European Tour and Asian Tour to promote the Hong Kong Open
EurAsia Golf Ltd, the innovative alliance between The European Tour and the Asian Tour, has made further impact on the world of golf with the announcement that it will promote the Hong Kong Golf Open at the Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling from November 18-21.
This is the first time that EurAsia Golf Ltd has promoted an event in Asia and further illustrates the commitment to ensure unity and cohesion in the commercial and media aspects of both Tours, a pledge outlined when the joint venture was announced during The Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond last July.
The 2010 Hong Kong Golf Open will be co-sanctioned by The European Tour, the Asian Tour and the Hong Kong Golf Association and they joined together to pay tribute to the previous promoter, Parallel Media Group, for the company’s hard work and dedication in making the tournament one of the most eagerly anticipated weeks of the last eight seasons. Parallel Media Group maintains an ongoing relationship with this Tournament through a new contract with EurAsia Golf Ltd and will work with them in building the sponsorship family.
Beginning in 1959, the Hong Kong Golf Open became part of The European Tour International Schedule in the 2002 season, and has a rich history of winners including nine different Major Champions who have amassed 25 Major Championship titles between them. It will also, of course, be the final chance for players to book their places in the season-ending Dubai World Championship the following week, when the winner of The 2010 Race to Dubai will be determined.
George O’Grady, Chief Executive of The European Tour, said: “The Hong Kong Golf Open holds a special place in the sporting affections of Asia as well as amongst our Members, given its rich heritage which stretches back over 50 years. It is a truly prestigious tournament whose history is steeped in golfing folklore.
“EurAsia Golf Ltd is delighted to be promoting the Hong Kong Open. The venture was borne out of a ten year working relationship between ourselves and the Asian Tour which stretches back to our first co-sanctioned tournament in 1999.
“What we now have is a company ideally positioned not only to exploit and enhance the product across the two continents, but also to be easily accessible to international companies looking to develop their own individual strategy in both areas. This season’s Hong Kong Open will give a perfect illustration of that.”
Kyi Hla Han, Executive Chairman of the Asian Tour, said: “The Hong Kong Golf Open has always been one of the most prestigious events on the Asian Tour. This will be a great start to our EurAsia Golf Ltd alliance and we’re confident of maintaining its status on the global golf calendar by co-promoting it with The European Tour.”
Iain Valentine, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Golf Association, said: “We are delighted to work with two leading professional golf bodies in managing our prestigious tournament, the longest-running sporting event in Hong Kong. Having been played at the Hong Kong Golf Club for more than 50 years it has long been one of the highlights of the sporting calendar in the region, and we look forward to welcoming The European Tour’s and the Asian Tour’s finest back to Fanling for what promises to be another great golfing spectacle.”
Grégory Bourdy will be the defending champion for the 2010 edition of the Hong Kong Golf Open. The Frenchman will be attempting to join Miguel Angel Jiménez in the record books as, to date, the Spaniard is the only player to have won the Hong Kong Open twice since it became part of The European Tour International Schedule, triumphing in 2005 and 2008.
Prior to the 2002 season, however, Chinese Taipei’s Hsieh Yung-Yo won four times (1963, ‘64, ‘75 and ‘78) and Australian Peter Thomson triumphed on three occasions (1960, ‘65 and ‘67).