Hong Kong: England’s Justin Rose is relishing the prospect of an imminent return to The Hong Kong Golf Club (HKGC).

Winner of the Hong Kong Open at the fabled Fanling venue in 2015, Rose will be among the headline acts in the 63rd edition of the historic event from November 21-24.

“Hong Kong holds a special place in my heart, as does the Hong Kong Open. When I won at Fanling I was playing some of the best golf of my life. I’ve had some great form this year and can’t wait to return,” said Rose, the 2013 US Open winner who tied for second at The Open Championship in July.

“I cannot believe that seven years has slipped by since I was last in Hong Kong. You know, I tell people whenever I’m asked that it’s one of my favourite cities in the world; Hong Kong is right up there at the top of the list. I have great memories of the tournament and the golf course especially.

“The Hong Kong Golf Club is a true classic in the sense that it’s got an old school feel about it. It tests everybody’s game, whether you’re a long hitter or a short hitter,” said Rose.

In 2015, Rose came from two strokes off the pace with nine to play to beat Denmark’s Lucas Bjerregaard by one shot, adding another dramatic closing chapter to Hong Kong’s longest running professional sporting event, one that this year is also helping The Hong Kong Golf Club ring in its 135th anniversary.

History surrounds the event, which the HKGC has staged since 1959 – ranking it alongside only the Augusta National Golf Club, which hosts The Masters, as a club that has hosted the same professional tournament for more than 60 years.

At the tournament launch in August, LINK Hong Kong Open 2024 ambassador Gary Player labelled the tournament ‘Asia’s Major’.

“It’s got a nice ring to it, The Hong Kong Open has stood the test of time,” said Rose of Player’s description.

“Opens have something special about them, you build history and rapport with the golf course and things like that. That does count for a lot when you’re building the prestige of an event.

“The club has a very proud membership who love the golf course. It’s got a very old school charm about it, which is something that is very difficult to create. It’s got history, and you can’t reproduce that. You can’t recreate it. So it just has something very, very special about it.

“Those are the types of venues that I really like that have that charm and that history. It’s had great sponsors, and has attracted an international field throughout the years, too. It’s managed to keep its elevated feel and character,” added Rose.

A Facility Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation, the HKGC is one of Asia’s most historic golf clubs and has been at the forefront of golf development in Hong Kong and the region ever since its foundation in 1889.

The club established the Hong Kong Open, the city’s first professional sporting event, in 1959 and has hosted every edition since.

Championship golf is at the heart of the club’s fabric. It has hosted numerous other elite-level tournaments including the World Amateur Team Championships, the World City Championship, the Aramco Team Series and LIV Golf Hong Kong. 

A dedicated supporter of local charitable concerns, the club also organises many events during the year for the benefit of worthy causes. The club is ranked 50th on the Platinum Clubs of the World’s list of the Top-100 Golf and Country Clubs for 2024-2025.

The club’s Fanling Golf Course received an award of distinction at the 2023 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.