HK Golfer October 2010 by Times International Creation Ltd

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HK Golfer Style: Audemars Piguet, The Last Drop, Aston Martin One-77

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE HONG KONG GOLF ASSOCIATION ISSUE 48

HKGOLFER.COM

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010

$40

BIGGEST EVER ISSUE!

Ryder Cup Heroes Back at Fanling UBS HK OPEN SPECIAL DISPLAY UNTIL DECEMBER 15

TRAVEL GOLF IN FIJI

Thai Secures Play-off Triumph Diminutive Jaruporn outlasts China’s Peng for maiden Hong Kong Ladies’ Open Amateur Championship win REPORT AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALEX JENKINS

on a three-round total of 218 (five-over-par). Palakawong’s compatriot Pavarisa Yoktuan placed third, three shots adrift, while overnight leader Lee Min of Taiwan slumped to a 78 to finish fourth. Hong Kong’s best finisher was the ever-improving Michelle Cheung. Cheung, 15, ended the tournament in a tie for sixth after carding solid rounds of 76, 77 and 74. Cheria Heng placed eighth, a further two shots back. “It was an exciting finish and in a way it’s a shame only one of us can win,” said the sweetswinging Palakawong, who made a brilliant par save at the par-3 17th hole to remain in contention. “This is the first time I’ve played this golf course – and I really love it.” It was hard luck on Peng, who nearly holed a monster 50-foot birdie putt on the final hole of regulation play that would have given her the title. Agonizingly for the young mainlander, her effort just slid past, but nonetheless she was pleased with her week’s work. “Anything can happen in a play-off and it just didn’t go my way this time,” she said. “But I played very consistently, which I’m happy about, and could have won the tournament with better putting. Overall, it’s been a good event for me.”

Fanling Finale (clockwise from top): Jaruporn, with an impressed audience looking on, pitches on to the 17th green after taking relief from GUR; Peng Chieh watches as her putt for victory slides agonizingly past the cup; Jaruporn didn't make any mistakes in the play-off; Michelle Cheung finished as top Hongkonger; Tiana Lau showed her promise during the week; Cheria Heng enjoyed another strong showing; Mimi Ho discusses the line of a putt with her caddie.

HK LADIES OPEN AMATEUR STANDINGS

aruporn Palakawong defeated China’s Peng Chieh in a sudden-death play-off to win the Helene et Henri Hong Kong Ladies Open Amateur Championship at Fanling early September. The 17-year-old Thai made a solid par on the first hole of the New Course to overcome Peng, who could only make bogey, after the duo finished level

HK GOLFER・OCT/NOV 2010

1 2 3 4 5 6= 8 9 10

Jaruporn PALAKAWONG PENG Chieh Pavarisa YOKTUAN LEN Min HSU Wei-ling Michelle CHEUNG Pinrath LOOMBOONRUANG Cheria HENG Tiana LAU Isabella LEUNG

Thailand China Thailand Taiwan Taiwan Hong Kong Thailand Hong Kong Hong Kong Hong Kong

73 73 72 73 73 72 78 70 73 73 71 78 73 75 77 76 77 74 75 75 77 77 79 73 80 73 77 82 72 80

218* 218 221 222 225 227 227 229 230 234

* Won on first hole of sudden-death playoff

HKGOLFER.COM

HK GOLFER・OCT/NOV 2010

Thai Secures Play-off Triumph Diminutive Jaruporn outlasts China’s Peng for maiden Hong Kong Ladies’ Open Amateur Championship win REPORT AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALEX JENKINS

HK LADIES OPEN AMATEUR STANDINGS

HK GOLFER・OCT/NOV 2010

1 2 3 4 5 6= 8 9 10

Jaruporn PALAKAWONG PENG Chieh Pavarisa YOKTUAN LEN Min HSU Wei-ling Michelle CHEUNG Pinrath LOOMBOONRUANG Cheria HENG Tiana LAU Isabella LEUNG

Thailand China Thailand Taiwan Taiwan Hong Kong Thailand Hong Kong Hong Kong Hong Kong

73 73 72 73 73 72 78 70 73 73 71 78 73 75 77 76 77 74 75 75 77 77 79 73 80 73 77 82 72 80

218* 218 221 222 225 227 227 229 230 234

* Won on first hole of sudden-death playoff

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HK GOLFER・OCT/NOV 2010

results

Around the Clubs The Hong Kong Golf Club Monthly Medal – Gross Section 14 August Brandon Ma won the Monthly Medal Gross Section played over the Old Course with a 73. Monthly Medal – Nett Section 14 August Leonard Ho won the Monthly Medal Nett Section played over the Old Course with a 69. Monthly Medal – Gross Section 4 September Anthony Taylor won the Monthly Medal Gross Section played over the New Course September with a 70. Monthly Medal – Nett Section 4 September Simon Lee won the Monthly Medal Nett Section played over the New Course oSeptember with a 65.

Chairman's Cup 14 August Winner: Runner-up:

Anders Wihlborn (38 points) Richard Leung (35)

Captain's Cup 19 September Gross Winner: Runner-up: Nett Winner: Runner-up:

Peter TC Chan (83) Wilson Chan (85) Wilson Chan (73) Patrick Tam (74)

Chairman's Cup 19 September Winner: Simon Szeto (35 points C/B) Runner-up: Simon Poon (35)

Wong Woon-man

Deep Water Bay Cup 12 September David Wong won the Deep Water Bay Cup played over the DWB Course with a Nett 53. Anthony Tang was the runner-up with a Nett 57, on a count back from John Arnold.

Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club Ladies Section

August Stableford 18 August Division 1 Winner: Marsha Ko (33 points) Runner-up: Mari Maeda (32) Division 2 Winner: Cecilia Szeto (38) Runner-up: Miki Motogui (35 C/B) August Medal 25 August Division 1 Gross Winner: Winner: Runner-up: Division 2 Gross Winner: Winner: Runner-up:

Sunny Kang (84) Mei Fung (74 C/B) Joanne McKee (74) Miki Motogui (98) Mose Mak (71) Fizzy Pavri (77)

September Stableford 1 September Division 1 Winner: Mei Fung (37 points) Runner-up: Emily Lo (35) Division 2 Winner: Lily Lau (38) Runner-up: Milki Motogui (35) September Medal 8 September Division 1 Gross Winner: Mari Maeda (84) Winner: Emily Lo (70) Runner-up: Mei Wu (76) Division 2 Gross Winner: Lily Lau (97) Winner: Cecilia Szeto (78) Runner-up: Miki Motogui (80)

Men’s Section

Captain's Cup 14 August Gross Winner: Runner-up: Nett Winner: Nett Runner-up: 84

Stuart Gethin (74) Peter TC Chan (78 C/B) Rodney Chung (67 C/B) Peter Sun (67)

HK GOLFER・OCT/NOV 2010

2010 Ageas HKPGA Order of Merit Open Division 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Wong Woon-man Grant Gibson Dominique Boulet Ducky Tang Jovick Lee Andrew Good Fung Wai-kuen Tang Man-kee James Stewart Tang Shing-chi Cheng Ka-yiu Eric Ma

45,945.5 points 36,282.5 17,387.5 17,300 13,961.33 13,889 12,895.8 12,464 11,010.5 10,991.33 8,075 7,894

13 14 15

Sung Hang-man Liu Kai-mung Wong Ching-kwan

7,510 7,232.5 6,772.5 HKGOLFER.COM

results

Chairman's Cup 14 August Winner: Runner-up:

Anders Wihlborn (38 points) Richard Leung (35)

Captain's Cup 19 September Gross Winner: Runner-up: Nett Winner: Runner-up:

Peter TC Chan (83) Wilson Chan (85) Wilson Chan (73) Patrick Tam (74)

Chairman's Cup 19 September Winner: Simon Szeto (35 points C/B) Runner-up: Simon Poon (35)

Wong Woon-man

Deep Water Bay Cup 12 September David Wong won the Deep Water Bay Cup played over the DWB Course with a Nett 53. Anthony Tang was the runner-up with a Nett 57, on a count back from John Arnold.

Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club Ladies Section

Sunny Kang (84) Mei Fung (74 C/B) Joanne McKee (74) Miki Motogui (98) Mose Mak (71) Fizzy Pavri (77)

Men’s Section

Captain's Cup 14 August Gross Winner: Runner-up: Nett Winner: Nett Runner-up: 84

Stuart Gethin (74) Peter TC Chan (78 C/B) Rodney Chung (67 C/B) Peter Sun (67)

HK GOLFER・OCT/NOV 2010

2010 Ageas HKPGA Order of Merit Open Division 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Wong Woon-man Grant Gibson Dominique Boulet Ducky Tang Jovick Lee Andrew Good Fung Wai-kuen Tang Man-kee James Stewart Tang Shing-chi Cheng Ka-yiu Eric Ma

45,945.5 points 36,282.5 17,387.5 17,300 13,961.33 13,889 12,895.8 12,464 11,010.5 10,991.33 8,075 7,894

13 14 15

Sung Hang-man Liu Kai-mung Wong Ching-kwan

7,510 7,232.5 6,772.5 HKGOLFER.COM

macgregor junior open

Tiffany Ends Junior Title Wait 16-year-old finishes with a flourish to capture the MacGregor Hong Kong Junior Open title STORY BY ALEX JENKINS PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALEX JENKINS & KING LAI

ong Kong's Tiffany Chan finally ended her wait for t he MacGregor Hong Kong Junior Open title with an impressive display at Fanling late August. Despite being Hong Kong's standout female golfer over the past three years, the 16-year-old Diocesan Girls' School student had never won the event. But she changed all that with a final round of 70 over the New Course at the Hong Kong Golf Club to claim the biggest prize in local junior golf by four strokes. "I've been trying to win this event for so long, so it's a relief to have finally done it," said Chan, who started the final day a shot behind Thailand's Benyapa Niphatsophon. Chan, the current Hong Kong Ladies' Close Amateur champion, carded four birdies and three bogeys in her one-under-par effort. Hong Kong's Michelle Cheung capped a fine week to finish in a tie for second, while Kitty Tam showed a return to form with round of 76 and 75 to place fourth. In the Boys' Division, 13-year-old Danthai Boonma of Thailand upstaged his older counterparts with a fine overall performance to claim the silverware. The Bangkok-born Boonma fired rounds of 72 and 70 to narrowly edge Steven Lam and overnight leader Terrence Ng by a shot. Ng followed a best-of-the-week 69 with a 74 on day two to finish one stroke shy. "I'm really happy with the way I played," said Boonma. "It was never going to be easy and I did just enough to win. It's been a great week."

Boys' Final Standings 1 2= 4=

7= 9=

Danthai BOONMA Steven LAM Terrence NG Pitipat PITIMANA-AREE Eason WANG JIANG Chaun-lin Suteepat PRATEEPTIENCHAI Puk PRADITTAN Shinichi MIZUNO Smithti TEERATRAKUL

Thailand Hong Kong Hong Kong Thailand China China Thailand Thailand Hong Kong Thailand

72 70 71 72 69 74 76 71 75 72 73 74 77 71 75 73 74 75 74 75

142 143 143 147 147 147 148 148 149 149

Hong Kong Hong Kong Thailand Hong Kong China Thailand China Thailand Hong Kong Chinese Taipei

75 70 75 74 74 75 76 75 77 75 79 74 75 78 77 77 75 80 78 78

145 149 149 151 152 153 153 154 155 156

Girls' Final Standings 1 2= 4 5 6= 8 9 10 86

HK GOLFER・OCT/NOV 2010

Tiffany CHAN Michelle CHEUNG Benyapa NIPHATSOPHON Kitty TAM YIN Zi-jun Sathika RUENREONG YANG Jian-xin Asama McKENZIE Stephanie HO CHEN Lin-shiuan

HKGOLFER.COM

Young Guns (clockwise from top): Terrence Ng came so close to victory; Michelle Cheung blasts out of a bunker on the 18th; Stephanie Ho at the 15th; after a strong start, Ambrose Tam struggled on the final day; boys' champ Danthai tees off on the final hole; China's Yin Zi-jun putts out at the 14th; Steven Lam celebrates a holed 30-foot putt on the last, but it was a case of too little too late for the 17-year-old. HKGOLFER.COM

HK GOLFER・OCT/NOV 2010

macgregor junior open

Tiffany Ends Junior Title Wait 16-year-old finishes with a flourish to capture the MacGregor Hong Kong Junior Open title STORY BY ALEX JENKINS PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALEX JENKINS & KING LAI

Boys' Final Standings 1 2= 4=

7= 9=

Danthai BOONMA Steven LAM Terrence NG Pitipat PITIMANA-AREE Eason WANG JIANG Chaun-lin Suteepat PRATEEPTIENCHAI Puk PRADITTAN Shinichi MIZUNO Smithti TEERATRAKUL

Thailand Hong Kong Hong Kong Thailand China China Thailand Thailand Hong Kong Thailand

72 70 71 72 69 74 76 71 75 72 73 74 77 71 75 73 74 75 74 75

142 143 143 147 147 147 148 148 149 149

Hong Kong Hong Kong Thailand Hong Kong China Thailand China Thailand Hong Kong Chinese Taipei

75 70 75 74 74 75 76 75 77 75 79 74 75 78 77 77 75 80 78 78

145 149 149 151 152 153 153 154 155 156

Girls' Final Standings 1 2= 4 5 6= 8 9 10 86

HK GOLFER・OCT/NOV 2010

Tiffany CHAN Michelle CHEUNG Benyapa NIPHATSOPHON Kitty TAM YIN Zi-jun Sathika RUENREONG YANG Jian-xin Asama McKENZIE Stephanie HO CHEN Lin-shiuan

HKGOLFER.COM

HK GOLFER・OCT/NOV 2010

tournament news

Mixed results: Terrence Ng (left) was the only Hong Kong player to make the cut in Japan; Matsuyama (below) will head to Augusta National for the 2011 Masters.

weather as the rough hurt him, but he hung in there in the fourth round and the weather was good; I told him to go out and have fun and he did. He played pretty solid all day and I am proud of him. His main goal was to make the cut and he achieved it.” Lam posted back-to-back rounds of 77 to earn a tie for 75th, while Liu’s 82-76 left the Hong Kong Open and Close champion 91st out of 118 assembled from 27 countries from the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation. “I hope they take the dream of wanting to get better and to win, or try to win out of this week,” added Schadewitz. “They may never win it, but I hope they take dreams of wanting to win away and say that if I prepare myself and work hard, I want to give myself a chance to win this tournament.”

Matsuyama Wins Asian Amateur

Japanese youngster earns Masters berth; HK’s Ng makes the cut

apanese teenager Hideki Matsuyama claimed a runaway five-shot victory at the Asian Amateur Championship to earn an invitation to next year’s Masters at Augusta, while Hong Kong’s Terrence Ng closed with an encouraging final round 74 in Japan. Matsuyama, 18, produced a nerveless display over all four rounds at Kasumigaseki Country Club to top the leaderboard at 15-under-par to become the first Japanese amateur to qualify for the Masters. Blessed with a booming drive, superb touch around the greens and smooth putting action, Matsuyama closed with a final round four-under-par 67 after establishing a three-shot third round lead after blazing a course-record equalling 65 to also earn a place in International Final Qualifying for next year’s Open at Royal St George's Golf Club. “I’m very, very happy. I was under par for all four days and now I’m in the Masters, so that’s very exciting,” said Matsuyama, whose caddie was a friend, class-mate and scratch-handicapper from Tohoku Fukushi University. “I was extremely pleased to keep the bogeys off my card; it’s harder to not make mistakes than to make birdies.” With senior compatriots Steven Lam and Lok Tin Liu failing to make the weekend, 16-year-old Ng beat the cut by one stroke after opening rounds of 76-75. He struggled to a 83 in Saturday’s damp conditions but rallied on the final day and capped a spirited turnaround with a 10-foot birdie conversion on the final green to finish in 62nd place at +24. “I was proud of Terrence,” said Hong Kong coach Brad Schadewitz. “He struggled during the third round in the wet 88

HK GOLFER・OCT/NOV 2010

1 2 3 4=

Hideki MATSUMAYA Tarquin MacMANUS Yosuke ASAJI Ben CAMPBELL LEE Kyung-hoon 6= Kieran PRATT 7= PARK Il-hwan TZE Huang-choo 9= Yoshinori FUJIMOTO Masahiro KAWAMURA 62 Terrence NG MC Steven LAM MC LIU Lok-tin

JPN AUS JPN NZL KOR AUS KOR SIN JPN JPN HKG HKG HKG

68 69 65 67 71 67 67 69 67 69 72 67 71 69 72 68 70 67 72 71 70 68 72 71 68 71 75 68 69 73 70 70 71 70 74 68 71 71 71 70 76 75 83 74 77 77 -----82 76 ------

269 274 275 280 280 281 282 282 283 283 308

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tournament news

Mixed results: Terrence Ng (left) was the only Hong Kong player to make the cut in Japan; Matsuyama (below) will head to Augusta National for the 2011 Masters.

Matsuyama Wins Asian Amateur

Japanese youngster earns Masters berth; HK’s Ng makes the cut

HK GOLFER・OCT/NOV 2010

1 2 3 4=

JPN AUS JPN NZL KOR AUS KOR SIN JPN JPN HKG HKG HKG

68 69 65 67 71 67 67 69 67 69 72 67 71 69 72 68 70 67 72 71 70 68 72 71 68 71 75 68 69 73 70 70 71 70 74 68 71 71 71 70 76 75 83 74 77 77 -----82 76 ------

269 274 275 280 280 281 282 282 283 283 308

HKGOLFER.COM

Practitioners of the craft of private banking

Gateway to the Open - Mizuno Dream Cup 2010

Outside chance: A large field took to the Olazabal and Leadbetter courses at Mission Hills Golf Club for the hope of wining a place at the 2011 Open Championship at Royal St George's. Mizuno General Manager Ken Takafuku (right) said he was delighted with the first Hong Kong leg of the Mizuno Dream Open and looks forward to the Hong Kong qualification final, which will determine which Hong Kong golfer will make it to the Yomiuri Cup in Japan.

Two of the four Hong Kong finalists confirmed following first leg at Mission Hills Golf Club

hu Guan-ching and Leung Chi-shing took a step closer to playing in the Open Championship at Royal St George’s next year by finishing in first and second place at the first round of the Mizuno Dream Cup 2010 – Hong Kong leg at Mission Hills Golf Club late September. The duo both carded solid rounds of 78 over the Olazabal Course at the world’s largest golf club. Chu, who won on countback, recovered brilliantly. After playing the first nine holes in seven-over-par Chu played the exciting back-nine at the World Cup venue in just 35 strokes, one-under-par. Leung shot 39 each side. The two will now face the two best-placed golfers from the Mizuno Winter Junior Tournament, which will be played at The Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau Public Golf course in December, to battle it out and determine who will represent Hong Kong at the Yomiuri Classic, a Japan Tour event to be held in June. A total of 34 Mizuno Dream Cup qualifiers will tee it up at the tournament. The top four players from the Yomiuri Classic will each earn a much coveted berth in the field at the Open. Established in 1999 in Japan, this year is the first time the Mizuno Dream Cup has seen a Hong Kong event. This unique qualifying tournament is now played across 23 venues in eight Asian nations. Mizuno Hong Kong General Manager Ken Takafuku hailed the success of the day and thanked all the competitors for playing under the hot and humid conditions that prevailed. 92

HK GOLFER・OCT/NOV 2010

Group A Champion Runner-up

Chu Guan-ching Leung Chi-shing

Group B Champion Runner-up Second runner-up Net score champion Net score first runner-up Net score second runner-up

Terry Hung Peter Teng Carmen Wong Kwok Zi-ming Yeung Yi-wing O. Takagi

Men’s Longest Drive Ladies’ Longest Drive Men’s Nearest the Pin Ladies’ Nearest the Pin

Ben Koo Ruby Yim Tony Cheung Cindy Chan

HKGOLFER.COM

HK GOLFER・OCT/NOV 2010

Gateway to the Open - Mizuno Dream Cup 2010

Two of the four Hong Kong finalists confirmed following first leg at Mission Hills Golf Club

HK GOLFER・OCT/NOV 2010

Group A Champion Runner-up

Chu Guan-ching Leung Chi-shing

Group B Champion Runner-up Second runner-up Net score champion Net score first runner-up Net score second runner-up

Terry Hung Peter Teng Carmen Wong Kwok Zi-ming Yeung Yi-wing O. Takagi

Men’s Longest Drive Ladies’ Longest Drive Men’s Nearest the Pin Ladies’ Nearest the Pin

Ben Koo Ruby Yim Tony Cheung Cindy Chan

HKGOLFER.COM

HK GOLFER・OCT/NOV 2010

hkpga championship

Icing on the Cake For Gatto

Shenzhen-based American star denies veteran Grady to scoop the Ageas HKPGA Championship REPORT BY ALEX JENKINS PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHARLES McLAUGHLIN & DANIEL WONG Additional photography by King Lai

.J. Gatto kept a battling Wayne Grady at bay to claim his first professional title at the Ageas HKPGA Championship late September. Shenzhen-based Gatto, 25, who started the final round with a seven-shot lead, closed with a 74 over the North Course at The Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau for a three-day total of 212 (four-under-par), four shots ahead of tournament drawcard Grady, who carded a oneunder-par 71. Singapore's M. Murugiah placed third, a further two shots adrift. "It feels awesome to have finally done it," said Gatto, a regular on the China and OneAsia tours, who played alongside PGA Tour star Ryan Moore on the University of Nevada Las Vegas 94

HK GOLFER・OCT/NOV 2010

(UNLV) golf team. "I was feeling a little nervous early in the round but overcame that and was pretty solid, especially on the greens. Playing with Wayne was a cool experience. He's a great guy." Hong Kong's top performer was HK PGA Order of Merit leader Wong Woon-man, who fired rounds of 75, 72 and 74 to finish in solo fourth. T he h ig h l ig ht of G at to's tournament was a brilliant 67 on the second day, a round that included an astonishing two eagles – at the par-5 1st and par-4 6th, where he drove the green – and six birdies. Gatto, who entered the paid ranks t wo years ago, earned HK$58,000 for the win. The cha mpion sh ip, wh ich wa s inaugurated in 1974, hadn't been played since 2004 because of a lack of sponsorship. Despite having only competed in two Champions Tour events this season , 53-year-old Grady – best-known for winning the 1990 US PGA Championship, a year after suffering a play-off loss to Mark Calcavecchia at the Open Championship – showed his class over a beautifully-conditioned North Course with a gutsy final-round effort. "I was able to narrow the gap a little but it was never going to be enough," said Grady, whose illustrious playing career includes a World Cup win with fellow countryman Peter Fowler in 1989. "Hat's off to C.J; he played very well and looks to have a good future ahead of him." Gatto hails from Columbus, Ohio, home town of the legendary Jack Nicklaus, and his gritty display over the home stretch would have made the 18-time major champion proud. "Jack's the greatest player of time and a personal hero of mine," said Gatto.

Clockwise from top right: Wong Woonman; Wayne Grady takes relief; C.J. Gatto in action; Paul Riley on the green; Jimmy Ko pitches up; M. Murugiah of Singapore chips on.

Ageas HKPGA Championship Final Standings 1 2 3 4 5 6=

C.J. GATTO Wayne GRADY M. MURUGIAH WONG Woon-man Grant GIBSON LIN Gu-cui YUAN Tian James STEWART Jovick LEE Andrew GOOD

USA AUS SIN HKG HKG CHN CHN HKG HKG HKG

71 67 74 73 72 71 72 75 71 75 72 74 72 76 75 77 75 72 77 75 72 73 75 76 74 74 76 75 77 73

212 216 218 221 223 224 224 224 224 225

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hkpga championship

Icing on the Cake For Gatto

Shenzhen-based American star denies veteran Grady to scoop the Ageas HKPGA Championship REPORT BY ALEX JENKINS PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHARLES McLAUGHLIN & DANIEL WONG Additional photography by King Lai

HK GOLFER・OCT/NOV 2010

Clockwise from top right: Wong Woonman; Wayne Grady takes relief; C.J. Gatto in action; Paul Riley on the green; Jimmy Ko pitches up; M. Murugiah of Singapore chips on.

Ageas HKPGA Championship Final Standings 1 2 3 4 5 6=

C.J. GATTO Wayne GRADY M. MURUGIAH WONG Woon-man Grant GIBSON LIN Gu-cui YUAN Tian James STEWART Jovick LEE Andrew GOOD

USA AUS SIN HKG HKG CHN CHN HKG HKG HKG

71 67 74 73 72 71 72 75 71 75 72 74 72 76 75 77 75 72 77 75 72 73 75 76 74 74 76 75 77 73

212 216 218 221 223 224 224 224 224 225

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HK GOLFER・OCT/NOV 2010

Clockwise from top right: Eric Ma blasts out; James Stewart, who finished in a share of sixth, had reason to smile; Is it safe?; Andrew Good looks on; Dominique Boulet, a two-time HKPGA Championship winner, drives from the 9th tee; Jovick Lee on the 18th.

HK GOLFER・OCT/NOV 2010

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HK GOLFER・OCT/NOV 2010

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corporate q&a

Stuart Fraser

HK Golfer catches up with the CEO of Ageas Insurance Company (Asia) Ltd, title sponsor of the HKPGA Championship

given the time of year the event is played – there's a bit of a lull at the end of September on the Asian Tour. If we can secure the appropriate levels of support both locally and regionally we will give the championship the appropriate investment to raise its profile. You're a golfer yourself. When did you first swing a club? I was nine years old. My father and uncle introduced me to the game. Golf wasn't played that much by kids at that time – even in Scotland where I'm from – but there was never a problem with accessibility to courses, which helped enormously. I quickly got the ‘golfing bug’ and would spend most of my school holidays playing at our local club. What's your current handicap? It's 11. I'm a member at The Hong Kong Golf Club but I'm not really playing much. My lowest handicap was two when I was 17. I was also fortunate enough to have played county golf at both junior and senior levels for Clackmannanshire and Leicestershire 'B' team respectively. What is your favourite course in Asia? The Bukit Course at Singapore Island Country Club. I was a member there for seven years in the 90s. The Bukit has been home to many championship events and demands the player to hit every club in his bag. It's a superb course in a great setting.

hat attracted you to title sponsor the HKPGA Championship, an event that hasn't been played since 2004? We already had a sporting presence in football through FCBescola, the junior football programme run in conjunction with Barcelona FC; however, we also wanted a “space” in golf. We did sponsor a World Cup Qualifier for golf but after two years believed we had extracted as much value as we could; so we had a look at what other opportunities were available to us from which we could secure the right exposure. We strongly believed the HKPGA represented such an opportunity. You've agreed to sponsor the HKPGA Championship through until 2012. Where do you see the event – in terms of the quality of the field, prize-money on offer and its recognition throughout the region – by that time? We will take a good look at this year’s event to see what lessons can be learned and how we can make this a bigger and better tournament. One of the key objectives must be to attract more foreign players, which is certainly possible 98

HK GOLFER・OCT/NOV 2010

Do you ever go on golf holidays? Not really. I may do in later years. I always take my clubs when I go back to Scotland and have a few rounds with my son Graeme. I love Carnoustie; my family spent many summer holidays there. The golf course is a great test of golf; challenging but good fun too. It's my favourite of the Open Championship venues. I've played all over the world but I still think British courses have the edge. I'm not a fan of the modern style of courses, but they're built like that because of [the improvements to] technology, which I think is something that could potentially spoil the game. How would you describe the golf scene in Asia today? Explosive! It's really all happened in the last 10 years. For me, the major influence has been China. Golf has always been played in Thailand and the Philippines but China is now leading the way with phenomenal prospects. The awareness of golf in Hong Kong has also increased dramatically and it is becoming more accessible, although it'll never be like Scotland in that regard. Golf is just going to grow and grow in the region. – As told to Alex Jenkins HKGOLFER.COM

corporate q&a

Stuart Fraser

HK Golfer catches up with the CEO of Ageas Insurance Company (Asia) Ltd, title sponsor of the HKPGA Championship

HK GOLFER・OCT/NOV 2010

profile

Wayne Grady

Open, we have a great bunch of guys there,” says Grady, who also notched a world cup win with countryman Peter Fowler in Spain in 1989. “Peter Allis is just an awesome commentator – so much fun to work with. And who’d have thought that Ken Brown, who was a bit of a rebel and tearaway when he was a player, would take to it so well. He’s great too.” But what was the worst moment for Grady as a commentator?

“That’s easy: Tom Watson at The Open last year. I’ve played with all the greats – Sneed, Palmer, Nicklaus, Trevino – but Watson remains my favourite, my hero. I could play with him everyday, but what happened to him a Turnberry… I could have cried. Everyone thought he had won when he hit that second into 18, but he got a bad bounce. I was commentating at the time and I had to shut up. I just couldn’t say anything. But that’s golf, I suppose.”

Major Moment: Grady (below) enjoys a laugh with his caddie for the week, Les Curl; Grady: "I was competitive but I didn't have that killer instinct."

HK Golfer caught up with the affable Australian after his debut appearance at the Ageas HKPGA Championship STORY BY ALEX JENKINS PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHARLES McLAUGHLIN

ayne Grady’s isn’t a name that instantly comes to mind when you think of the golfing greats of the late eighties and early nineties. But in one 18 month stretch, from spring 1989 to late summer 1990, the Australian entered a realm normally reserved for the likes of Nick Faldo and Greg Norman with a spectacular run of form that netted him a major championship, a world cup win, a flurry of top PGA Tour finishes and very nearly the biggest prize of them all – the Open Championship title. Grady, who was in Hong Kong last month to compete in the Ageas HKPGA Championship, is typically forthright on his success of 20 years ago. “It was all down to bloody hard work,” says the likeable 53-year-old Brisbanite, who finished second to American CJ Gatto at Kau Sai Chau following a solid final-round performance. “I had a reasonable talent – nothing exceptional – but there’s really no secret: I just worked really hard on my game.” Grady first made headlines around the world at Royal Troon in 1989 when he looked like becoming only the second Australian golfer since Peter Thomson to lift the Claret Jug. Considered something of a journeyman, Grady entered the championship on the back of his first American tour victory at the Westchester Classic, then one of the PGA Tour’s biggest events, and instantly made his mark on the Scottish links. Taking the lead on Friday, Grady held on gamely until he made a bogey at the penultimate hole of the tournament to fall into a playoff with American Mark Calcavecchia and childhood friend Greg Norman. His concentration broken, Grady would end up losing to Calcavecchia, whose win also condemned Norman to yet another runner-up finish in a major. “Troon is still very disappointing, but it would have haunted me to this day had I not won the US PGA the following year,” said Grady, who turned pro at the age of 21 with only A$9 (about HK$65) in his pocket. “I remember a reporter followed me outside the media tent following the play-off and asked if I felt sorry for Greg. I could have hit him. I really didn’t care about Norman. I went out for a few drinks that night, but it certainly wasn’t in celebration.” While his win at Shoal Creek in August 1990, where he beat Fred Couples by three shots, elevated Grady to the status of major champion, the Australian remains philosophical about his place among his peers. 100

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“Very few people have a chance to win a major, and I was very conscious to not let what happened at The Open be what people wrote about me, which is why the US PGA was so important. “But I wasn’t like Greg [Norman]. I had 40 second-place finishes in my career, which means there’s definitely something wrong in my make up. I was competitive but I didn’t have that killer instinct. Norman was killed when he didn’t win. Tiger [Woods] hates finishing second. I would get a thrill just by playing well.” Although Grady says he hasn’t retired from golf, the HKPGA was only his third start of the year, following two Champions Tour events in America. “I don’t practice enough now,” says Grady, who played in Hong Kong on the invitation of his friend Dominique Boulet, the event organizer and a two-time HKPGA champion. “But I really enjoyed the week. I hadn’t played in the heat for more than six months so it a bit of a shock, but [the North Course at] Kau Sai Chau has some world-class holes – particularly the parthrees – and the course was in great shape. And yet again I had another second place,” he laughs. Rather than playing, Grady spends more of his time now as a television commentator – both in his native Australia and the United Kingdom, where he works for the BBC alongside Peter Allis during The Open and has been lauded for his no-nonsense approach behind the microphone. “Nothing compares to the week of The HKGOLFER.COM

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profile

Wayne Grady

Major Moment: Grady (below) enjoys a laugh with his caddie for the week, Les Curl; Grady: "I was competitive but I didn't have that killer instinct."

HK Golfer caught up with the affable Australian after his debut appearance at the Ageas HKPGA Championship STORY BY ALEX JENKINS PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHARLES McLAUGHLIN

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instruction

Putting Fundamentals “Putting is more dependent on clarity of mechanics and movement than you ever believed. And it’s straightforward.” So says Harold Swash, one of golf ’s acknowledged putting gurus. In this special instructional article, Michael Monnard, a member of the Harold Swash Putting Schools of Excellence management team, takes you through the four fundamentals of a sound putting method

t’s an often stated ‘fact’ that improving your putting is the quickest way to lowering your score and reducing your handicap. That may be so, but it doesn’t mean that a good and consistent stroke is easy to come by. Like all aspects of your game, you need to work on it. At the Harold Swash Schools of Excellence, we promote four fundamentals to Harold Swash’s sound method. Closed club face.

Open club face.

Square club face.

 FUNDAMENTAL ONE The blade of the putter needs to be square to the target at both the address and strike position.

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Harold Swash has been involved in the golf industry for more than 40 years as a coach, designer of putters and engineer of effective training aids. Among the top players he has coached on putting are Padraig Harrington, Henrik Stenson, Niclas Fasth, Darren Clarke and Nick Faldo. Michael Monnard is a member of the management team of Harold Swash Putting Schools of Excellence (HSPSE). He is also a member of the PGA of Spain and an Accredited Instructor HKGOLFER.COM of HSPSE.

This may not sound difficult, but most golfers don’t line up their putter in the best possible way in relation to the target. Most golfers simply don’t practice lining up properly. As such, the stroke is never going to be better than a compensation for poor alignment. This can lead to inconsistently under pressure. To improve your ability to aim, use the Rail from Harold Swash, which gives you immediate feedback of how you line up towards the target. It's quite acceptable to use the logo of the golf ball to help line you up on the cup. Take advantage of it!

 FUNDAMENTAL TWO The blade of the putter needs to be square to the path through the hitting area. In other words, we don't want to put a slice or hook spin on the ball. If we are looking for the club to be square to the target line at impact, then we don't want the path to cut across the ball either inside-to-out or outside-to-in. If we do this, the club face can be ‘closed’ or ‘open’ to the path at impact. This can cause the ball to move off its line due to side spin. Therefore, through the hitting area we are looking for the path to be along the ball to target line.

instruction

Open club face.

Square club face.

 FUNDAMENTAL ONE The blade of the putter needs to be square to the target at both the address and strike position.

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 FUNDAMENTAL THREE The putter blade needs to have a slight up-stroke through the hitting area.

Let the shoulders do the work and pull your set-up position through to the finish (left). Do not allow the hands to do the work instead of the big muscles (right). This adds loft to the putter face.

To have the best possible ball roll, it is crucial that you develop a slight "up-stroke". Within this fundamental, the ball position and the hand start position is crucial. The ball position is always in relation to the sternum – not in relation to the feet! Place the ball two inches ahead of the sternum to achieve the slight up-stroke through the ball in a natural manner. To get the ball to roll as quickly as possible – which is the guiding principle of Harold Swash’s methodology – we also need our hands slightly forward at address and at point of strike. This will enable the correct amount of loft to be given to the putter at impact. Most putters have four degrees of loft, which is too high. Yes! Golf C-Groove putters have 2.5 degrees of loft which – with the hands slightly ahead of the ball – is more likely to impart the correct degree of loft at impact to deliver the ideal ball roll. If you have your hands behind the ball at impact, you will add loft to the putter. The ball will launch in the air at impact.

NEED TO KNOW

“MOST GOLFERS SIMPLY DON’T PRACTICE LININGUP PROPERLY. AS SUCH, THE STROKE IS NEVER GOING TO BE BETTER THAN A COMPENSATION FOR POOR ALIGNMENT. THIS CAN LEAD TO INCONSISTENCY UNDER PRESSURE.”

Authorized Yes! Putters Custom Fitting Centres: Golf Corner 3/F, 24 Russell Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2838 9238

 FUNDAMENTAL FOUR The club face should accelerate slightly through impact. To be able to accelerate smoothly, use the shoulders instead of hands and/or wrists. Larger muscles are less prone to twitch and tic which can cause loss of control. A very good exercise to check whether you use the shoulders or the wrists is the so-called 'palm together' drill. Make your strokes and practice swings this way and you will improve your wrist firmness. Holding the club between the hands will strengthen your forearms to lock your wrists. Do this exercise every day. Ideally, we are looking for a putting stroke where you can easily control the acceleration. Too many people have a short HKGOLFER.COM

or “too slow” backswing. They then need to force the speed in the follow through. Consequently, they develop an ‘explosive’ follow through. This can cause distance control problems. Or just the opposite can occur where a person has a long or “too quick” backswing which makes it difficult to control velocity through impact. The bigger muscles provide better timing and rhythm. If you just use your wrist, a small movement of your wrists is a big movement on the putter face. This will develop appropriate speed in the club face and your stroke will more likely become a hit. Even after mastering these four fundamentals, there are still a lot of factors to consider on the road to becoming a good putter as you can be. With each individual golfer, fine-tuning is required to perfect putting technique. However, one technical point that plays a large part in establishing a good set up to allow you to achieve many of the fundamentals we have talked about is the grip. Details in the next issue! HKGOLFER.COM

Golf Performance Centre Room 908-909, Tins Enterprises Centre, 777 Lai Chi Kok Road, Kowloon Tel: (852) 3568 6168 The Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Course Sai Kung, New Territories Tel: (852) 2791 3318 The Hong Kong Golf Club Fanling, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 26791821 For instruction/lessons by Harold Swash Putting School Accredited Instructors: www.SwashPuttingSchools.com/worldwide_instructors Shay Smart (Level 2) China Chris Marrs (Level 2) China David Largent (Level 2) Hong Kong Jeanie Kwok (Level 2) Hong Kong

Tony Ho (Level 2) Hong Kong David Norquay (Level 2) China Matthew Coote (Level 2) China

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 FUNDAMENTAL THREE The putter blade needs to have a slight up-stroke through the hitting area.

Let the shoulders do the work and pull your set-up position through to the finish (left). Do not allow the hands to do the work instead of the big muscles (right). This adds loft to the putter face.

NEED TO KNOW

“MOST GOLFERS SIMPLY DON’T PRACTICE LININGUP PROPERLY. AS SUCH, THE STROKE IS NEVER GOING TO BE BETTER THAN A COMPENSATION FOR POOR ALIGNMENT. THIS CAN LEAD TO INCONSISTENCY UNDER PRESSURE.”

Authorized Yes! Putters Custom Fitting Centres: Golf Corner 3/F, 24 Russell Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2838 9238

Tony Ho (Level 2) Hong Kong David Norquay (Level 2) China Matthew Coote (Level 2) China

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Complete one-offs: Prior to his 1973 win, Tommy Aaron (left) was known as the man who incorrectly filled out Robert de Vicenzo’s scorecard – which meant the Argentinean missed out on a play-off for the 1968 Masters; Charles Coody (below) overcame the brilliance of Nicklaus and Miller to win the Green Jacket in 1971.

Tommy Aaron

At the 1973 Masters, American Tommy Aaron emerged from nowhere to take the first round lead with a 68. Normal service resumed in rounds two and three as he posted 73-74 to trail Peter Oosterhuis by four shots going into the final round. Looking like a hybrid of Tom Kite and James Caan, Aaron wasn’t entirely unknown at the time. He had gained notoriety as the man who

“helpfully” wrote down the wrong scores for Roberto de Vicenzo in the 1968 Masters, which led to the Argentinean being disqualified. The only positive was that it gave us the lovely de Vicenzo quote “What a stupid I am!” In the final round in 1973, Aaron opened with three birdies and despite stuttering around the turn, held on to win by a shot. Following his historic win, he went on to…well, do almost nothing of note and never won again.

Charles Coody

Little known American Charles Coody won the 1971 Masters by two shots over the fearsome duo of Jack Nicklaus and Johnny Miller. In true major snatcher style, Coody birdied the 15th and 16th as the more famous players stuttered and fell away. Miller in particular was left wondering how he threw away a two shot lead after 14 on the final day. It seems likely that he and Nicklaus were watching each other rather than the unfancied Coody who overtook them on the inside. Coody’s caddie was a colourful character nicknamed “Cricket” who had taken a sickie from his job as a bus driver to tote Charles’ bag. With Coody contending, Cricket tried unsuccessfully to disguise himself with a towel under his hat to avoid being rumbled via the TV coverage. Winner of two minor tournaments some years earlier, Coody, of course, never won again on the tour. Cricket, however, managed to keep his job.

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Tommy Aaron

Charles Coody

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Ian Baker-Finch

Solo success: Ian Baker-Finch (above) traded his clubs for the commentator’s microphone in 1998, just seven years after his brilliant Open Championship win at Royal Birkdale; Claude Harmon (right), father of famous swing instructor Butch, was the last club pro to win a major championship. 110

When Ian Baker-Finch won the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale in 1991, many remembered that he had actually led the 1984 tournament after both the second and third rounds. With a record last 36-hole score of 64-66, including 29 on the front nine on the Sunday, it seemed that he had got the monkey off his back, but unfortunately it was downhill all the way as the Australian's poor play, despite looking great in practice, became embarrassing. In one widely reported incident at the 1995 Open at St Andrews, Baker-Finch became possibly the only player ever to go out of bounds on the left side of the expansive first and 18th fairway of the Old Course after hooking his opening tee shot. In 1995 and 1996 he played in 29 events and missed the cut, withdrew or was disqualified on every occasion and after shooting a dreadful 92 in the 1997 Open Championship, announced his retirement. Baker-Finch switched to broadcasting in 1998 and ironically in 2007, whilst working at The Barclays tournament, was knocked out by a wayward shot from Rich Beem – a fellow one major wonder.

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Claude Harmon

Perhaps one of the more positive one major wonder characters is Claude Harmon, winner of the 1948 Masters. Coached by the legendary Craig Wood, Harmon became the only club professional to win the Masters and the last club professional to win a major – it also represented his only professional win. Harmon, who was the club professional at Winged Foot for many years, beat future Hall of Fame inductee and three-time major winner Cary Middlecoff by five strokes and his 279 total set a new scoring record at the time. However, Harmon’s legacy represents more than this. He put the lessons he had learned from his mentor Wood into teaching his four sons Butch, Craig (named after Wood), Bill and Dick. Each became a top instructor, with Butch Harmon gaining global prominence working with Tiger Woods as he dominated the game in the early part of the last decade. HKGOLFER.COM

Ian Baker-Finch

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Claude Harmon

Rich Beem

Ben Curtis

In 2002, former cellphone and car stereo salesman Rich Beem won the US PGA Championship by a stroke, depriving Tiger Woods of his third major of the year. This despite Woods finishing with four straight birdies, and Beem finding an inner resolve that was clearly of the one use only variety. Needless to say, he hasn’t won anything since. A towering 5’7” in his socks, Beem had previously brought dignity to the tour when he was the subject of the masterpiece Bud, Sweat and Tees: A Walk on the Wild Side of the PGA Tour. The book, written by Sports Illustrated writer Alan Shipnuck, follows Beem and his caddie through his rookie season in 1999. Now known simply as another journeyman who snatched one of golf’s crown jewels, the little man is currently laid up with back problems and looks like losing his card.

Ben Curtis was playing in his first ever major at Royal St George’s in 2003, and, after finishing his final round, the world number 396 watched from the clubhouse as one after another of the favourites fell by the wayside. Nick Faldo moved to within one before dropping three shots in the last four holes, Tiger Woods dropped two over the same stretch, Davis Love III dropped one at 17, Vijay Singh threw it away and Thomas Bjorn took three to get out of a bunker on 16. Despite Curtis dropping four shots over the last seven holes, no-one took advantage and the rookie from Ohio claimed the crown and jumped to 35th in the world. Curtis did pretty much nothing over the next couple of years, making few cuts before winning two mediocre PGA events in 2006. At the Open Championship at Turnberry in 2009, in typical fashion, he popped up with a 65 to be second after the first round, only to shoot 80 in round two and miss the cut.

Back-to-back Open surprises: Todd Hamilton (left) leapt into the arms of his caddie after defeating overwhelming favourite Ernie Els in a four-hole play-off to determine the 2004 Open Championship at Royal Troon; Ben Curtis (below) was ranked nearly 400 in the world before his stunning (some may say shocking) victory at Royal St Georges in 2003.

Jack Fleck

Uncharted territory: Rich Beem (top) famously held off Tiger Woods to win the US PGA Championship in 2003, but has yet to win since; Jack Fleck (bottom) upset the great Ben Hogan to claim the 1955 US Open title using clubs Hogan had specially made for him. 112

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At the US Open in 1955, Ben Hogan was coming off a second place in the Masters and it had been less than two years since his “Hogan Slam”. He was still without question the world’s leading player and looked to have posted the winning score, however, his thunder was stolen by a complete unknown called Jack Fleck, who birdied the last to get into an 18-hole play-off. Fleck had come from a very poor background and had been in action on D-Day off the coast of Utah Beach. He had never won before and was in his first six months as a full-time professional, but unbelievably the following day, he beat Hogan by three strokes. Fleck claimed afterwards that he had heard the voice of God telling him he would win, while he was also using clubs which Hogan had specially made for him. As with many on this list, Fleck won almost nothing else of note, and in financial difficulty sold his winners medal in 1993. HKGOLFER.COM

Todd Hamilton

You wait forever for a bus, then two come along at once… In 2004, the golfing world waited for normal service to be resumed at the Open Championship, only to find the unknown American Todd Hamilton of Illinois taking the honours at Royal Troon. To be fair, Hamilton had already won the Honda Classic earlier in the year, and had won numerous times in Japan, but in time-honoured fashion has won absolutely zilch since. His win also differed from Curtis’ in that he actually went out and outplayed the contenders. First knocking Phil Mickleson out of the lead, then going head-to-head with Ernie Els in a four-hole play-off and coolly taking the title by a shot. Well, coolly until the final putt dropped, then he leapt on his caddie in a quite unseemly manner. Luckily the engraver got his name right on the trophy, unlike the US newspaper which called him Scott Hamilton in its reports.

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Rich Beem

Ben Curtis

Jack Fleck

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Todd Hamilton

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Orville Moody

A former winner of the Hong Kong Open in 1971, Orville Moody won the US Open in 1969 as a qualifier and is one of only two players to have won both titles – with the other being Tom Watson, who won at Fanling in 1992. Unfortunately, “Sarge” joined the tour late in the day after a long Army career – where he first met lifelong friend Lee Trevino – and was probably unique in having the putting yips before he turned professional. His US Open win was his only PGA Tour title, but after suffering near-bankruptcy on more than one occasion, the 1969 Player of the Year was saved by the then Senior Tour after winning 11 times with his daughter on his bag. After switching to a long-handled putter, Moody won the 1989 US Senior Open aged 55 bringing the broomstick to worldwide attention. SO THERE IT IS, 10 examples of every dog having its day. The danger of such musing is that nondead players can pop up and do it again. The surprise 1975 US Open winner Lou Graham would have been a prime candidate for this list, but having won only two other events, he suddenly hit form 15 years later and won three events in 11 weeks. Similarly, it is tempting to say that 2008 Masters champion Trevor Immelman and Asia’s own 2009 US PGA Championship winner YE Yang are pencilled in for a future version of this list. However, one must remember a similar surprise winner of the 1968 US Open. Many wrote him off as a fluke, but Lee Trevino went on to win five other majors in a spectacular career...

Success: A Major Headache? Every one of the golfers playing in the upcoming WGC-HSBC Champions has had success or they wouldn’t have earned a place in the world-class field in Shanghai. While defining success is easy in the golfing world, how to cope with it is a different matter. “I always joked that if I won a major you wouldn't see me for dust! I'd be sitting on a beach sipping cocktails!” said Graeme McDowell when he returned to America for the first time since winning this year’s US Open. As each of the seven first-time winners in the past two years have discovered, success poses its own challenges. In reality the Northern Irishman’s biggest problem since then hasn’t been choosing between a Mai Tai, Margarita or Mojito; it’s been working out how to get on with the rest of his golfing career. “I think Michael Campbell said it, he said that when you climb to the summit of Mount Everest, no one really ever sort of tells you how to get back down again. A lot of people die on the way back down. It was a very interesting quote and a good analogy,” explained the 31-year-old.

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“When you achieve a goal this big – winning a major championship was my ultimate goal playing the game growing up – you know how to win, you know how to pick the trophy up and make your speech afterwards... but the weeks to come after that, just everything that goes with it, the media attention, the attention from the people back home, just everything, it's just been overwhelming.” Getting your feet back on the ground,

finding new goals and new motivation after major success can be a tricky business. Campbell is an obvious example. The irony is that success has ruined a lot of successful careers. “Exactly! You almost have to be careful what you wish for,” says Englishman Justin Rose, who enjoyed enormous success as a 17-yearold amateur, finishing fourth at the 1998 Open Championship, and then had to carry the burden of expectations until this year when he turned his potential into PGA Tour wins at the Memorial Tournament and the AT&T National. “You want it, but with it come a lot of other distractions and it can then be hard to maintain your form and then you start beating yourself as to ‘why aren’t I playing well?’ That’s the staggering thing about Tiger’s career and the true great players, they’re great golfers, but they have to handle everything else that comes with it; I think that’s really the true test. It is certainly, to a small extent, what I’ve been going through and players like Graeme and Louis (Oosthuizen)… I’m sure it has been a whirlwind for them.” —Tim Maitland

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China +86 10 6533 1967.

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Orville Moody

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you can enjoy a round here without motorized assistance, even during the height of summer. While there is no signature hole as such, the par-3s are a fine set of holes, each requiring a different club, while the potentially reachable par-5 18th, which traverses water twice before reaching the green, is a standout. Maintenance, too, is improving. Managed by those experts at Troon Golf, the club has embarked on a conditioning programme that will ensure top-notch playing surfaces yearround.

WHERE TO STAY

Pacific Place (clockwise from top): this tree on the 8th fairway comes into play for golfers who take the safe line from the tee; accommodations at the Westin Denarau Island Resort & Spa; the picturesque 15th at Denarau Golf & Racquet Club.

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The brand new InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa (ichgroup.com), a 5-star resort in the true sense of the term, is located next to the Natadola Bay course. Occupying 35 acres of tropical gardens, the resort sits on the magnificent Natadola Beach, which was voted by Forbes magazine in 2008 as one of the 25 best beaches in the world, and boasts a ra nge of beaut if u l lyappointed rooms and suites and a world-class spa. Another good base is Denarau Island, home of the Denarau Golf & Racquet Club and a number of 4- and 5-star hotels. The pick of these are the Westin Denarau Island Resort & Spa and the Sheraton Fiji Resort & Spa (starwoodhotels.com).

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GETTING THERE & AROUND

Air Pacific flies direct from Hong Kong to Nadi International Airport, the gateway to the Fijian islands, twice-weekly (10 hours; airpacific. com.hk). Car rental is available, although groups of golfers may wish to hire a driver during their stay. The two golf courses featured here are within easy reach of the airport: Denarau (30mins); Natadola Bay (45mins).

WHEN TO GO

While golf is playable year-round, the best time to visit is during the so-called 'Fijian Winter', from May to October, which is characterized by lower rainfall and humidity and milder temperatures. The mercury can rise to over 30 degrees Celsius in December and January, while July and August often sees temperatures dip below 20.

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Alexis Thompson is one of a handful of teenagers that are making their mark on the ladies' game

Growing Pains “I have never known any young player benefit from being granted favours. It's much better that they get there under their own steam” – Pia Nilsson

here is a touch of tennis in the 1980s on the LPGA Tour as Mike Whan, the new commissioner, prepares to tackle the Alexis Thompson question. To explain, Thompson is the 15-year-old American who turned professional in June. She finished in a share of tenth place in the Women’s US Open before coming within a whisker of winning the Evian Masters in France. That done, Thompson, or rather her agent, pressed the Ladies’ Golf Union for a wildcard into Final Qualifying for the Ricoh Women’s British Open at Royal Birkdale. In making the request, the agent explained that the teenager had not had time to fly to the event's US qualifier because it had taken place too soon after the US Open. (Thompson, incidentally, was by no means the only one to suffer on that score.) Though the LGU will do their best to make sure that clash of dates does not recur, they refused Thompson’s request. And when the press dubbed them a bunch of spoilsports, they issued an explanation. Five years ago, they had given the then 15-year-old Michelle Wie a wildcard into their event and received nothing but hassle from other competitors who felt that everyone should be made to follow the same entry criteria. After that experience, the officials had stayed with the “strictly no invitations” policy employed by the R&A at the Open. There were plenty of wise heads who agreed with the LGU. Pia Nilsson, the well-known psychologist-cum-coach was among them. “I have never,” she said, “known any young player benefit from being granted favours. It’s much better that they get there under their own steam.” Now, it is the LPGA’s turn to work out what they should do when Thompson, who is currently getting by on invitations, asks to join the tour before she reaches the minimum permitted age of 18. Already, precedents have been set in that Morgan Pressel and Aree Song were both allowed in ahead of time, though their case was slightly different in that they were 17. Whan will almost certainly be looking at tennis and how its officials coped in the era of such as Tracey Austin, Andrea Jaeger, and Jennifer Capriati. Austin, overall, has been a success story. Though she was struggling with back injuries and sciatica by the time she was 21, she won the US Open at 16. Today, she is happily married and works as a television commentator. Jaeger was seeded at Wimbledon at the age of 15 and played Billie Jean King in the final three years later. At 19, she used a shoulder injury – her father at one point suggested she had feigned it – as a springboard to going to college and studying theology. She said later that she had found it difficult to reconcile the narrow-minded focus of a top player with her desire to help others. 126

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Capriati, meantime, made her professional debut at 14 and cracked the top ten that year. Between 1990 and 1993, she won six titles including the Australian and French Opens but, by the end of ‘93, she was burnt out and up on charges of shop-lifting and drug-taking. In June of this year, she was hospitalised after taking an overdose of prescribed medication. By the time Martina Hingis came along, she would have been bound by new rules which staggered the number of events a girl could play between the age of 14 and 18. Juli Inkster, a mother of two daughters and a golfer who, at 50, is still competitive among the professionals, is quick to voice concern about golf’s new trend. In her view, girls of 15 should be having a bit of fun rather than working as professionals. “If one 15-year-old is allowed to join the tour, other parents will want their children following suit,” she warned. There will be plenty among the golfing fraternity to say that Alexis Thompson is a one off but, ever since that day when Earl Woods first told how Tiger used to be plucked from his high chair to play his earliest golf shots, umpteen parents have been grooming their children for early stardom. Now, there are a growing number of young things waiting to pounce. Thompson has been home-schooled to allow more time for her golf development and she is not alone. In England, 14-year-old Charlie Hull is going down the same route. Hull, 14, missed out on the British Girls’ Championship in Belfast in favour of playing among the male professionals in the Farmfoods Par 3 Championship at Nailcote Hall. She was later invited to play in Gary Player’s recent Invitational at Archerfield in East Lothian and Player, when he saw her, was sufficiently impressed to ask her to kindred events in Africa and Australia. Meanwhile, Julie Yang, the richly-gifted South Korean who won the 2010 Welsh Women’s Open Strokeplay championship and followed up with a victory in the English Strokeplay, has followed a slightly different if similarly concentrated approach. Instead of being home-schooled, she has attended schools HKGOLFER.COM

AFP (Thompson)

Lewine Mair reports on golf's current crop of young female talents and the issues they face as their careers develop

Alexis Thompson is one of a handful of teenagers that are making their mark on the ladies' game

Growing Pains “I have never known any young player benefit from being granted favours. It's much better that they get there under their own steam” – Pia Nilsson

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AFP (Thompson)

Lewine Mair reports on golf's current crop of young female talents and the issues they face as their careers develop

“[Being a professional golfer] is a weird life whatever age you are.” – Laura Davies

Making waves (below): Despite accepting invitations to tee it up alongside the men, Michelle Wie, seen here at the age of 12, didn't officially join the LPGA Tour until she reached her 18th birthday.

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in all three of Korea, America and Scotland with a view to mixing her education with global golfing experience. In Scotland, where she spent the 2009-2010 school year on a golf scholarship at Loretto, she said she gained the experience she would need for links courses. Yang does not want to turn professional immediately but, for the purposes of next year, will follow Thompson and Hull in looking for opportunities to play among the professionals. Nilsson’s reaction to all of this is that the Thompsons, Hulls and Yangs of this world need to take care. Though she can see that an influx of young things would make good publicity for the professional tours, she has seen for herself what can go wrong. Her clients include any number of players who, having hit the headlines in their teens, fail to get any better in their 20s.

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“If they are going to be ‘really great’,” she maintains “they need to have space, rest and time to develop calmly. There is so much more to the puzzle than merely playing golf. If a youngster is looking for any kind of sustained career she needs balance in her life.” Nilsson went on to say that while it made sense for a teenager to be accompanied by protective parents on tour, there was also a downside insofar as the child’s development could be stifled. “To be mentally healthy,” she explained, “a girl needs to have a wider circle of friends beyond family and working companions.” The 20-somethings Nilsson sees will often be victims of burnout, girls who have not taken time out to go to college and have known almost nothing but golf all their days. “When they come to us,” she explained, “they are bored and unhappy. They are going through the motions on the practice ground because that is what their parents ask of them but they don’t get any better. Their heart isn’t in it…” What Nilsson tries to do is to help these lost souls to remember why they liked golf in the first place. Why they liked competing. In some cases, she has succeeded by helping them to acquire a hobby. In the case of a couple of battle-weary Koreans, she encouraged them to start cooking. The two now rent a flat instead of staying in hotels and the results – both in terms of what they are cooking and how they are playing – have been staggering. “Finally,” said Nilsson, “they are able to take their minds right off golf and have a mental rest.” Michelle Wie, who turned professional at 16 but did not join the tour until 18, has found her way by dividing her time between the LPGA tour and Stanford University. Mind you, not everybody is going to be clever enough to keep up at Stanford while attending only two terms out of every three. Going back to Thompson and her early switch to the professional ranks, there will be plenty to suggest that she might just be a better golfer now that she is ever going to be in the future and that it is surely better for her to strike, so to speak, while her irons are hot. Laura Davies, for one, would go along with that, her feeling being that if a player is good enough, it does not matter how old she is. “It’s a weird life whatever age you are,” said Davies. If everyone were as street-wise as Davies, the LPGA could let the young players pour into their ranks with no questions asked. The truth, though, is that they are mostly at the other end of the spectrum. In some cases, they will be storing up trouble for themselves at much the same rate as they bank the prizemoney. HKGOLFER.COM

“[Being a professional golfer] is a weird life whatever age you are.” – Laura Davies

Making waves (below): Despite accepting invitations to tee it up alongside the men, Michelle Wie, seen here at the age of 12, didn't officially join the LPGA Tour until she reached her 18th birthday.

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ryder cup review

Down to the Wire

Andrew Mullen examines Colin Montgomerie's captaincy and rates the performance of the two sides at what proved to be a Celtic Manor cracker

olin Montgomerie’s Ryder Cup reputation remains fully intact… just. Had US Open champion Graeme McDowell failed to secure the point needed on the penultimate green Montgomerie's near legendary status in the biennial team event would now be supplemented by an asterisk, just like his illustrious individual playing career is marred by the gaping hole in his resume where multiple major victories should be. But thankfully for Monty, Hunter Mahan's butchering of the 17th, which came at the end of a tremendous final-day fight back by the Americans, permitted the Europeans the narrowest of wins. The wild scenes that ensued at Celtic Manor after Mahan conceded McDowell's putt weren't a surprise, but after the celebrations had died down you can be sure that Monty, once alone and given time to reflect, will have breathed a huge sigh of relief. Given the European's position that Monday morning, a drawn match (meaning the United States would have retained the Cup) or a loss was unthinkable. Brookline in 1999 was ugly and painful; defeat in Wales would have been soggy and heartbreaking. It is often said a captain cannot win the Ryder Cup, he can only lose it, as was illustrated by Monty's predecessor Nick Faldo, who bore the brunt of his team's defeat at Valhalla two years ago. And while it's true that Monty's team lost three of the four sessions played, Monty himself did a lot of things right – including, it should be said, ensuring that the oft-used waterproofs were up to scratch, something that Corey Pavin and his 'Captainess' failed to do.

Monty's rousing speech on Saturday proved to be key as Europe, trailing 6-4, led all six matches on course overnight. They would eventually record a magnificent five and a half points from the hastily put together foursomes/ fourballs combo session, which gave them the all-important lead heading into the singles. A veteran of eight Ryder Cups as a player, Monty created the ideal team atmosphere and was ably assisted by not one but five vicecaptains. The sight of Darren Clarke, Sergio Garcia, Jose Maria Olazabal, Paul McGinley and Thomas Bjorn striding the fairways supporting their respective groups was in stark contrast to Valhalla, where Faldo was aided only by Olazabal and a bloke called DJ Spoony, who was called in to handle "cool, chilling music duties" in the team room. Underlined by his decision to send McDowell out last in Monday's singles, Europe's captain was pretty much spot on with both his pairings and the order in which they appeared.

When things didn't work out, like on the first day when a struggling Padraig Harrington contributed little to his partnership with the inform Luke Donald, he wasn't afraid to shake things up a little. In this case, Harrington joined forces with Ross Fisher, a rookie, while Donald went off again with first Ian Poulter and then Lee Westwood. The result was an invaluable four points. Harrington's inclusion in the side, courtesy of a wildcard, was controversial however and Monty's decision is only saved from further scrutiny thanks to the overall result. While Harrington did contribute points, his performance was erratic at best and you have to think that Paul Casey, with his wonderful match play record, would have garnered more. As for the Scot's other two selections, Donald was a rock and arguably Europe's best player, while Edoardo Molinari proved to be a passionate contributor. Having said that, Monty's rational in leaving the Molinari brothers together as a rookie pair could have proved costly, despite Sunday's last-gasp half against Stewart Cink and Matt Kuchar. Not that any of that matters now. Monty, like each of his players, will be remembered as a hero. But it could have been all very different and he, more than anyone else, realises that. European Ratings Lee Westwood Montgomerie’s on course leader and strongman did Europe proud as expected, helping claim 2 ½ points in foursomes and fourballs, including the 6&5 destruction of Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker on Sunday. Was outdone by a superb Stricker in Monday’s singles but had already done his part. 8/10 Rory McIlroy Despite once remarking the tournament was just an exhibition, the 21-year-old was fully caught up in Ryder Cup fever, although he appeared to be trying too hard over the first two days. Should he have laid up on the 18th during the opening fourballs after watching Stewart Cink find the water? The decision may have cost Europe a win instead of just a half, but did you really expect him to do anything else? 6.5/10 Martin Kaymer Unbeaten in foursomes and fourballs after contributing 2 ½ points alongside Westwood and Poulter. But, despite being seen as a good chance of a singles point against Dustin Johnson, suffered a 6&4 defeat as the American gained some revenge for the US PGA Championship. 6.5/10 Graeme McDowell The man who won it for Europe. The US Open champion was put at the bottom of the singles order for a reason and did not disappoint with a key birdie at 16 against Mahan before sealing victory a hole later. Also played a crucial ‘big brother' role for fellow Ulsterman McIlroy. 8/10

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Ian Poulter Intense is the only way to describe Poulter at the Ryder Cup. Bounced back from an opening defeat by Woods and Stricker in fourballs to pick up two wins over the weekend carrying Kaymer on Sunday to top score for Europe alongside Donald. The fist-pumping Englishman was tremendous in the singles with a 5&4 win over Kuchar. 9/10 Ross Fisher The 2009 Volvo World Match Play champion carried Harrington during their 3&2 foursomes win over Phil Mickelson and Johnson but went off the boil in the singles losing to Jeff Overton following four bogeys in his last five holes in a disappointing end to his debut. 7/10 Francesco Molinari After missing several short putts, he held his nerve to claim an unlikely half with brother Edoardo in Sunday’s fourball against Cink and Kuchar. Was 2up after two holes against Woods on Monday but was undone as the American finished in superb fashion. 5.5/10 Miguel Angel Jimenez Everyman’s golfer, the Spanish veteran claimed his first Ryder Cup singles victory at the fourth attempt against Bubba Watson. The oldest of the 24 players on show chipped in from a bunker on the 8th to go ahead and rattled off four birdies in his last seven holes to win 4&3. 7/10 Peter Hanson The tall likeable Swede played brilliantly on Monday but was outdone by a resurgent Mickelson. His pitch from inside the limits of the water hazard on the 15th

Celtic heroes: McDowell (left) held his nerve against Mahan, the Ulsterman's victory sparking wild celebrations on the 17th green; Montgomerie (top) enjoyed a solid captaincy, while Woods showed glimpses of his best form.

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ryder cup review

Down to the Wire

Andrew Mullen examines Colin Montgomerie's captaincy and rates the performance of the two sides at what proved to be a Celtic Manor cracker

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Bubba Watson Solid during the opening fourballs victory over Donald and Harrington, but that proved to be his only point and was beaten 4&3 by a resurgent Jimenez in the singles. 5.5/10 Jim Furyk Was he drained following his FedEx Cup win just the week before? Only contributed half a point, which came from Saturday’s foursome with Fowler against Kaymer and Westwood. 5/10 Steve Stricker Gave the USA a solid start with two points alongside an out of sorts Woods, but the pair were demolished by Donald and Westwood on Sunday, although he would gain revenge over Europe’s number one in Monday’s singles courtesy of four birdies in a row to start the back nine. 8/10

on Sunday which kickstarted him and Jimenez to an unlikely win over Watson and Overton was one of the shots of the week. With the Americans putting for eagles and from 30ft below the level of the green, Hanson’s flop shot landed four feet away. 5.5/10 Padraig Harrington Should never have been picked and the decision is Montgomerie’s only real mistake of a solid captaincy. Staged a brief revival on Saturday after he was the only player not to make a birdie during the opening session but was ultimately twice carried by Fisher despite being the senior man before going down to Zach Johnson 3&2. 5/10

Matt Kuchar The rookie, one of the players of the year on the PGA Tour, contributed a win and two halves when playing alongside Cink before being soundly beaten by an inspired Poulter in the singles. 7/10 Stewart Cink The captain’s pick missed a 12-footer at the last to beat McIlroy and had to settle for a half. The only player to remain unbeaten in the event, Cink collected two other halves and a win alongside Kuchar to put in his most memorable performance since winning The Open last year. 8/10

Edoardo Molinari “There’s only two Molinaris”…thankfully. The passionate Italian performed better than his younger brother in Wales. Claimed a nervous half-point against Rickie Fowler on Monday but letting slip a three hole lead with three to play was more down to the American’s hot putter than anything else. 6/10

Rickie Fowler The 21-year-old rookie had struggled to justify his captain’s pick as a straight replacement for Anthony Kim until roaring back from three down with four to play against Edoardo Molinari thanks to four-straight birdies to earn a half. Was responsible for losing a hole alongside Furyk after incorrectly playing his own ball on the second day, but looks like becoming a Ryder Cup regular. 6/10

Phil Mickelson His eighth Ryder Cup did not go as planned as the Masters champions’ singles victory over Hanson on the final day gave him just a solitary point out of four. 4/10

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Jeff Overton One of the surprise performers of the event. Putted superbly on an excellent debut highlighted by a comeback win over an error-strewn Fisher. Will be remembered for holing his second shot for eagle at the 8th during Sunday’s fourballs and nearly repeating the feat on Monday. 7/10

Luke Donald Luuuuuke. Europe’s Mr Reliable, in stark contrast to fellow captain’s pick Harrington, played like he had the ball on a string and his week in Wales was summed up by beating in-form Jim Furyk 1up for a third point out of four. 9/10

United States Ratings

Blemish-free: Stewart Cink (above), proved his worth to captain Pavin with a unbeaten record

Dustin Johnson Claimed a surprise singles win over Kaymer but had already suffered three defeats. Better things had been expected of the ultra-long Johnson. 5/10

Hunter Mahan Tearful after losing the final match to McDowell after failing to put pressure on the Ulsterman with a duffed chip and was forced to concede the match and therefore the Ryder Cup. It had to happen to someone. 5.5/10

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Zach Johnson The former Masters champion eventually saw off Harrington 3&2 to add to the drama of the final day after losing one and winning one from two matches alongside Mahan. 6/10 Tiger Woods Last but not least, Woods justified Pavin's decision to give him a wildcard pick with three points out of four, although he (and Stricker) were thumped by the Westwood and Donald show on Sunday. Showed that he may be returning to his best after coming from behind to beat Francesco Molinari 4&3 after playing his last 10 holes in a brilliant eight under. 8/10 HKGOLFER.COM

Phil Mickelson His eighth Ryder Cup did not go as planned as the Masters champions’ singles victory over Hanson on the final day gave him just a solitary point out of four. 4/10

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United States Ratings

Blemish-free: Stewart Cink (above), proved his worth to captain Pavin with a unbeaten record

Dustin Johnson Claimed a surprise singles win over Kaymer but had already suffered three defeats. Better things had been expected of the ultra-long Johnson. 5/10

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GLOBALTOURNAMENTNEWS

Furyk Claims FedEx Cup Series Jim Furyk walked away with the US$10 million FedEx Cup series for the top 30 after the BMW Championship, Furyk's victory bumped bonus after edging out Luke Donald to win the season-ending Tour Matt Kuchar down to second place in the series standings ahead of Championship. Donald. The American went into the final day at East Lake Golf Club in Kuchar had earlier failed to match Furyk in getting up and down Atlanta with a one-stroke lead over Donald and Retief Goosen and from the greenside bunker at the last and the dropped shot plus despite testing heavy rain, survived two late bogeys to claim a third the fact Steve Stricker parred the last two holes to earn a tie for 25th victory of the season for the first time in his career with a second pushed him down to second in the series standings after failing to consecutive level par 70. break par in Atlanta. Donald had briefly shared the lead early in the final round but his A final round 66 was not enough to stop Dustin Johnson slipping challenge was hit by two bogeys on the front nine. The Englishman down three places to fifth behind Charley Hoffman, while Paul Casey heaped the pressure back on Furyk with three birdies on the back side could have won the series with second place outright but the Ryder only for the American to hold his nerve with superb sand save on the Cup reject could only manage fourth in Atlanta. final green – to maintain his perfect nine out of 2010 FedEx Cup Final Standings nine record for the tournament – before claiming victory with a two-foot par putt. Points Events Wins Top-10s Bonus “There was a lot riding on my round, a lot riding 1. Jim FURYK 2,980 21 3 7 $10,000,000 down the stretch in some terrible weather, and 2. Matt KUCHAR 2,728 25 1 11 $3,000,000 I was able to – although it didn't look pretty the 3. Luke DONALD 2,700 20 0 7 $2,000,000 last three – get the job done and win again, and 4. Charley HOFFMAN 2,500 23 1 5 $1,500,000 this is very special,” said Furyk, who was actually disqualified from the first event of the play5. Dustin JOHNSON 2,493 23 2 7 $1,000,000 off series after missing his pro-am tee-time. In 6. Paul CASEY 2,250 17 0 7 $800,000 addition to his series bonus, Furyk collected $1.35 7. Steve STRICKER 2,028 19 2 9 $700,000 million for his Tour Championship win. 8. Jason DAY 1,660 24 1 5 $600,000 With defending series champion Tiger Woods 9. Ernie ELS 1,438 20 2 7 $550,000 absent from the season-ending showpiece for 10. Retief GOOSEN 1,360 19 0 10 $500,000 the first time in his career after failing to qualify 134

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I might be going out on a limb but, in some ways, what the West Course lacks in comparison to Cypress Point’s dramatic landscape it makes up for in subtlety, particularly with the greens. The putting surfaces are amongst the finest anywhere, with gentle and subtle f lowing shapes which, combined with their trueness and famous speed, means the challenge always remains until the ball drops. Guarding the greens are typically large and cavernous sand faced bunkers with hard edged lips. This style of bunkering instigated by MacKenzie at both Royal Melbourne and Kingston Heath became de rigueur on many of Melbourne’s famed Sandbelt courses. There are some brilliant sequences of holes on the West Course and none perhaps better than the stretch from holes three to six. The 3rd is a very short par-4 with a green that falls front to back and preceded by a diagonal deep swale meaning a precise pitch is key for the second

shot. It is followed by a dramatic blind tee shot of the par-5 4th and then one of the best and most famous one-shot holes in golf, the par-3 5th. The par-4 6th offers a risk/reward tee shot across a corner of heathland with waste bunkers to a green that can put fear into the mind of even the best golfers. But then there are more favourites, with the dramatic short par-4 10th with its deep and huge crater like bunker that comes into play if you take on the green from the tee, while the 17th green is a gem surrounded by the best settings on the course. I was fortunate enough to meet a legend of Royal Melbourne and a true gentleman named Claude Cro ck ford. A n “ u ncom mon genius” is how five-time Open champion Peter Thomson described the man who was the greenkeeper at the club for over 40 years. “Crocky” knew and cared for every square inch and during his stewardship would prepare arguably the finest and truest tournament greens in the world. He prepared the historic combination of six East and 12 West Course holes for the Canada Cup of 1959. This became famously known as the Composite Course – which itself is a truly magnificent layout. The club is now preparing to host the Presidents Cup for a second time, meaning these remarkable holes will be on show to the world once again. Harley Kruse was formerly a head designer with the Australian office of Greg Norman’s design company. Lead architect on a number of highly-rated courses throughout Asia-Pacific, Kruse has since teamed up with industry veteran Bob Harrison, another highly talented ex-Norman designer, to launch Harrison + Kruse, a new golf course design firm based in Sydney.

Stunning sandbelt: MacKenzie's bunkering - both greenside and fairway - steals the show at Royal Melbourne's West Course, here at the 13th (top) and 10th holes (bottom) 136

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Stunning sandbelt: MacKenzie's bunkering - both greenside and fairway - steals the show at Royal Melbourne's West Course, here at the 13th (top) and 10th holes (bottom) 136

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final shot

My Favourite Course By Harley Kruse

Courtesy of Aaron Newnham & Michael Henderson / Royal Melbourne Golf Club

The Australian architect, whose work includes the spectacular Dunes Course at Danang Golf Club and the Norman at Mission Hills, describes the brilliance of Royal Melbourne, which will host the 2011 Presidents Cup

rowing up in Melbourne, I distinctly recall my very first visit to Royal Melbourne Golf Club. I was in absolute awe of the place, its grand scale, majesty, and sense of stepping into a timeless golfing landscape filled with history. It was the place that inspired me into the profession of golf course architecture and continues to inspire me to this day. Acknowledged as the best course in Australia, the West Course is also one of the finest layouts in the world and sits comfortably with Cypress Point in California and the legendary Augusta National amongst the grandest designs of renowned Scottish architect Dr Alister MacKenzie. Interestingly, he never saw the West Course finished, although of all of Mackenzie’s layouts, this is probably the one that remains the most true to its original form. It is of great credit to the club which holds its valued masterpiece in such high regard that it has largely resisted the temptation to make changes since it was opened for play in 1931. As with many great courses, it is important to point out that the design of the West Course was not solely due to MacKenzie. Much credit must also go to Alex Russell, a champion amateur player of the day, who as the club’s man on the ground, interpreted MacKenzie's ideas and along with his construction man Mick Morcom, then implemented them. 138

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At par 72 and 6,589 yards, the West Course is not long by today’s standards, but remains one of the finest tests of golf around, with shot making over 18 holes unusually requiring nearly every club in the bag. The brilliance of the course firstly lies with its routing of holes that orientate in numerous directions as allowed by the generous piece of beautiful rolling sandy heath. Typically greens and tees are located on high ground or mid-way up a dune making for dramatic settings and views from the tee of the hole ahead. Along with the routing comes wide and generous fairways giving a range of strategic options off the tees. Contrasting the broad and rolling manicured fairways is a dramatic native landscape of largely unkept dry sandy heathland which is open in some areas and wooded in others. CONTINUED ON PAGE 136 HKGOLFER.COM

final shot

My Favourite Course By Harley Kruse

Courtesy of Aaron Newnham & Michael Henderson / Royal Melbourne Golf Club

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