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UBS HONG KONG OPEN | PREVIEW

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Champions Australian Sam Brazel defeated Ryder Cup star Rafa Cabrera Bello by just one shot in the 2016 UBS Hong Kong Open. The Hong Kong’s oldest professional sporting event has a habit of producing more than its fair share of memorable moments. With Masters champion Sergio Garcia making his debut in Hong Kong, the 2017 version will just get ever better, writes Louie Chan.

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1959

The Inaugural Hong Kong Open staged with Taiwanese ace Lu Liang-huan taking the title, who was the head pro at Fanling at the time, won the prize fund of HK$2,000 stumped up by the South China Morning Post. He would later become known around the globe as “Mr Lu” because of his star performance at the 1971 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale where he finished second to Lee Trevino.

The Taiwanese became the darling of the Open galleries thanks to his cheery demeanor and bright-blue pork pie hat. Lu would later repeat his Fanling success with victory at the 1974 Hong Kong Open, 15 years after his first victory.

1967

Five-time Open champion Peter Thomson bagged his third Hong Kong Open title of the decade with his 1967 victory at Fanling.

Thomson, who is credited with kick-starting the first series of professional events in Asia, was 38 when he completed his hat-trick and, with his enviably orthodox and rhythmical swing, invariably dominated proceedings at the Hong Kong Golf Club. The Australian, who favoured discussions on politics and listening to classical music to drink ing beer and talking about sport, now runs a flourishing course design business.

1979

Thirty-eight years ago, a young Australian pitched up at Fanling and wowed the galleries with his untamed blonde hair, good looks and aggressive golf game. Greg Norman had only turned pro two years previously but played like a seasoned veteran in winning t he 1979 t it le. He wou ld later add t he 1983 Hong Kong Open to his impressive list of achievements. Despite only winning t wo majors - t he 1986 and 1993 Open Championships - the “Shark” is considered a legend in his home country, inspiring tens of thousands of children - including current superstars Jason Day and Adam Scott - to start playing the game.

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1994

American journeyman pro Craig McClellan stood in the middle of the 18th fairway of the final round needing an eagle two to force a play-off with South African stalwart David Frost. Incredibly, McClellan did exactly that by holing his seven-iron from 160 yards away, but succumbed to the pressure in extra time as Frost walked away with the title. Nevertheless, McClellan’s shot ranks alongside that of Lin Wen-tang’s [see 2008] as the finest (or luckiest) in the history of the event.

2001

Voted as one of the best shots ever at a European Tour event, José Maria Olazábal raked a five-iron from the trees on the last hole to set up an easy tap-in birdie, provided one of the most exciting climaxes at a Hong Kong Open i n l ivi ng memor y. Havi ng trailed Adam Scott and Norway’s Henrik Bjornstad for much of the final round, the Spaniard paved the way for victory following a spectacular birdie-birdie-birdie f inish.

Speaking afterwards, Olazábal said: “You don’t finish with three birdies knowing you have to do it. I pulled it off with a bit of luck and one well executed shot.”

2005

The f irst Hong Kong Open in the UBS sponsorship era started as it had finished with Omega the year before - with another final-hole collapse by South African James Kingston.

A 6 4 on Sat urday had propel led t he likeable Sout h A frican into contention, and when overnight leader Simon Yates – who had a brilliant 61 in the third round – stumbled early, Kingston found himself in sole possession of the lead. Standing on the final tee with a one-stroke advantage over the newly installed European number one Colin Montgomerie, Kingston was determined not to repeat his mistake from the year before where he hit his ball left with a three-wood.

He didn’t. Taking a two-iron, the journeyman pushed his tee shot deep into the trees on the right. A chip back to the fairway was followed by an under-cooked wedge which spun off the front of the green. With the spectators expecting him to get up and down from a relatively straightforward position (and therefore extend the tournament into extra holes), Kingston semi-duffed his chip to 10 feet and then missed the putt. A huge groan reverberated around Fanling and Monty was crowned the winner.

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2008

The 50th anniversary tournament surely ranks as one of the greatest European Tour events of all time. First there was Jason Hak, the 14-year-old amateur from Hong Kong who became the youngest player in European Tour history to make the cut. He celebrated making the weekend action by upstaging José Maria Olazábal - his playing partner in the final round - by outscoring the legendary Spaniard 68 to 69.

But what made this championship was t he play- of f, wh ich saw Li n Wen-ta ng become the first Asian player to win the title since Kang Wook-soon in 1998. After pulling his drive into trouble on the first extra hole, Lin, with his opponents safely in the fairway, looked dead and buried. With nothing to lose, the Taiwanese pulled out a short iron and fired his approach through the foliage, over the greenside bunker to within four feet of the cup. It was nothing short of miraculous, but the drama didn’t end there. McIlroy, who at the time was still without a professional tournament victory to HKGOLFER.COM

his credit, pitched brilliantly to within tap-in distance, and after Molinari narrowly missed his own 10-footer for birdie and Lin holed out, the playoff was down to two.

Standing on the 18th tee for the third time of the afternoon, it was McIlroy’s turn to find trouble. Using his hybrid, his drive bounced off the OB fence that lines the left side of the hole and finished in a horrible position at the bottom of a tree, not far from where Lin had made his great escape.

Buoyed by his good fortune, Lin struck what looked to be a winning drive down the middle of the fairway. But then it was McIlroy’s turn to produce some magic. With 118 yards to go, but with no sight of the pin, the 19-year-old snap-hooked a gap-wedge loaded with spin that somehow caught the back of the green and stopped within 12 feet of the flag. Highfiving his caddie, the Irishman was justifiably delighted - but only for a moment, because Lin then pulled off another gem, firing his own wedge to within inches for a cast-iron birdie. Whipping his cap off to the roar of the crowds, it was this shot, rather than his previous miracle approach that showed his sheer determination to win.

Up at the green, McIlroy faced a ghastly birdie putt: lighting quick, downhill and with significant left-to-right break. Perhaps not surprisingly, his effort sailed past, and after knocking it in for Par, the stage was set for Lin, 50 years after Mr Lu had won the inaugural championship, to tap his in for the greatest of victories.

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2010

The 2010 championship was another classic, with Ian Poulter sealing his 10th European Tour title with a tournament record total of 258 (22-under-par). Poulter had a decidedly hot putter to thank after taking the second-round lead with a jaw-dropping 10-under-par 60.

Consistently hitting the ball to the centre of the small Fanling greens, the 34-year-old was rolling in 10-15-footers with amazing regularity.

But come the final round and Poulter, who had followed up with a 64 in the third round, was having to fend off the challenges mounted firstly by former winner Simon Dyson and then Italian teenage phenomenon Matteo Manassero, who fought his way right back into the tournament with a magnificent 62. Rory McIlroy, who had fired the low round on day one with a 63, was in the hunt yet again, but faded over the closing holes.

Poulter, who was playing with Graeme McDowell in the f inal group, made the tournament his own with an assured stretch of holes on the back nine, and could afford to bogey the last hole to claim the win by the slimmest of margins. For the record, Poulter made only two bogeys during the entire event, which highlights how unusually friendly the scoring conditions were at Fanling that week.

2011

After opening with a superb 64 in blustery conditions, Rory McIlroy fell three shots behind A lvaro Quiros, the long-hitting Spaniard. While Quiros struggled early on Sunday to fall out of contention, McIlroy was magnificent. Fending off the twin challenges of Sweden’s Peter Hanson and playing partner Grégory Havret of France, the 22-year-old reached the 18th hole with a slender one-shot lead. McIlroy tugged his drive ever so slightly but it managed to defy science and instead of bounding out-of-bounds, kicked right and into a good lie in the rough some 95 yards from the flag.

Not t hat t he tou r na ment wa s over.

Mc I l roy ’s shot fou nd t he t re ac herou s greenside bunker. With Havret struggling to save par after finding trouble off the tee, the world number two knew that an up-anddown would clinch the title he so craved.

Splashing delicately from some distance below the level of the green, the shot landed softly and trundled unerringly – brilliantly – into the bottom of the cup to complete a marvellous 65 and a two-shot victory.

McIlroy pumped his fist and let out wild screams of joy.

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2012 & 2013

Making only two bogeys all week, Miguel Angel Jiménez held off the challenge of a rejuvenated Fredrik Andersson Hed to win by just one shot. Jiménez aside, the veterans flourished at Fanling, with New Zealand’s Michael Campbell and Zhang Lian-wei of China featuring on the leader board for most of the tournament before falling back on an enthralling final day.

In the following year, Jiménez defended his title in style to enter the record books yet again. His win meant he matched that the achievement of Hsieh Yung-yo, who also has four Hong Kong Open victories to his credit.

2015

UBS returned as the title sponsor of Hong Kong’s oldest professional sporting event since 2012, renewed its backing of the event with a multiyear commitment to support the Hong Kong Open.

Ju st i n Rose b eca me t he 11t h major cha mpion to win t he UBS Hong Kong Open after an enthralling final-day duel with Lucas Bjerregaard of Denmark. The pair had been neck-and-neck for two days at Fanling, coming into the final day with a share of the lead and they still could not be separated as they stood on the 12th tee on Sunday. But a double bogey from Bjerregaard on the 14th proved crucial and Rose came home in 34 to get to 17 under and win the title.

Rose has returned in 2016 but could just finish at a tied for 36th. And the Olympic champion is coming back again this year.

Maybe a similar showdown against Sergio Garcia like the 2017 Masters?

2016

Sam Brazel began the week ranked 480th in the Official World Golf Ranking but entered the final day at Hong Kong Golf Club tied at the top of the leaderboard alongside Ryder Cup star Cabrera Bello, in just his 17th European Tour appearance. At one point there were six players in a tie for the lead on the back nine. But the Australian held off a group with 11 European Tour titles between them, and an eight-foot putt on the last handed him a closing 68 and a 13-under-par total.

Cabrera Bello, who had been in superb form all week, had birded the 16th and 17th to set up a grandstand finish down the last, but he could only make a par and f inish 12-under as Brazel’s incredible approach set up just the second birdie of the day on the closing hole.

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