# Hong Kong Open (golf)

The Hong Kong Open is a golf tournament which is played on the Asian Tour, and formerly on the European Tour. It was founded in 1959 and in 1962 and was one of the five tournaments that made up the inaugural Far East Circuit, later known as the Asia Golf Circuit. It remained part of the circuit until 1996, before joining the Asian Tour, then known as the Omega Tour, in 1997. It became co-sanctioned by the European Tour in 2001, as part of the 2002 season.
The Hong Kong Open was played in spring from its inception until 1994, but since 1995 has usually been played towards the end of the year, in November or December, and as a result has often fallen into the following year's European Tour season.
Since taking its place on the European Tour the event has always been held at the Hong Kong Golf Club in Sheung Shui, New Territories. The Hong Kong Golf Association, Hong Kong PGA, and Chinese PGA receive a limited number of exemptions into the tournament for their members.

## History

In 1958, Hong Kong Golf Club member Kim Hall wrote to Australian professional Eric Cremin to see if those players playing in the Philippine Open in 1959 would consider staying in the region to play in Hong Kong. Hall then approached Peter Plumley, secretary of South China Morning Post, who was also a golfer. Plumley then persuaded his boss to sponsor 1,000 Australian pounds in prize money in the name of South China Morning Post. Then, the first Hong Kong Open was launched in February 1959. According to Hong Kong Golf Club member Willie Woo, Kim Hall was very keen for the tournament and he talked a lot with Australian golfers, including Peter Thomson. Woo helped to get Taiwanese players through his connections.
The first tournament was hosted by Sir Robert Black, the then-Governor of Hong Kong. Around one thousand spectators joined the tournament. Taiwanese golfer Lu Liang-Huan won the inaugural edition of the tournament. The success of the Hong Kong Open prompted first Singapore in 1961, and then Malaysia and Japan in 1962, to introduce their own tournaments and bring about the setting up of the Far East Golf Circuit. The circuit further expanded into a regular ten-tournament tour, called the Asia Golf Circuit, that existed until the end of the twentieth century.
Despite the SCMP's original agreement to maintain 1,000 pounds sponsorship of the Hong Kong Open, it was felt that prize money would need to be increased if the best players were to be attracted. To that end the 1963 event was jointly sponsored by the SCMP and British American Tobacco, with the purse being increased to 4,000 pounds as a result.
Due to poor weather conditions during the 1966 event, the Hong Kong Golf Club lost HK$10,442 as the money put up by the sponsors was insufficient to cover expenses. As a result, the club decided that in future it could not undertake to assist financially in any way, but would continued provide the courses and the general facilities. The 1968 tournament was the first edition to be shown live on television. In 1969, the newly formed the Hong Kong Golf Association took up the task of organising the tournament. In 1971, the Hong Kong Open was on the verge of disappearing due to low spectator numbers and financial problems, but with the assistance of the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation, who were keen to retain the event on the Asia Golf Circuit, the tournament was saved.
In 1996, Hong Kong golfer Dominique Boulet finished fourth, the best result by a local golfer. In 2008, Florida-based Hong Kong amateur Shun Yat Hak became the youngest player ever to make the cut in a European Tour event, at 14 years and 304 days, eclipsing the record set by Sergio García at the Turespaña Open Mediterrania in 1995. At the other end of the age spectrum, Miguel Ángel Jiménez became the oldest golfer ever to win on the European Tour when he won in 2012 at age 48 years, 315 days, and extended his record by defending his title in 2013 at age 49 years, 337 days.
In 2013, organizers and potential sponsors raised concerns over the complex becoming enmeshed in a controversial redevelopment plan for Fan Ling. The tournament was played that year without a title sponsor.
In 2020, the Hong Kong Open organizers announced that the tournament would be postponed till 2021 due to COVID-19 restrictions.
In March 2023, it was confirmed that the Hong Kong Open would return after a two-year hiatus as an Asian Tour event. The tournament would also gain International Series status.

## Winners

| Year | Tour(s) | Winner | Score | To par | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
| Link Hong Kong Open ||||||||
| 2024 | ASA | Patrick Reed | 258 | −22 | 3 strokes | Ben Campbell |
| Hong Kong Open ||||||||
| 2023 | ASA | Ben Campbell | 261 | −19 | 1 stroke | Cameron Smith |
| 2021–22: No tournament ||||||||
| 2020 | ASA, EUR | Wade Ormsby (2) | 263 | −17 | 4 strokes | Shane Lowry |
| 2019: No tournament ||||||||
| Honma Hong Kong Open ||||||||
| 2018 | ASA, EUR | Aaron Rai | 263 | −17 | 1 stroke | Matt Fitzpatrick |
| UBS Hong Kong Open ||||||||
| 2017 | ASA, EUR | Wade Ormsby | 269 | −11 | 1 stroke | Alexander Björk Rafa Cabrera-Bello Paul Peterson Julian Suri |
| 2016 | ASA, EUR | Sam Brazel | 267 | −13 | 1 stroke | Rafa Cabrera-Bello |
| 2015 | ASA, EUR | Justin Rose | 263 | −17 | 1 stroke | Lucas Bjerregaard |
| Hong Kong Open ||||||||
| 2014 | ASA, EUR | Scott Hend | 267 | −13 | Playoff | Angelo Que |
| 2013 | ASA, EUR | Miguel Ángel Jiménez (4) | 268 | −12 | Playoff | Stuart Manley Prom Meesawat |
| UBS Hong Kong Open ||||||||
| 2012 | ASA, EUR | Miguel Ángel Jiménez (3) | 265 | −15 | 1 stroke | Fredrik Andersson Hed |
| 2011 | ASA, EUR | Rory McIlroy | 268 | −12 | 2 strokes | Grégory Havret |
| 2010 | ASA, EUR | Ian Poulter | 258 | −22 | 1 stroke | Simon Dyson Matteo Manassero |
| 2009 | ASA, EUR | Grégory Bourdy | 261 | −19 | 2 strokes | Rory McIlroy |
| 2008 | ASA, EUR | Lin Wen-tang | 265 | −15 | Playoff | Rory McIlroy Francesco Molinari |
| 2007 | ASA, EUR | Miguel Ángel Jiménez (2) | 265 | −15 | 1 stroke | K. J. Choi Thongchai Jaidee Robert Karlsson |
| 2006 | ASA, EUR | José Manuel Lara | 265 | −15 | 1 stroke | Juvic Pagunsan |
| 2005 | ASA, EUR | Colin Montgomerie | 271 | −9 | 1 stroke | K. J. Choi James Kingston Lin Keng-chi Edward Loar Thammanoon Sriroj |
| Omega Hong Kong Open ||||||||
| 2004 | ASA, EUR | Miguel Ángel Jiménez | 266 | −14 | 1 stroke | Pádraig Harrington James Kingston |
| 2003 | ASA, EUR | Pádraig Harrington | 269 | −11 | 1 stroke | Hennie Otto |
| 2002 | ASA, EUR | Freddie Jacobson | 260 | −16 | 2 strokes | Jorge Berendt Henrik Nyström |
| 2001 | ASA, EUR | José María Olazábal | 262 | −22 | 1 stroke | Henrik Bjørnstad |
| 2000 | ASA | Simon Dyson | 263 | −21 | 3 strokes | Kim Felton John Kernohan Charlie Wi |
| Perrier Hong Kong Open ||||||||
| 1999 | ASA | Patrik Sjöland | 269 | −11 | 1 stroke | Ian Woosnam |
| 1998 | ASA | Kang Wook-soon | 272 | −12 | 2 strokes | Ed Fryatt |
| Andersen Consulting Hong Kong Open ||||||||
| 1997 | ASA | Frank Nobilo | 267 | −17 | 5 strokes | Kang Wook-soon |
| 1996 | AGC | Rodrigo Cuello | 275 | −5 | 3 strokes | Scott Hoch Bill Longmuir |
| Hong Kong Open ||||||||
| 1995 | AGC | Gary Webb | 271 | −13 | 2 strokes | Rafael Alarcón |
| Kent Hong Kong Open ||||||||
| 1994 | AGC | David Frost | 274 | −10 | Playoff | Craig McClellan |
| 1993 | AGC | Brian Watts | 274 | −10 | 1 stroke | Chen Tze-chung |
| Hutchison Telecom Hong Kong Open ||||||||
| 1992 | AGC | Tom Watson | 274 | −10 | 3 strokes | Ronan Rafferty |
| 1991 | AGC | Bernhard Langer | 269 | −15 | 7 strokes | Choi Sang-ho Lu Wen-teh |
| Martell Hong Kong Open ||||||||
| 1990 | AGC | Ken Green | 205 | −8 | 4 strokes | Danny Mijovic Brian Watts |
| Johnnie Walker Hong Kong Open ||||||||
| 1989 | AGC | Brian Claar | 274 | −6 | 1 stroke | Mats Lanner Gary Rusnak |
| Unisys Hong Kong Open ||||||||
| 1988 | AGC | Hsieh Chin-sheng | 274 | −10 | 1 stroke | Lu Chien-soon |
| United Airlines Hong Kong Open ||||||||
| 1987 | AGC | Ian Woosnam | 275 | −9 | 4 strokes | David Feherty Sam Torrance |
| Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Open ||||||||
| 1986 | AGC | Seiichi Kanai | 285 | +1 | 1 stroke | Ian Baker-Finch |
| 1985 | AGC | Mark Aebli | 270 | −10 | 4 strokes | Chen Tze-ming |
| 1984 | AGC | Bill Brask | 268 | −12 | 7 strokes | Greg Norman |
| 1983 | AGC | Greg Norman (2) | 134 | −6 | 3 strokes | Mark James |
| 1982 | AGC | Kurt Cox | 276 | −4 | Playoff | Terry Gale Tom Sieckmann |
| 1981 | AGC | Chen Tze-ming | 279 | E | 1 stroke | Graham Marsh |
| 1980 | AGC | Kuo Chie-Hsiung | 274 | −5 | 2 strokes | Lu Liang-Huan |
| 1979 | AGC | Greg Norman | 273 | −6 | 3 strokes | Lu Hsi-chuen Chen Tze-ming Hsu Chi-san |
| Hong Kong Open ||||||||
| 1978 | AGC | Hsieh Yung-yo (4) | 275 | −4 | 1 stroke | Kim Seung-hack |
| 1977 | AGC | Hsieh Min-Nan | 280 | E | 1 stroke | Teruo Sugihara |
| 1976 | AGC | Ho Ming-chung | 279 | −1 | 2 strokes | Hsu Sheng-san |
| 1975 | AGC | Hsieh Yung-yo (3) | 288 | +8 | 1 stroke | Ted Ball Gaylord Burrows Stewart Ginn |
| 1974 | AGC | Lu Liang-Huan (2) | 280 | E | Playoff | Graham Marsh |
| 1973 | AGC | Frank Phillips (2) | 278 | −6 | 1 stroke | Ben Arda |
| 1972 | AGC | Walter Godfrey | 272 | −8 | 2 strokes | Takashi Murakami |
| 1971 | AGC | Orville Moody | 266 | −14 | 2 strokes | Haruo Yasuda |
| 1970 | AGC | Isao Katsumata | 274 | −6 | 1 stroke | Haruo Yasuda |
| 1969 | AGC | Teruo Sugihara | 274 | −6 | 2 strokes | Maurice Bembridge |
| 1968 | AGC | Randall Vines | 271 | −9 | 1 stroke | Teruo Sugihara |
| 1967 | FEC | Peter Thomson (3) | 273 | −7 | Playoff | Brian Huggett |
| 1966 | FEC | Frank Phillips | 275 | −5 | 2 strokes | Hideyo Sugimoto |
| 1965 | FEC | Peter Thomson (2) | 278 | −2 | 1 stroke | Ross Newdick |
| 1964 | FEC | Hsieh Yung-yo (2) | 269 | −15 | Playoff | Alan Murray |
| 1963 | FEC | Hsieh Yung-yo | 272 | −16 | 3 strokes | Tomoo Ishii |
| 1962 | FEC | Len Woodward | 271 | −17 | 1 stroke | Frank Phillips Bill Dunk Alan Murray |
| 1961 | | Kel Nagle | 261 | | 6 strokes | Peter Thomson |
| 1960 | | Peter Thomson | 272 | | | |
| 1959 | | Lu Liang-Huan | 281 | | 1 stroke | Bruce Crampton Kel Nagle |
Source:

## Scorecard

| Hole | Name | Old Name | Yards | Metres | Par |
| 1 | Taipo | Trench | 468 | 428 | 4 |
| 2 | Sai Kung | The Trap | 149 | 136 | 3 |
| 3 | Shatin | Fearsome | 551 | 504 | 5 |
| 4 | Wong Tai Sin | Temptation | 288 | 263 | 4 |
| 5 | Kowloon City | Table Top | 192 | 176 | 3 |
| 6 | Kwun Tong | The Pimple | 436 | 399 | 4 |
| 7 | Eastern | The Narrows | 380 | 347 | 4 |
| 8 | Southern | Oasis | 188 | 172 | 3 |
| 9 | Wan Chai | The Bend | 493 | 451 | 4 |
| 10 | Central and Western | Holland | 367 | 336 | 4 |
| 11 | Yau Tsim Mong | The Paddy | 466 | 426 | 4 |
| 12 | Sham Shui Po | Short Hole | 144 | 132 | 3 |
| 13 | Kwai Tsing | The Long Hole | 529 | 484 | 5 |
| 14 | Tsuen Wan | The Bungalow | 395 | 361 | 4 |
| 15 | Islands | The Burn | 426 | 390 | 4 |
| 16 | Tuen Mun | The Road Hole | 411 | 376 | 4 |
| 17 | Yuen Long | The Graves | 406 | 371 | 4 |
| 18 | North | The Ultimate | 410 | 375 | 4 |
| Total | | | 6710 | 6137 | 70 |