Hong Kong: Hong Kong’s top young golfers will have an extra incentive when they tee-off in next month’s Hong Kong Junior Open Championship following the announcement that HSBC will once again invite the leading local boy and girl to the World Golf Championship-HSBC Champions in Shanghai for an immersive golf education experience.
To be played over three rounds, the 46th Hong Kong Junior Open will take place from August 10-12 at the Hong Kong Golf Club, a Golf Facility Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation.
National team player Leon D’Souza, last year’s winner, has fond memories of the trip to Shanghai with HSBC. He said: “The week was amazing. To see all my golfing heroes play so close to home was truly inspiring for me. I loved every second. Getting to play on the course – including playing a hole with Jordan Spieth – was truly a dream come true.”
Staged by the Hong Kong Golf Association (HKGA) since 1970, this year’s Junior Open on Fanling’s New Course will feature on the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) for the first time and is expected to attract another strong field of rising stars from home and overseas.
Last year saw impressive challenges from China’s Zhang Yifu in the boys and Sasaki Yukie of Chinese Taipei in the girls but it was the local pair of D’Souza and Vivian Lee who triumphed.
Once again the home players will have one eye on a special opportunity from HSBC as the HKGA’s Exclusive Banking Partner will invite Hong Kong’s leading boy and girl in the 15-17 age group to attend the final two days of the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions at Sheshan International Golf Club, a course sculpted by Nelson & Haworth Golf Course Architects, an Associate Business Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation.
There they will get an inside-the-ropes look at how a World Golf Championships event is staged and be treated to a coaching clinic with one of the world’s top golfers.
On the Monday following the final round they will have the opportunity to play on the tournament course in a match against their peers from the CGA-HSBC China Junior Golf Programme. The HKGA team won the inaugural edition of the match in 2015.