Son on the Bag: When not playing himself, Langer Jr helps out Dad
finest ever player. Britain even awarded him an honorary OBE for services to golf in 2006. He considers his Ryder Cup appearances — he made 10 as a player and one in 2004 as European captain — to be among his fondest golfing memories. Winning exactly half of his ties, Langer played no small part in shifting the balance of power from the once daunting Americans. He was part of Tony Jacklin’s team that brought the Ryder Cup back to Europe in 1985 for the first time since 1957, and, then two years later, featured in Europe’s breakthrough victory on American soil. However, it wasn’t all smooth
The Langer File DATE OF BIRTH: 27 August 1957 PLACE OF BIRTH: Anhausen, Germany TURNED PRO: 1974 MAJOR VICTORIES: 2 (Masters – 1985, 1993) OTHER PROFESSIONAL VICTORIES: 73 RYDER CUP RECORD: Played 42: Won 21, Lost 15, Halved 6 ACCOLADES: Two-time European Tour Order of Merit winner (1981 and 1984); World Number 1 for 3 weeks (1985); awarded honorary OBE in 2006; inducted into World Golf Hall of Fame in 2001
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sailing. Who could forget that missed 6-foot putt against Hale Irwin on Kiawah Island in South Carolina that allowed the United States to win back the trophy in 1991? “There’s just too many memories from Ryder Cup,” he says. “Making the deciding point at Valderrama (in 1997) to win for Europe stands out and also having a great record in 2002 at the Belfry when I was paired with Monty and never lost a match. “The final highlight was my captaincy in 2004 at Oakland Hills. That was a fantastic week, interacting with 12 players and their spouses with all the fun that we had in the players’ room and also outside on the golf course.” Langer’s shrewd and inspirational captaincy resulted in a record 18 ½ to 9½ victory for the visiting Europeans. These days, not all the golf that Langer plays has the edge of a Ryder Cup or big-money Champions Tour event. He says one of his favourite tournaments is the annual Dell Webb Challenge for father and son. Langer and 19-yearold Stefan won the 2005 and 2006 editions and finished equal fourth in Florida last December. “I call it the fifth Major because it’s so much fun to bring your son inside the ropes and show him what you do for a living and interact with some of the legends of the game,” he says. “He was able to play with Jack Nicklaus and his son among others. Just spending that time together one-on-one and have our family and friends outside the ropes cheering us on is unique and very meaningful.” Stefan, who caddied for Langer senior at the 2008 UBS Hong Kong Open, has yet to make the same impact — at least when he plays on his own. His 28-over-par 98 on his European Tour debut as a 17-year-old at the KLM Dutch Open in 2007 had some wondering if he might have really been the son of cricketer Justin Langer or Rugby League legend Allan Langer. On the same day, Dad carded a 3-under-par 67. A devoted father of four, Langer has the wisdom of 33 years professional experience – including 75 worldwide victories - to share with Stefan, who’s also cut his teeth on the Florida Junior Tour. “When I was younger, golf was everything. I was breathing and living it. Playing golf was always on my mind. Now my priorities have changed a little bit. Golf is still important but it’s not overwhelmingly number one.” So, seven years after his induction into the Golfing Hall of Fame, how much longer does Langer — with five wins in his first 26 starts on the Champions Tour — see himself out there? “I really don’t know. I’ve always said as long as I’m healthy, having fun and having some success then I’m going to continue to play. It’s not as much of a grind as the regular tour so I’ll try to achieve certain things. I just want to be out there and enjoying the great game that we’re able to play.” WWW.HKGA.COM
The Joy of Flight
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h ile Chek Lap Kok is an architectural marvel and arguably the finest airport in the world, aviation enthusiasts from Hong Kong and further afield still get nostalgic about its predecessor, Kai Tak, and the thrill that was landing on Runway 13. Those who lived in Hong Kong before 1998 will remember it well. The red and white checkerboard that let pilots know when to make the sharp right hand turn on approach, the proximity of the industrial buildings and tenement blocks of East Kowloon as the plane lined up on its final descent, the tyre mark-strewn tarmac jutting magnificently out into Victoria Harbour—landing at Kai Tak was always an experience, but one that has since vanished into history…or so we thought. Megabox, the colourful shopping mall in Kowloon Bay, might seem like an unusual setting for wannabe pilots looking to get their kicks, but that’s where Flight Experience, one of the world’s most advanced flight simulators, is located. And unlike the simulators that airline pilots train on, the two at Flight Experience are open to anyone over the age of 12 who wants to experience the thrill of flight. “Flight Experience is about making people’s dreams come true, and many people’s dream is to be able to fly a real jet,” says Alessandro Gadotti, managing director of Flight Experience, China. WWW.HKGA.COM
“Many people that come here already have an Flight Experience interest in aviation but many others come in with G20, Megabox absolutely no experience or knowledge whatsoever. 38 Wang Chiu Road They’re just intrigued by the whole idea and want Kowloon Bay to try it out. After the experience they’re really Tel: (852) 2359-0000 www.flightexperience.com.hk enthusiastic to try it again.” So what is it actually like? Well, jolly good fun is the honest answer—and reasonable too, with flight vouchers starting from HK$1,080, making it a great gift idea. After receiving a thorough pre-flight briefing from your fully trained commercial jet co-pilot, you’re lead into the flightdeck where you familiarize yourself with the instruments of your aircraft—the Boeing 737-800. Upon receiving permission to take-off, you push the throttles forward and after receiving the call of “rotate” from your co-pilot you pull back on the yoke and you’re airborne, flying on an easterly heading towards Tsing Yi and Kowloon beyond. (I was flying from Chek Lap Kok to Kai Tak but there are over 24,000 airports from around the world and any number of itineraries—or flight plans— to choose from). Although keeping the plane “straight and level” without using autopilot isn’t too demanding, descending and executing the required 47 degree bank to land at Kai Tak takes some practice. While my co-pilot was making the necessary flap selection and lowering the landing gear, my feeble attempts at lining up with the runway should have resulted in a “go around”. But I persevered and touched down, albeit at a rather odd angle, half way down the famous landing strip. Not exactly textbook, but we were down safely and Flight Experience had gained another enthusiast. Competition Answer this simple question to win flight vouchers at Flight Experience:
Which type of aircraft can you ‘fly’ at Flight Experience? a) Boeing 777-200 b) Airbus A380-800 c) Boeing 737-800
Send your answers to competitions@hkgolfermagazine.com
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