Hong Kong: More than 80 primary schoolchildren enjoyed a memorable introduction to golf as they witnessed Tiffany Chan’s historic triumph in the Hong Kong Ladies Open.
The pupils were at the Hong Kong Golf Club – a Golf Facility Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation – to enjoy a range of golfing activities, including ShortGolf, a fun and easy introduction to the game and an integral part of the HSBC Golf for Schools initiative.
The youngsters also had the opportunity to watch the female competitors in action on Fanling’s Old Course, including four amateurs from the Hong Kong national squad who made the cut – Tiffany Chan being one of them – to add to the success story for Hong Kong golf.
Mark Chan, President of the Hong Kong Golf Association (HKGA), said: “The Hong Kong Ladies Open, presented by the Hong Kong Golf Club, was a special opportunity to promote our sport to the local community.
“Hopefully the experience enjoyed by the kids from our HSBC Golf for Schools programme, combined with Tiffany’s remarkable win, will inspire them to pursue the game and become our stars of tomorrow.”
Also supported by The R&A, the HSBC Golf for Schools initiative currently sees ShortGolf classes being conducted by the HKGA in more than 25 local primary schools across Hong Kong and culminates in on-course golf lessons and the opportunity to gain an official HKGA handicap.
From there, children can progress to the HSBC Junior Development Programme, a talent-identification scheme comprising HKGA-sanctioned junior tournaments and matches, including the HSBC Junior Tour and a cross-border match against the top juniors from HSBC’s China Junior Golf Programme.
The top Hong Kong juniors are then invited to join the HKGA Junior Squad for weekly coaching and expert advice and ultimately have the chance to represent Hong Kong on the international stage – and follow in the footsteps of new Hong Kong Ladies Open champion Tiffany Chan, herself a graduate of the HKGA’s junior development programme.