The Hong Kong Open Golf Championship in 2015 is shaping up to be one of the best Hong Kong Open Golf events in recent years. The last few years have seen a decline in star players, which affected viewer numbers and many people thought this may be the end of one of Asia’s flagship events. However, UBS, who sponsored the tournament between 2005 and 2012, renewed its support of the Hong Kong Open Golf Championship with a multi-year commitment. This will be its 57th playing at the Hong Kong Golf Club and will take place 22nd-25th October 2015.
The Hong Kong Open Golf Championship may not be the most prestigious golf event in Asia, but it’s one of the most well-known amongst Pro’s and many of golf’s greatest champions have won the Hong Kong Open Golf Championship. These include Greg Norman, Rory McIlroy, Ian Poulter, Tom Watson, Petter Thompson, Ian Woosnam, Padriag Harrington, and of course four-time winner Miguel Angel Jimenez. The Hong Kong Open Golf Championship has also been won by Colin Montgomerie, Jose Maria Olazabal, Bernard Langer and kiwi Frank Nobilo, so the winner will join an elite list of champions.
This year, TaylorMade players Dustin Johnson and Justin Rose have been confirmed for the Hong Kong Open Golf Championship which will be a huge boost for the event and likely to bring in many more spectators and create more buzz at the event. It’ll be interesting to see how Dustin Johnson plays the short composite course at the Hong Kong Open Golf Championship this year as he can drive it well over 350 yards.
Dustin Johnson had this to say about the Hong Kong Open Championship “I’m excited to be making my first trip to the UBS Hong Kong Open Golf Championship. I’ve heard some great things about the tournament, and that the Hong Kong Golf Club is a real classic golf course with a rich history and tradition. You look at some of the names who have won the tournament – guys like Norman, Watson, Woosnam, Langer, Olazabal, Montgomerie and McIlroy – and you realise there is a great history there. Those are the kind of trophies you want to get your name on.
I’m also really looking forward to visiting Hong Kong. As golfers we are very lucky to have the chance to travel the world playing the game we love and when you get the chance to visit cities as exciting as Hong Kong then it’s difficult to say no. It’s going to be an exciting trip.” He’ll want to win the Hong Kong Open Golf Championship after his major misses this year.
Rose, of course, is a Major Champion having won the 2013 U.S.Open and becoming the first Englishman since Tony Jacklin in 1970 to win an American national open. A truly global player, Rose has won seven times on both The European and PGA Tours, as well as picking up titles in the land of his birth, South Africa; as well as Australia and Japan.
Rose said: “Hong Kong is one of my favourite cities in the world and Fanling is a great golf course. The tournament is close to the end of the Race to Dubai so I liked the idea of putting another tournament on the schedule near the end of the year to give myself as good a chance of possible of winning the Race to Dubai when we get to Dubai at the end of the season. I missed the cut by a shot in 2011 but I loved the course. I remember I made a late run of birdies to almost make the cut, but then missing that cut actually enabled me to spend a weekend in the city and really get to know and love the place.
We stay in an awesome hotel in the middle of town and there are just so many great restaurants and so much to do – when you are away from the course you always feel you are somewhere very special and unique. But hopefully this year I can improve the golf side of things. Fanling is a very traditional, tree-lined, tight course. It’s not long but a great test of golf and not easy as the winning scores usually tell. It’s also great to have UBS back on board as title sponsor – they have a great association with the tournament and we are delighted to have them back.”
For more information about the Hong Kong Open Golf Championship click here
