Hong Kong: Dustin Johnson and Justin Rose are poised to grace the fairways of the venerable Hong Kong Golf Club, a Golf Facility Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation.
American Johnson and Englishman Rose will headline the field in the US$2 million UBS Hong Kong Open at the Fanling venue from October 22-25.
Johnson and Rose are currently ranked fifth and seventh in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Big-hitting Johnson, a 31-year-old from South Carolina, is a nine-time winner on the PGA Tour and has been a regular contender at Major championships in recent years.
He said: “I’m excited to be making my first trip to the UBS Hong Kong Open. I’ve heard some great things about the tournament, and that the Hong Kong Golf Club is a real classic golf course with a rich history and tradition.
“You look at some of the names who have won the tournament – guys like Norman, Watson, Woosnam, Langer, Olazabal, Montgomerie and McIlroy – and you realise there is a great history there. Those are the kind of trophies you want to get your name on.
“I’m also really looking forward to visiting Hong Kong. As golfers we are very lucky to have the chance to travel the world playing the game we love and when you get the chance to visit cities as exciting as Hong Kong then it’s difficult to say no. It’s going to be an exciting trip.”
With his victory in the 2013 US Open, Rose become the first Englishman since Tony Jacklin in 1970 to win the American national Open. As well as winning seven times on both the European and PGA Tours, Rose has triumphed in South Africa, the land of his birth, Australia and Japan.
Rose said: “Hong Kong is one of my favourite cities in the world and Fanling is a great golf course. The tournament is close to the end of the Race to Dubai so I liked the idea of putting another tournament on the schedule near the end of the year to give myself as good a chance of possible of winning the Race to Dubai when we get to Dubai at the end of the season.
“I missed the cut by a shot in 2011 but I loved the course. I remember I made a late run of birdies to almost make the cut, but then missing that cut actually enabled me to spend a weekend in the city and really get to know and love the place.
“We stay in an awesome hotel in the middle of town and there are so many great restaurants and so much to do – when you are away from the course you always feel you are somewhere very special and unique.
“Hopefully this year I can improve the golf side of things. Fanling is a very traditional, tree-lined, tight course. It’s not long but a great test of golf and not easy as the winning scores usually tell. It’s also great to have UBS back on board as title sponsor – they have a great association with the tournament and we are delighted to have them back.”

Kathryn Shih, Head of UBS Wealth Management, APAC, said: “We are excited to have Dustin Johnson and Justin Rose confirmed for the 2015 UBS Hong Kong Open. The presence of two of the world’s top-10 golfers is sure to boost the tournament’s appeal and we look forward to writing another exciting page in the history of the UBS Hong Kong Open this October.”
Earlier this month, UBS announced its return as title sponsor of the Hong Kong Open having previously served as title sponsor from 2005 to 2012. The event is also supported by the Hong Kong SAR Government’s Mega Events Fund and sanctioned by the Asian Tour, European Tour and Hong Kong Golf Association.