Wednesday, 14 May 2014 00:00
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Less than a year after Miguel Angel Jiménez’s historic victory at the Hong Kong Open, the US$1.3 million championship will return to the Asian Tour schedule and The European Tour International Schedule from 16-19 October. Hong Kong Golf Club will host the 56th edition of the tournament in Fanling, where Jiménez defeated Welshman Stuart Manley and Thailand’s Prom Meesawat in a play-off last December to win the title for a fourth time and break his own record as The European Tour’s oldest champion, aged 49 years and 337 days.
Once again the Hong Kong Open will be tri-sanctioned between the Asian and European Tours, as well as the Hong Kong Golf Association.
Asian Tour Chairman Kyi Hla Han said: “The Hong Kong Open has been a mainstay on the Asian Tour Schedule over the years, and fans can once again expect to see the best golfers from Asia competing against their European counterparts.
“As the Asian Tour season builds to a climax, the Hong Kong Open will play an important role in the makeup of the Order of Merit and will be another thrilling week for all the fans in attendance. The Hong Kong Open is no doubt one of the most prestigious events in the region and it holds the honour of being the only national championship in Asia to be held at the same golf club since its inauguration in 1959.”
As the penultimate full-field tournament of The 2014 European Tour season before the Final Series, the Hong Kong Open will play a key role in determining the final makeup of The Race to Dubai. The Hong Kong Open has a rich history and tradition, with a roll of honour that includes Major Champions Seve Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer, Greg Norman, Peter Thomson, Tom Watson and Ian Woosnam, while Asian greats Lu Liang-huan, Chen Tze-ming, Lin Wen-tang and Kang Wook-soon have also tasted victory in Fanling.
The Hong Kong Open joined the Asian Tour Schedule in 2000 before being co-sanctioned the following year with The European Tour as part of its 2002 Schedule.
