happening in two weeks; I’m going to need to practice!” “At Mission Hills we’re very keen to keep growing the game, so we’re delighted to be able to offer Michelle a place in the World Ladies Championship,” said Roberts. “I’m sure she’ll do well and take a great deal away from the tournament.”
Hong Kong Ladies Close Amateur Championship Results 1 Michelle Cheung 2 Kitty Tam 3 Michelle Lee 4 Tiana Gwenn Lau 5 Isabella Leung 6 Emilie Vickie Leung 7= Carrie-Ann Lee Mimi Ho 9 Cindy Lee 10 Estee Vivian Leung
79 81 83 80 75 84 82 90 89 86
75 74 78 82 86 81 84 76 82 80
73 74 76 76 79 76 76 76 79 87
227 229 237 238 240 241 242 242 250 253
HK Golfer・MAR 2013
47
The final group reach the signature 3rd hole
Mimi Ho
Michelle Lee
Isabella Leung
Cindy Lee
48
HK GolferăƒťMAR 2013
Kitty Tam
Tiana Gwenn Lau
HKGOLFER.COM
WEB
MOBILE
HKGolfer ALL THE LATEST GOLFING NEWS AND REVIEWS ONLINE
GET HK GOLFER MAGAZINE IN PRINT AND ON THE WEB EXCLUSIVE ONLINE MATERIAL FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
@hkgolfermag
YOUR NEW HOMEPAGE AT
HKGOLFER.COM
HKGOLFER.COM is powered by Ugli, Hong Kong's most innovative web developers Contact: ugli@timesic.com / (852) 3590 4153 for your new web site
EQUIPMENT
The
Wait is
Over
How would TaylorMade follow the enormous success it found with its white-headed metalwoods of recent years? With adjustability, a dash of colour, a variety of shaft options and new names, writes Charlie Schroeder. Welcome to the R1 and RocketBallz Stage 2
A
bout a year and a half ago, I went to TaylorMade’s 2012 product launch at the La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, California. I’d been to the company’s previous six launches and knew what to expect: the unexpected. Over the years I’d seen them unveil a host of innovative clubs: wedges with removable faces, arachnid-shaped putters, stronger-lofted irons and, of course, the R11 driver which boasted an adjustable face and sole, moveable weights and, if that wasn’t enough, a white crown. Later it became a global bestseller. Before we settled in to watch the presentation, 50
HK Golfer・MAR 2013
the company’s Global Product Line Manager of Metalwoods, Tom Kroll, asked us to join him on the veranda overlooking the golf course. It was there that he unfurled a long green carpet that resembled a thin strip of an American football field. It measured exactly 17 yards, and Kroll, a handsome man with slicked-back hair, asked us to walk it off. He wanted us to understand what 17 yards felt like, because he said, that’s how much farther we’d hit the company’s new RocketBallz 3-wood. Afterwards we adjourned to a conference room, where different department heads introduced their new products, many of which fell under the RocketBallz line. The guys at TaylorMade are HKGOLFER.COM
usually a confident, charismatic bunch, dressed sportily in 100 per cent Adidas (their parent company), but they were noticeably nervous. On more than one occasion a representative chuckled when he uttered the word, “RocketBallz.” To my surprise a couple people openly acknowledged that they were worried the silly name might backfire. Since introducing the groundbreaking moveable-weight R7 driver in 2004, the company had made very few missteps, a rarity in the golf equipment business. Business was good – really good. They’d not only survived the Great Recession, but thrived throughout it, slipping into the red only one year (2009, when sales were down two per cent). To their great satisfaction, they’d also been trouncing their rival, Callaway, who struggled under former Revlon CEO George Fellows. Despite all the good fortune however, I wondered if their luck had finally run out. Golf, after all, is a pretty conservative sport. How would people react to a club called RocketBallz? About five hours later, after testing the clubs on La Costa’s Champions Course and exclaiming “RocketBallz!” after virtually every shot, I had my answer. TaylorMade’s luck was not going to run out. In fact, they were on the cusp of even greater success and it would have nothing to do with hitting the ball 17 yards farther (a dubious claim anyway as only better players saw those kinds of gains). Their success would have everything to do with the funny name. In a year when rival manufacturers released clubs named MP-650, SF-511, and G20, “RocketBallz” was refreshingly different. Just like the R11’s white crown which stood out at Tour events on TV, RocketBallz dared to be different. Not everyone liked the name, but it got people talking. It was viral marketing at its finest. In the US last year, TaylorMade grabbed 47 per cent of every dollar spent on woods, a remarkable achievement. Judging by the number of players one sees at Kau Sai Chau who wield the brand’s clubs, that success has well and truly crossed the Pacific to Hong Kong too. Here’s a dirty little secret from somebody who has written about golf equipment for the last seven years: every major manufacturer produces excellent golf clubs. It’s just that TaylorMade does a better job of getting people to buy their clubs. In addition to designing technologically innovative gear, they’re marketing geniuses. They understand how to get people excited about using and buying their golf clubs, whether by putting a white-crowned driver in a long-driving Tour player’s hands, dreaming up a ridiculous name or creating an adjustable driver that promises to fix one’s slice without having to fix one’s swing. They know how to stand out from the crowd. This has been their modus operandi ever since HKGOLFER.COM
After testing the clubs and exclaiming “RocketBallz!” after virtually every shot, I had my answer. TaylorMade’s luck was not going to run out ... they were on the cusp of even greater success. HK Golfer・MAR 2013
51
TaylorMade have accomplished the distance gains by improving on the original RocketBallz speed slot, a hollow strip behind the clubface, and by incorporating high-strength steel.
they released the R7 back in 2004 and they haven’t messed with it for this year’s offerings. As anyone who’s watched the PGA Tour this year can attest, TaylorMade’s marketing campaign is predictably aggressive and colourful. At last month’s AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, pros and celebrity amateurs sported yellow bucket hats as part of the company’s “One Bucket” marketing campaign. (The thought being that all you have to do is hit one bucket of balls with their new RocketBladez irons to make the switch to them.) TV advertisements have further emphasized distance gains and personalization in their innovative new products. In yet another bold move, the company has introduced a new white-crowned driver (albeit with additional red, black and gray racing stripe graphics) that comes in only one model. Why just one model? Well, aside from saving on manufacturing costs, TaylorMade claims that 80 per cent of all golfers play drivers with the wrong lofts. With the new R1 you can find the loft that’s right for you because you can adjust it from 8-12 degrees. With a little bit of fiddling, the thinking goes, you’ll have your perfect loft. Additionally you can adjust the weight in the heel or toe and the face angle. Now, that’s a lot to tweak, of course, and it’s likely that few people will bother with too much adjustment, but TaylorMade is betting that people will want a club that does it all for you. Also new for 2013 is the RocketBallz Stage 2 fairway woods, which TaylorMade claims goes an additional 10 yards farther than last year’s RocketBallz. If you consider their earlier 17-yard distance boost claim, that’s a 27-yard increase over other fairway woods (if you’re a better player of course). They accomplished this by improving on the original RocketBallz speed slot, a hollow strip behind the clubface, and by incorporating a high-strength steel typically used in aircraft landing gear. This steel, which they call RocketSteel, allowed their engineers to create a thinner, faster face and to move the club’s center of gravity low and forward, which helps project the ball higher with less spin. (The distance gain also comes from the fact that the club measures 43.5”, up to a half an inch longer than typical 3-woods). Do these clubs live up to the hype or are they just cleverly marketed? They certainly impressed the HK Golfer editorial team at a recent test event in Macau, but only you’ll be able to answer those questions because ultimately the “best” club is the one that’s right for your game. And, while it might be fun to tweak and mess around with a club’s settings – not to mention scream “RocketBallz!” after every shot – the only real way to find the one that’s right for you is to take the time to test them out.
SCORECARD R1 Driver Comes shipped in a 10° loft but has a range between 8° and 12°. 460cc clubhead volume and 45.5” length. Stock shaft is the Aldila Rip Phenom 55 and comes in four different flexes. Custom options available. TP version also available. HK$5,600
RocketBallz Stage 2 3-Wood 15°, 43.5”, 175cc clubhead volume. Stock shaft is a Matrix Rocketfuel 60 in five different flexes. Numerous custom shaft options available. HK$2,580
52
HK Golfer・MAR 2013
HKGOLFER.COM
| GROWING THE GAME
Caddie Tales
What’s it take to launch a caddie programme at a brand-new club? Paul Myers travelled to the Nick Faldo-designed Laguna Lang Co in Vietnam to find out.
L
HKGOLFER.COM
HK Golfer・MAR 2013
Richard Castka / Sportpix International
ast October, an hour before Tim Haddon began interviewing caddies are fully conversant and comfortable prospective caddies for the new Laguna Lang Co Golf Club on with their role. Vietnam’s Central Coast, he knew his hiring strategy had paid off. Lang Co locals, Thao Nguyen, 21, and The hall he rented, in the fishing village of Lang Co, about Quyen Dang, 20, jumped at the chance to 20 kilometres from the golf club and 80km south of Hue, was become a caddie when the opportunity arose. surrounded by young women, all seeking a chance to become an “I want to learn new things, like golf integral part of the five-star resort course in Thua Thien-Hue province. knowledge and English skills,” says Thao “I thought we might expect 30 to 50 candidates, but more than 250 arrived who graduated from a tourism college in Hue within the first hour. By the end of the recruitment day we had interviewed 437,” before joining Laguna Lang Co, and previously recalled Haddon, the golf club’s inaugural general manager who has recently knew nothing about golf. If she hadn’t become been promoted to this new position, having transferred from Laguna Phuket a caddie, she says she would have been a Golf Club in Thailand where he was the director of golf. receptionist or tour guide. After two rounds of The high level of interest in employment opportunities at Laguna Lang Co – caddying, she found the job not as daunting as for caddies as well as other staff – she had expected. reflects the socio-economic nature Quyen was studying of the region where low incomes, at a tou r i sm s c ho ol high unemployment and limited in Danang when she opportunity are common. hea rd about t he job The 60 caddies who were hired, opportunity at Laguna most aged between 19 and 23, Lang Co. are now wearing a smart green Professing to and white Laguna Lang Co Golf be nervous about Club uniform and traditional the prospect of Vietnamese straw hat as they go accompanying golfers about their task of showing golfers around t he course, the nuances of Southeast Asia’s Quyen had yet to put newest golf course. her training into action “The recruitment attracted a when interviewed during large number of local job seekers, On top of their pay, caddies at Laguna receive Laguna Lang Co’s prebut our main challenge was to a tip from the golfer – typically US$10 opening period. provide them with proper training She rated her and show what being a golf caddie is all about,” Haddon explained. “We priorities as securing on-the-job knowledge and offered jobs to 60 – based on where they lived, their English ability, personality experience and developing a strong work ethic. and skillset.” For Haddon and Golf Club Manager Darren As the number of players at the new course builds, each caddie should get a round Robson, opening of the course with a full at least every second day. On top of their pay they receive a tip from the golfer who complement of caddies is the culmination of they accompany and assist – usually 200,000 Vietnamese Dong or about US$10. a two-year process that included the purchase It has been a rapid learning experience for the new recruits, none of whom had of more than 1,000 line items including previous caddie experience. They had to be taught what the game is about from maintenance equipment to turn the golf course the ground up – its history, all about clubs and balls, etiquette, interaction with into a playable reality. players, holding the flag, ‘reading’ a green and, for some, the most challenging “This has been a huge task, but a very task of all, driving a golf cart. fulfilling one,” Haddon said. “We feel a sense of “We have had to start from ground zero in developing a training manual accomplishment to see the community in their and then implementing all aspects of it to ensure our caddies are as proficient as caddie uniforms with confidence to get out on anywhere else. This provides gainful employment to these young women who the course. This is the end of one part of the otherwise would have limited job opportunities,” continued Haddon. process, but the start of another as we begin Daily English classes are part of the training, which takes three months before welcoming players to the course.” 53
AFP
GOLF ATRAVEL Player’s Guide
Tourists take an elephant ride in the shadow of the ancient Sigiriya rock fortress, one of Sri Lanka’s most famous cultural sites 54
HK Golfer・MAR 2013
HKGOLFER.COM
Asia’s Emerald Isle
Home to just a handful of courses, Sri Lanka might lag behind some of the region’s most popular destinations in respect of playing opportunities. But with a tradition in the Royal and Ancient game virtually unmatched in this part of the world, golf is the perfect complement to a visit to this rejuvenated nation’s many off-course wonders, writes Alex Jenkins.
HKGOLFER.COM
HK Golfer・MAR 2013
55
S
ituated off the southern tip of India, the tropical island of Sri Lanka has attracted travellers for centuries with its palm-fringed beaches, diverse landscapes and ancient monuments. Indeed, Marco Polo was sufficiently impressed to describe Ceylon, as it was then known, as ‘undoubtedly the finest island of its size in all the world’. On of the more advanced countries of South Asia, Sri Lanka suffered throughout the 1980s and 1990s due to a civil war that disrupted the economy and kept tourists away. Now, however, the tourists are back. Thanks to the military’s defeat of the Tamil Tigers in early 2009, travellers are once again enjoying Sri Lanka’s traditional attractions and spending time on the island’s golf courses. Sri Lanka’s golfing history may now be well known but it certainly interesting. The country’s amateur championship, first played in 1891, follows only that of Britain as the eldest national title in the world. Royal Colombo Golf Club, inaugurated in 1879, is among the 25 eldest clubs in the world.
island offer a large number of activities. Diving, snorkelling, deep-sea fishing or just lazing on the sand is on the agenda for many. While there are resort hotels – and a growing number of very fine villas and boutiquestyle residences – at Bentota, Weligama and Unawatuna, much of the coast is still undeveloped – making it possible to leave the crowds and to have a beautiful stretch of sand all to yourself. If a beach holiday is not for you then Sri Lanka offers a variety of alternatives. Go on safari along the coast at Yala West National Park, home to elephants and leopards. Take in the historic sites at Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, and the spectacular rock fortress of Sigiriya. Too hot? Head for the central highlands and Nurawa Eliya where, at over 6,000 feet above sea level, the cool climate makes for a refreshing change from the rest of the country. Sights in the area include the beautiful Horton Plains, with some rigorous walks, and include the dramatic World’s End – a breathtaking drop of some 2,800 feet allowing truly magnificent views. The region is also where tea, Sri Lanka’s largest export, grows. Vast plantations take up entire hillsides and it is possible to stop at one of the factories and take a tour.
Golf, however, is not for what Sri Lanka is most famous. To many tourists, particularly those from Europe, Sri Lanka means the beach – and for good reason. Considered to be among the finest in the world, the beaches along the western, southern and, increasingly, western coasts of the
City Sounds
AFP
Rest and Relaxation The awe-inspiring Adam’s Peak (above) in the island’s central highlands; the signature par-4 sixth at Victoria Golf & Country Resort (opposite) 56
HK Golfer・MAR 2013
Colombo is relatively ‘green’ for an Asian capital, with many parks and cricket grounds making up a significant area of the city. While it may not be everyone’s favourite stop in Sri Lanka, the capital – HKGOLFER.COM
set on the island’s eastern coast – has its own share of sights. It is also the best place to go shopping. Try the bustling bazaar area at the Pettah, or one of the hundreds of shops selling clothes, handloom fabrics and gems. To unwind at the end of the day and enjoy a drink on the veranda at the Galle Face Hotel, a charming colonial-era hotel, and watch the sunset over the Indian Ocean. Colombo may be the capital, but Kandy – almost in the exact middle of the island – remains the Sinhalese cultural and spiritual centre. It is here where the famous Dalada Maligawa – or Temple of the Tooth – houses Sri Lanka’s most famous Buddhist relic, the sacred tooth of Buddha.
Golfing Sri Lanka
The respected British architect Donald Steel built Victoria at Digana, 15 miles east of Kandy, in 1999. Located on a former coconut plantation, the courses features fairly narrow fairways lined with giant palms. At over 1,500 feet above sea level, the course offers fantastic views of the Mahawelli River and the Victoria Reservoir. Measuring 6,945 yards from the back tees and playing to a par of 73, the course is quite a test with some severe undulations making accurate clubbing a must. Although only 14 years old, the course has settled in well – perhaps a little too well in places; the sheer growth of vegetation has found its way into many of the playing corridors and, as a result, this otherwise splendid course would benefit significantly from some thoughtful pruning. Signature hole status at Victoria has been given to the par-4 sixth. At 473 yards on the card the hole looks a beast, but fortunately the tee stands some 45 yards above the fairway and thereby reducing its playing yardage. The drive must finish short of a water ditch and then your approach must avoid a large Mara tree and a long bunker guarding the green. My personal favourite, though, is the 12th, a mid-length par-3 whose plateaulike green is beautifully framed by mountains, dense jungle and a sprawling Mara. Victoria, a fully fledged resort with a range of accommodations on offer, will play host to the 14th SriLankan Airlines Golf Classic, an amateur tournament open to golfers from around the region, from 23-27 October [see sidebar]. In the old days, your transport options for getting to this remote if spectacular club were limited to two rather unappealing choices: a six-hour ride on a cramped, non air-conditioned train or a minimum four-hour drive up a windy – and at times terrifying – mountain road by car. Now, thankfully, you can fly: the SriLankan Air Taxi service from Colombo to Victoria is incredibly scenic, and the landing – which takes place on the adjacent reservoir – is especially thrilling for those unaccustomed to seaplane travel. The flight itself only takes only 40 minutes, making it potentially possible to be standing on the first tee within an hour and a half of landing in the country. Par: 73 Yardage: 6,537 Greens Fee: US$52-62 Architect: Donald Steel Contact: golfsrilanka.com
Alex Jenkins
The best time of the year to pay golf is from December to March when the weather is generally dry and the humidity is relatively low. From March onwards the temperature increases, although rarely past 35 degrees, and the monsoon season lasts from May to August. It is important to note that while there are caddies at all of Sri Lanka’s courses, there are no buggies, which means that walking is your only option. While getting around Sri Lanka quickly is difficult (although the island’s transport infrastructure has improved greatly in recent times), hiring a car and driver can help a lot. The general driving standards are low and the drives can be long. Despite this, playing golf in Sri Lanka comes highly recommended. With surely some of the best value golf to be had in Asia, the journey will be well worth it.
Victoria Golf & Country Resort
HKGOLFER.COM
HK Golfer・MAR 2013
57
Royal Colombo Golf Club
Nurawa Eliya Golf Club
The British brought golf to Sri Lanka and their influence on Royal Colombo Golf Club is strikingly evident. The tree-lined fairways echo the fine heathland gems of the English Home Counties and the impressive clubhouse harks back to those colonial days. Not long at around 6,300 yards from the members’ tee, this par-71 layout features some well placed water hazards and bunkers. The sixth hole sees the Kelani Valley railway line bisecting the fairway at about the distance of a good drive. Local rules allow a free drop, but is comes as some surprise to see commuters on their way to work rushing past you at speed while you are lining up your approach. For many, the best hole on the course is the par-5 14th. A dog-leg left of around 480 yards, the second shot must be drawn over trees and a small pond to have any chance of reaching the putting surface. Miss the green and it is a certain bogey, hit it and an eagle opportunity awaits – this is the ultimate risk-reward golf hole. Because of its location in the heart of town, Royal Colombo is the busiest course on the island, but, even so, securing a tee time is never too much of an issue. Another boon: being a relatively flat course, one populated by members who like to get on with things, rounds seldom take longer than three and a half hours.
Further up into the central highlands lies Nurawa Eliya Golf Club. Situated in the centre of the former British hill station, the par-71, 6,100-yard course plays a bit shorter because of the altitude. Built in 1889, the club has definite old world charm with a typical colonial clubhouse and uniformed staff. The course itself is a delight, with fir-lined fairways and deep rough making accuracy from the tee all the more important. While at Royal Colombo and Victoria the caddies are very good, at Nurawa Eliya they are excellent: highly knowledgeable and quick to dispense helpful advice. It is possible to stay at the club, as there are a few rooms available to visitors. Overseas guests are welcome throughout the week, but it is best to avoid the town in April when finding a room can be difficult due to the Sinhalese and Tamil New Year.
Alex Jenkins
Par: 72 Yardage: 6,560 Greens Fee: US$65-82 Architect: Unknown Contact: rcgcsl.com 58
HK Golfer・MAR 2013
Par: 71 Yardage: 6,075 Greens Fee: US$35-44 Architect: Unknown Contact: negc.lk
The colonial-era clubhouse at Royal Colombo Golf Club (above) in the heart of the Sri Lankan capital; the delightful par-3 12th at Victoria Golf & Country Resort, one of the best holes in the country; an Indian golfer tees off during the popular SriLankan Airlines Classic HKGOLFER.COM
Soar With SriLankan Airlines
GETTING THERE
Regional amateur golfers looking for a challenge will have the opportunity to tee-off at the beautiful Victoria Golf Club near Kandy when SriLankan Airlines hold its 14th annual Golf Classic in October. This year’s tournament will take place from 23-27 October. Located in the Kandyan mountains, the Donald Steel-designed course is surrounded on three sides by picturesque Victoria Reservoir and set amidst the native forests of central Sri Lanka. SriLankan Airlines will be offering special concessionary airfares and tour packages to all participants – anyone with a valid handicap can apply – and accompanying persons, making entr y to the tournament an excellent way to combine golf with some of the island’s better-known historic and cultural sites. The competition will be contested in a 36-hole stableford format with a range of prizes on offer courtesy of SriLankan Airlines, which will be presented at the tournament closing gala dinner. For more information about the tournament visit srilankangolfclassic.com or call the carrier’s Hong Kong reservations office on (852) 2521 0708.
SriLankan Airlines (srilankanairlines. com) operate three flights per week from Hong Kong to Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport with a stop in Bangkok ( journey time: six hours, 30 minutes). SriLankan Airlines is scheduled to join the oneworld alliance of carriers by the end of 2013 when it is thought that the airline will commence a code-share arrangement with Cathay Pacific.
WHEN TO GO Climatically, the driest and best season is from December to March on the west and south coasts and in the hill country. This period is also when most foreign tourists come – many of them escaping the European winter.
NEED TO KNOW While most nationalities do not require a visa to enter the country, all holiday and business travellers to Sri Lanka must obtain Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) prior to arrival. Visit eta.gov.lk for more information. At the time of press, HK$1 equates to LKR16.3 (Sri Lankan Rupee).
HKGOLFER.COM
HK Golfer・MAR 2013
Alex Jenkins (Victoria); AFP (Golfer)
TRIP PLANNER
59
TRAVEL | NEWS
Thailand Tipped for the Top
The Land of Smiles will become the world’s leading golf tourism destination within three years if current growth trends continue, reports Paul Myers.
The sensational Black Mountain Golf Club in Hua Hin, like many courses in Thailand, has experienced year-on-year growth since opening in 2007
T
Richard Castka / Sportpix International
hai golf tourism is riding on the back of a tourism explosion to the kingdom, with total foreign arrivals doubling in the past seven years to more than 22 million in 2012. Mark Siegel, the principal of Thailand’s largest inbound golf tourism company, Golfasian, says the country's golf tourism has also skyrocketed to an estimated 750,000 arrivals in 2012, up 50 per cent in the past three years. If this pace of growth continues, Thailand will pass Spain as the world’s most popular golf tourism destination in 2015 or 2016. Siegel estimates golf tourism was worth 86 billion baht or US$2.88 billion in land arrangements alone to Thailand in 2012. “The past year and the high season now ending have been quite amazing,” Siegel told HK Golfer. “For the first time in several years there was no impediment to Thailand’s huge international appeal – no floods, political unrest or local economic issues. Everything has been ‘go’ and that’s what has happened. Golf tourists have voted with their feet and have overwhelmingly chosen Thailand.” Siegel expects 15 per cent further growth in 2013 to more than 850,000 golf visitors, worth $US$3.68 billion, with the one million mark in visitor numbers expected to be passed in 2015. This would put Thailand on an equal, or similar, footing with Spain, which has dominated international golf tourism for more than a decade, but has been losing market share to emerging destinations including Portugal, Turkey, North Africa and Asia, especially Thailand. Siegel – who is also the founder of Golf In A Kingdom marketing collective that includes Thailand’s leading golf courses, hotels and resorts – says an estimated eight to nine per cent of foreign visitors to Thailand play golf, whereas less than half a per cent of Vietnam’s seven million foreign visitors and about one per cent of Malaysia’s 25 million do so. 60
HK Golfer・MAR 2013
The reason? “Largely, because of the great experience of playing golf in Thailand – the courses, weather, caddies, tourism infrastructure, friendliness of the people, safety and cost. But Thailand also has led the way in promoting golf tourism,” Siegel noted. “Golf is one of Thailand’s four official tourism marketing pillars and, consequently, the government has put a big effort into promoting golf tourism. “Another reason is the large number of repeat visitors. Year after year golfers come back, especially during the northern hemisphere winter, and from within Asia itself. No other golf tourism market comes close to Thailand in securing repeat business.” Just as Asia itself is the major supplier of all tourists to Thailand – about 13 million of 22 million or 60 per cent of the total – the same applies to inbound golfers. About two-thirds – some 500,000 in 2012 – come from Malaysia, Japan, Korea, Singapore, India and, increasingly, China. “The level of Chinese golf tourism is growing every year,” Siegel continued. “Whereas a few years ago, we hardly saw any Chinese golfers in Thailand, it has become reasonably common. There’s no doubt China will be a major feeder market for golf tourism to Thailand and other countries in the future.” HKGOLFER.COM
GLOBAL TOURNAMENT NEWS
Kuchar the Match Play King WORLD NUMBER EIGHT DEFEATS FELLOW AMERICAN AT THE END OF A WACKY WEEK IN ARIZONA.
M
att Kuchar denied Hunter Mahan a WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship title repeat, triumphing over his fellow American 2 and 1 in the final at Dove Mountain in late February.
HKGOLFER.COM
"It was tricky," Poulter said. "It was a lot windier today. Hunter never gave me too many opportunities. A couple of chip shots weren't quite right, couple of bunker shots weren't quite right. I'm a bit disappointed I didn't press him more." Mahan never trailed en route to a 4 and 3 victory over Poulter. He went 1-up at the second hole, and after Poulter squared the match with a par at the fourth, the American immediately regained the advantage with a birdie at the fifth and from there never relinquished the lead. Kuchar rolled in a five-footer for birdie at the 15th to close out a 4 and 3 semi-final win over Day, who was unable to make his 22-footer to extend the match.
2013 Accenture Match Play Championship Results 1 Matt Kuchar
US$1,500,000
2 Hunter Mahan
US$875,000
3 Jason Day
US$615,000
4 Ian Poulter
US$500,000
5= Robert Garrigus
US$275,000
Graeme McDowell
US$275,000
Webb Simpson
US$275,000
Steve Stricker
US$275,000 AFP
Kuchar, eliminated by Mahan in the quarter-finals of the elite 64-man event last year, avenged that defeat as he prevented Mahan from joining Tiger Woods as the only back-to-back winners of the title. Mahan was the first defending champion to return to the final since 2006 winner Geoff Ogilvy of Australia was runner-up in 2007. Kuchar, who played in November's UBS Hong Kong Open for the first time, never trailed in the championship match, and in fact trailed for just three holes the entire week. The victory was his first in a WGC event and his fifth on the PGA Tour. Australian Jason Day was third, defeating former champion Ian Poulter of England in the consolation final 1-up. Kuchar's triumph capped a wild week in the Arizona desert, where a snowstorm that halted firstround play on Wednesday was just the first surprise. When the first round was finally completed on Thursday (a day late), the top two players in the world, Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods, were on their way home, and the second round saw the next four seeds – Luke Donald, Louis Oosthuizen and Justin Rose – eliminated as well. The delays, which also included some morning frost delays, made for long days. But after the third round and quarter-finals were contested on the Saturday, Poulter was looking a good bet to challenge for the title. But the Englishman, whose match play credentials include an unblemished Ryder Cup singles record as well as a triumph in this event in 2010 and in the World Match Play Championship in Spain in 2011, fell to Mahan in the semi-finals on Sunday morning, when a biting wind made for tough going.
HK Golfer・MAR 2013
61
GLOBAL TOURNAMENT NEWS
PGA TOUR FARMERS INSURANCE OPEN Torrey Pines, California 24 - 28 January, US$6.1 million
WOODS NOTCHES 75TH
Tiger Woods claimed his seventh victory at Torrey Pines to move closer to Sam Snead's record 82 PGA Tour wins with a dominant display on the Californian coast. Woods, without a Major title since the 2008 US Open, took the lead on Saturday and at one point held an eight-shot advantage before stumbling slightly on the back nine at the rain-affected tournament. 1 Tiger Woods
USA
68 65 69 72
274 US$1,098,000
2= Brandt Snedeker
USA
65 75 69 69
278
US$536,800
USA
66 70 73 69
278
US$536,800
4= Nick Watney
USA
69 68 71 71
279
US$268,400
USA
67 69 72 71
279
US$268,400
6= Robert Garrigus
USA
72 69 72 67
280
US$204,350
Rickie Fowler
USA
77 65 70 68
280
US$204,350
Aaron Baddeley
AUS
71 72 68 69
280
US$204,350
9= Bill Haas
USA
69 69 72 71
281
US$146,400
USA
68 70 72 71
281
US$146,400
Josh Teater
Jimmy Walker
Graham Delaet
Phil Mickelson
WASTE MANAGEMENT PHOENIX OPEN
AT&T PEBBLE BEACH NATIONAL PRO-AM
LEFTY GOES WIRE-TO-WIRE
SNEDEKER SNARES TITLE
TPC Scottsdale, Arizona 31 Jan - 3 February, US$6.2 million
Pebble Beach Golf Links, California 7-10 February, US$6.5 million
Phil Mickelson won his first tournament in nearly a year thanks in part to a brilliant first-round 60 at the traditionally low-scoring TPC Scottsdale. The 42-year-old left-hander's total of 256 was two strokes shy of the PGA Tour's record – set by Tommy Armour III at the 2003 Texas Open – but was easily enough for him to claim his third victory in Phoenix. 1 Phil Mickelson
USA
60 65 64 67
256
US$1,116,000
2 Brandt Snedeker
USA
64 66 65 65
260
3 Scott Piercy
USA
70 66 64 61
4 Ryan Moore
USA
5 Ryan Palmer
Brandt Snedeker made it a case of third-time lucky with victory at Pebble Beach after finishing the previous two events in second place. Snedeker, last year's FedExCup champion, earned his fifth PGA Tour event with a stellar display on the Monterey Peninsula, finishing with a tournament record total of 267, one shot better than Phil Mickelson (in 2007) and Mark O'Meara (1997). 1 Brandt Snedeker
USA
66 68 68 65
267
US$1,170,000
US$669,600
2 Chris Kirk
USA
71 68 64 66
269
US$702,000
261
US$421,600
3= James Hahn
USA
71 65 66 70
272
US$338,000
66 66 65 65
262
US$297,600
Kevin Stadler
USA
69 69 69 65
272
US$338,000
USA
64 73 66 62
265
US$248,000
Jimmy Walker
USA
68 71 67 66
272
US$338,000
6= Bill Haas
USA
65 64 70 67
266
US$207,700
6 Jason Day
AUS
68 68 70 67
273
US$234,000
Brendon de Jonge
ZIM
66 67 67 66
266
US$207,700
7= Fredrik Jacobson
SWE
71 66 70 67
274
US$209,625
Brendan Steele
USA
69 65 65 67
266
US$207,700
USA
68 69 67 70
274
US$209,625
9= Matt Every
USA
69 65 65 67
267
US$173,600
9= Patrick Cantlay
USA
66 70 72 67
275
US$175,500
IRL
64 70 63 70
267
US$173,600
RSA
71 68 67 69
275
US$175,500
Retief Goosen
AFP
Padraig Harrington
Patrick Reed
62
HK Golfer・MAR 2013
HKGOLFER.COM
GLOBAL TOURNAMENT NEWS
NORTHERN TRUST OPEN Riviera CC, California 14-17 February, US$6.6 million
MERRICK'S PLAY-OFF
Hometown hero John Merrick bested Charlie Beljan on the second hole of a sudden-death play-off to win the Northern Trust Open at historic Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles. Merrick made a solid par at the famous 315-yard par-4 10th – the second play-off hole – which proved enough to give him his first PGA Tour title after Beljan missed a four-footer to extend the tournament. 1 John Merrick
USA
68 66 70 69
273
US$1,188,000
2 Charlie Beljan
USA
67 71 68 67
273
US$712,800
3= Bill Haas
USA
70 67 64 73
274
US$343,200
Fredrik Jacobson
SWE
68 65 72 69
274
US$343,200
Charl Schwartzel
RSA
69 67 68 70
274
US$343,200
6= Webb Simpson
USA
70 66 68 71
275
US$229,350
Josh Teater
USA
70 68 68 69
275
US$229,350
8= Bae Sang-moon
KOR
68 65 76 67
276
US$198,000
Hunter Mahan
USA
70 69 68 69
276
US$198,000
10= Greg Chalmers
AUS
69 69 73 67
278
US$165,000
Chris Wood
OMEGA DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC Emirates GC, UAE 31 Jan - 3 February, US$2.5 million
GALLACHER'S TIMELY EAGLE
Stephen Gallacher, without a tournament victory since 2004, holed his second shot to the par-4 16th for an eagle to extinguish the challenge of Richard Sterne at the Middle East's oldest professional golf tournament. Gallacher, who had a brilliant 62 in the third round, matched the tournament's all-time lowest winning total of 266, first achieved by Thomas Bjorn in 2001, to rise to 60th in the Official World Golf Rankings.
EUROPEAN TOUR
1 Stephen Gallacher
SCO
63 70 62 71
266
€309,233
2 Richard Sterne
RSA
62 70 66 71
269
€206,153
COMMERCIAL BANK QATAR MASTERS
3= Felipe Aguilar
CHI
68 68 66 69
271
€104,460
DEN
67 66 67 71
271
€104,460
5= Marcus Fraser
AUS
67 69 69 67
272
€71,805
ENG
67 71 66 68
272
€71,805
7= Robert Rock
ENG
70 68 67 68
273
€47,870
Ricardo Santos
POR
66 71 69 67
273
€47,870
Steve Webster
ENG
69 69 65 70
273
€47,870
10= Tommy Fleetwood
ENG
65 68 69 72
274
€35,624
Doha GC, Qatar 23 - 27 January, US$2.5 million
WOOD WINS IN STYLE
Chris Wood claimed his first European Tour victory in style by eagling the par-5 18th hole for a dramatic one-shot win over Sergio Garcia and George Coetzee, who shared second place. Englishman Wood, who has let slip a number of chances for that maiden tournament triumph, said: "That's an enormous weight lifted off my shoulders today. I feel like I can go on and win more." ENG
67 70 64 69
270
€310,917
2= George Coetzee
RSA
69 67 70 65
271
€162,069
Sergio Garcia
ESP
69 66 70 66
271
€162,069
4= Alexander Noren
SWE
71 67 66 71
275
€86,188
Steve Webster
ENG
69 71 67 68
275
€86,188
6= Branden Grace
RSA
70 68 67 71
276
€55,966
Simon Khan
ENG
67 73 64 72
276
€55,966
Anthony Wall
ENG
66 71 70 69
276
€55,966
9= Felipe Aguilar
CHI
69 67 73 68
277
€33,073
Victor Dubuisson
FRA
68 72 68 69
277
€33,073
Lee Westwood
Stephen Gallacher AFP
1 Chris Wood
Thorbjorn Oleson
HKGOLFER.COM
HK Golfer・MAR 2013
63
GLOBAL TOURNAMENT NEWS
JOBURG OPEN
Royal Johannesburg & Kensington GC, South Africa 7-10 February, €1.3 million
STERNE COMPLETES COMEBACK
Richard Sterne cruised to his first European Tour title in more than four years, winning the Joburg Open at a canter following a final-round 64. Sterne finished with a tournament record total of 27-under-par, seven shots ahead of Charl Schwartzel, his closest challenger. "That was probably the best round of my career," said Sterne. "It was quite special to finish the way I did." RSA
63 65 68 64
260
€206,050
2 Charl Schwartzel
RSA
68 65 68 66
267
€149,500
3= Felipe Aguilar
CHI
67 66 68 67
268
€69,160
ASIAN TOUR
George Coetzee
RSA
67 64 70 67
268
€69,160
ZAYKABAR MYANMAR OPEN
Ricardo Santos
POR
70 65 69 64
268
€69,160
6= Thomas Aitken
RSA
67 70 66 66
269
€37,783
Royal Mingalardon G&CC, Yangon 21-24 February, US$300,000
Trevor Fisher Jnr
RSA
66 62 68 73
269
€37,783
CHAWALIT'S FINE FINISH
Keith Horne
RSA
67 66 71 65
269
€37,783
9= Lorenzo Gagli
ITA
67 68 68 67
270
€26,780
RSA
70 68 65 67
270
€26,780
Garth Mulroy
THA
67 66 68 69
270
US$54,000
East London GC, South Africa 14-17 February, €1 million
2 Mithun Perera
SRI
71 68 67 65
271
US$33,000
3 Kiradech Aphibarnrat THA
64 67 71 70
272
US$18,900
FICHARDT HANGS ON
4= Hwang In-choon
KOR
66 70 70 67
273
US$12,430
Darren Beck
AUS
66 69 69 69
273
US$12,430
Angelo Que
PHL
69 68 66 70
273
US$12,430
7= Quincy Quek
SIN
71 69 67 67
274
US$7,440
Lionel Weber
FRA
67 69 70 68
274
US$7,440
Rahil Gangjee
IND
71 66 67 70
274
US$7,440
TPE
67 67 71 70
275
US$5,280
South Africa's Darren Fichardt survived a late wobble to win his fourth European Tour title by two shots after closing with a 71 in difficult conditions. Fichardt, whose previous victories came in France last year, Qatar in 2003 and Brazil in 2001, sealed his first Tour title on home soil after finishing at 16-under-par, despite bogeys at three of his last five holes.
Richard Castka / Sportpix International
Chawalit Plaphol dashed Mithun Perera’s hopes of becoming the first Sri Lankan winner on the Asian Tour when he birdied the last two holes to win in Myanmar. Chawalit was tied with Perera on 17-under heading into the last hole but the Thai set up a three-foot birdie putt with an exquisite approach shot at the par-5 18th hole to win his fourth Asian Tour title. 1 Chawalit Plaphol
AFRICA OPEN
64
Chawalit Plaphol
1 Richard Sterne
1 Darren Fichardt
RSA
69 67 65 71
272
€158,500
2= Gregory Bourdy
FRA
70 67 67 70
274
€92,100
RSA
66 67 68 73
274
€92,100
4 Garth Mulroy
RSA
72 67 69 67
275
€49,100
5= Desvonde Botes
RSA
74 67 66 70
277
€32,700
ENG
70 70 69 68
277
€32,700
Mark Tullo
CHI
69 69 68 71
277
€32,700
RSA
70 68 68 71
277
€32,700
9= Andrew Curlewis
ENG
69 73 69 67
278
€19,700
ARG
70 71 64 73
278
€19,700
Jaco Van Zyl
Andy Sullivan
Tjaart Van der Walt
Emiliano Grillo
HK Golfer・MAR 2013
10= Hung Chien-yao
Richard Sterne HKGOLFER.COM
GLOBAL TOURNAMENT NEWS
LPGA TOUR
Inbee Park
HONDA LPGA THAILAND Siam CC, Chonburi 21-24 February, US$1.5 million
HEARTBREAK FOR ARIYA
Inbee Park of South Korea took advantage of overnight leader Ariya Jutanugarn's triple bogey on the last hole to secure a one-stroke victory. Jutanugarn blew a two-stroke lead on the 18th when she first had to take a drop and then missed a three-foot putt to force a playoff. The 17-year-old Thai golfer, who had a hole-in-one earlier in the round, was moved to tears as the putt lipped out. 1 Inbee Park
KOR
67 71 71 67
276
US$225,000
2 Ariya Jutanugarn
THA
69 66 70 72
277
US$140,305
3= So Yeon Ryu
KOR
68 68 74 68
278
US$73,935
Beatriz Recari
ESP
68 68 72 70
278
US$73,935
Stacy Lewis
USA
63 69 76 70
278
US$73,935
Yani Tseng
TPE
75 68 72 63
278
US$73,935
7 Na Yeon Choi
KOR
73 71 67 68
279
US$43,401
8= Lizette Salas
USA
68 69 73 70
280
US$36,104
PRC
71 72 68 69
280
US$36,104
KOR
70 72 72 67
281
US$29,958
Shanshan Feng
10= IK Kim
Advertise! In Hong Kong's Premier Golf Magazine write to
ads@hkgolfer.com or call
3590 4153
EVENTS
Classic Collaboration Audemars Piguet and Prince Jewellery & Watch paired up last month for an Haute Horlogerie exhibition in Tsim Sha Tsui.
A disassembled Audemars Piguet Calibre 2885 structure was displayed at the exhibition to offer guests an immersion into the spectacular complexity of Haute Horlogerie.
Renowned luxury Swiss watch manufacturer Audemars Piguet collaborated with Prince Jewellery & Watch to organise an Haute Horlogerie exhibition at Ocean Centre in Harbour City last month. The exhibition was open to the public and took place from 2 February to 1 March. Over 30 Audemars Piguet timepieces were especially selected to be displayed at the exhibition, including Grande Complications as well as the latest models from various Audemars Piguet collections. Visitors also had the exclusive opportunity to take a closer look at the traditional watchmaking craftsmanship and virtuoso heritage of the Manufacture in Le Brassus. David von Gunten, CEO of Audemars Piguet Hong Kong & China, commented, “Prince and Audemars Piguet have developed a strong partnership and synergy over the years. We are excited to once again join hands to organize this Haute Horlogerie exhibition, which perfectly showcases the excellence and exclusivity of Audemars Piguet.” In order to illustrate and accentuate the exceptional craftsmanship of Audemars Piguet, a disassembled Calibre 2885 structure was displayed at the exhibition to offer guests an immersion into the spectacular complexity of Haute Horlogerie and even more so of the Grandes Complications, for which La Vallée de Joux is world famous. The enlarged images clearly demonstrate the intricate structure and sophisticated craftsmanship of this impressive Grande Complication movement. Comprising of no less than 648 parts, several Grande Complications functions, such as the perpetual calendar, minute repeater and split-seconds chronograph are fitted inside this movement that measures a mere 8.55cm in thickness. Each of them is finished, decorated and assembled by a single watchmaker who dedicates six months of patience and artistry. 66
HK Golfer・MAR 2013
Over 30 Audemars Piguet timepieces were especially selected to be displayed during the exhibition, including Grande Complications
HKGOLFER.COM
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 24
With these two models, Cartier emphasizes Chronograph in the Rotonde de Cartier series, that it’s a trendsetter in watch design. I wouldn’t the first in its fine watchmaking line, equipped be surprised to see more mystery watches from with its manufacture calibre 1904-CH MC. The automatic movement, with a 48-hour other brands after this intriguing collection. power reserve, features a Moving on to the other new retrograde day and column calibres, a particularly attractive one is This year’s wheel chronograph. The the Ballon Bleu de Cartier Tourbillon unveiling attests to watch comes in either a with double jumping second timezone, a unique take on the dual Cartier’s continuing 42mm 18k white gold case with silver dial, or a very time watch. The dial features a central desire to make its attractive rose gold case minute hand and two jumping hour and chocolate dial. mark in the fine counters, one for the local time, with Extending its Calibre Arabic numeral hour markers, and the watchmaking de Car tier line, the other for the home time, with Roman world and play brand presents a sporty numeral hour markers. Adjustment is chronograph featuring the magician. easily controlled through a pushpiece in-house movement 1904at 10 o’clock. Fitted with the manualCH MC. The timepiece winding 9456 MC calibre, the watch, which is regulated by a flying tourbillon at 6 retains the aesthetics of its predecessor (hours o’clock, carries the Geneva seal, which says a lot and minutes only) with the three-date aperture more about the quality of the watch now, with and prominent crown guards. The new Calibre the stricter criteria that includes the case and de Cartier Chronograph is offered in rose gold or finishing. The watch comes in a 46mm 18k white steel with the option of a leather strap or bracelet of the same material. gold case with leather strap. For its art piece, Cartier introduces the Rotonde Cartier also presents a Perpetual Calendar
68
HK Golfer・MAR 2013
HKGOLFER.COM
de Cartier 42mm Panther with Granulation. Hours and minutes are shown on a golden dial with an image of a panther, which sounds quite straightforward until you zero in on how the motif was created. Using an ancient technique from the Etruscans, balls of different sizes are made using threads of 22k gold that are cut and then heated over a flame. The balls, or granules, are then assembled one by one and fused with the gold plate to create the relief. The watch is a test in patience, like a microscopic jigsaw puzzle requiring countless hours to complete, and as such will be sold only in a limited series of 20 pieces. The 42mm watch comes in an 18k yellow gold case with 306 brilliant-cut diamonds on the bezel. The manufacture is obviously pulling out all the stops to make its mark in the fine watchmaking world, and this year’s unveiling attests to a continuing desire to play the magician, with pieces created to astound and impress. Clockwise from above: Cartier’s Perpetual Calendar Chronograph; the new Calibre de Cartier Chronograph; Rotonde de Cartier 42mm Panther with Granulation; the Rotonde de Cartier Mystery; the Ballon Bleu de Cartier Tourbillon HKGOLFER.COM
HK Golfer・MAR 2013
69
| FIVE MINUTES WITH ...
Brad Schadewitz
The national coach of the Hong Kong Golf Association tells us about a sensational round at Kau Sai Chau, his penchant for Titleist gear and his love of Pebble Beach. When did you start playing? I started playing at the age of nine. We lived a few miles from a par-3 course and I used to follow my older brother, Steve, there. Steve got a summer job at the course and the owners would let me hunt for golf balls and turn them in at the shop in return for a greens fee. We would also hit plastic golf balls around the yard and make up our own course over and around the house. How often do you play? About twice a month with the Hong Kong team. What’s been your best ever round?
Courtesy of the USGA (Pebble Beach); Alex Jenkins (Schadewitz); AFP (Adam Scott)
I had a 62 over the North Course at the Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau – and that was when it was a par 73! It came during the Lai Sun Charity golf day for the Gary Player Foundation and Mr Player was there for the grand opening of the first two courses. I had an amazing round going and, when he came to join us for a few holes, I told him I was five under through eight. We played three holes together and I birdied all of them. After getting to nine under through 12 I cooled off a bit but then eagled the first hole – it was a shotgun start and we started at the fourth – after holing a great chip for eagle. I still remember one of the guys in my group screaming and jumping up and down – he was more excited than I was. I parred the next and then lipped out on the third from 12 feet for what would have been a 61. I still can’t believe that putt didn’t drop. Mr Player was so encouraging after the round, telling me I shouldn’t be working; I should be playing. He is such a positive man and a great ambassador for the game. Do you have a favourite course? I have been fortunate enough to play at Pebble Beach Golf Links (pictured above) a few times in really good weather. There’s no better place in the world to play on a sunny, warm day. 70
HK Golfer・MAR 2013
Who is your favourite player? I don’t really have a favourite player but I love watching the great golf swings of Tiger Woods, Adam Scott (pictured), Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel. What, if anything, drives you mad when playing? People who don’t take care of the course; not raking bunkers, not replacing divots or fixing ball marks. Who would be in your dream fourball? The actors Bill Murray and Jack Nicholson, Tiger Woods and me for a round at Pebble Beach. That would make for an interesting day. What’s in your bag? Funny you should ask because I have just been fitted for new clubs from Titleist. I’m playing the 913 woods, AP2 irons and Vokey wedges. I still have my old Scotty Cameron Red X mallet putter. It’s all great stuff. I’ve been playing Titleist for 20 years now. –As told to Alex Jenkins HKGOLFER.COM
Masters
The - Golf Tournament 2013 -