Hong Kong: Three-time Major champion Padraig Harrington is hoping the UBS Hong Kong Open’s ‘Free Thursday’ campaign can help introduce golf to a new audience at the Hong Kong Golf Club.
The Irishman was impressed by the ‘Free Thursday’ initiative at this month’s British Masters supported by Sky Sports, where more than 15,000 people attended the event, many of them for the first time.
The UBS Hong Kong Open at Fanling will follow that example on Thursday (October 22), when all spectators will be granted free entry to the Hong Kong Golf Club, a Golf Facility Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation.
Harrington is a great believer in introducing as many people as possible to the game and he hopes giving people the opportunity to attend the 57th edition of one of Asia’s great sporting events for free can help to generate new interest in golf in Hong Kong.
“The ‘Free Thursday’ initiative is a great idea and I hope it can assist in introducing a whole new audience to golf,” said Harrington.
“We saw it at the British Masters where the ‘Free Thursday’ attracted many kids and young people to the event, some experience golf for the first time, and the players really responded to create a great atmosphere.
“Golf is seeing a new generation of amazing young players from all over the world coming through and it would be great to bring a new generation of young fans into the game too. We need to continue to make the game more accessible in order to grow our sport.”
Harrington is one of golf’s most accessible players, a Special Olympics Ambassador who played a significant role in successfully presenting golf’s case for inclusion in the 2016 Rio Olympics. The 44-year-old, a winner of 30 tournaments worldwide, loves coming back to the UBS Hong Kong Open, having triumphed in the event in 2003.
“I always enjoy returning to a tournament I have won in the past, and the UBS Hong Kong Open is special for a number of reasons,” he said.
“The golf course is a real classic. The Hong Kong Golf Club is steeped in history and tradition and then the city itself is one of the most vibrant in the world, which helps make the tournament one of the best weeks on the schedule.”
For ‘Free Thursday’ tickets (maximum two per person), please register via: http://tickets.europeantour.com/event/ubs-hong-kong-open-thursday-only/hong-kong-gc/905708/
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