Hong Kong, China: PGA Tour China pros Kevin Huang Wenyi of China, Rui Takamatsu of Japan and American Jack Persons all passed on valuable tips during a series of coaching clinics held at the Clearwater Bay Open.
The 35-year-old Huang, whose European Tour highlights include ties for fourth at last year’s Shenzhen International and seventh at the 2013 BMW International in Germany, proved an inspiring presence at a clinic for the Hong Kong Special Olympics team at The Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club.
The Special Olympics golf programme is supported by The Hong Kong Jockey Club, which promotes the sport to people with intellectual disabilities and arranges coaching and training facilities for the team at the Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Course.
Takamatsu, 30, and Persons, 23, led another clinic for the Hong Kong Impaired Golfers Association (HKIGA), a charity founded in 2012 by HKPGA member Gordon Liu Kai-mung. Inspired by years of coaching visually impaired golfers, Liu recognised the significant benefits golf could bring to his students.
Jeany Wong Yuet-ho, a coach at HKIGA, said: “The clinic was great and we’re really thankful to Rui, Jack and Clearwater Bay. We started organising clinics at Clearwater Bay in 2014 and now hold free sessions here about twice a month. Our students can’t play many sports but many have been with the HKIGA for three or four years and it has helped their co-ordination and balance and even self-confidence.”
In addition, dozens of local juniors were introduced to the game at clinics held beside the Public Village, with support from the Hong Kong Golf Association.
The Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club has an agreement to title sponsor and host the Clearwater Bay Open for three years as part of the Ping An Bank China Tour – PGA Tour China Series.
Since 2003, Clearwater Bay has raised almost HK$80 million (about US$10 million) for charity through its Community Outreach Programme. The initiative is aimed at strengthening neighbourhood ties, preserving the environment and upholding family values, while working with charity partners to organise and raise funds for different sectors of people in the community.