Dual accolades for Hong Kong
Hong Kong Open presented by Amundi and its host venue, the Hong Kong Golf Club, clinched the Asian Tour Tournament of the Year and the Golf Course of the Year respectively at the Asian Tour Awards Gala on Sunday.
As voted by the players, The HONMA Hong Kong Open presented by Amundi beat the likes of SMBC Singapore Open, Maybank Championship, Shinhan Donghae Open and the BNI Indonesian Masters to win the accolade.
The tournament reached a significant milestone in 2018, having celebrated its 60th anniversary this year. It also has the distinction of being the country’s oldest professional sporting event.
This year, the event saw Englishman Aaron Rai lifting the trophy and joining an illustrious list of winners that include Major winners Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy and Tom Watson, among many other luminaries of the sport.
The host venue, Hong Kong Golf Club, with its an engaging layout and championship-perfect conditions also swayed the players’ votes to its favour.
“We are delighted to win the Golf Course of the Year award from the Asian Tour. The endorsement from the players will motivate us to do even better and we’ll continue to establish the Hong Kong Golf Club as the venue of choice on the Asian Tour,” said Ian Gardner, General Manager of the Hong Kong Golf Club.
The club has hosted the Hong Kong Open for 60 consecutive years. The only other club that has hosted the same event for more than 55 years is Augusta National Golf Club which stages the Masters Tournament every year.
The Shinhan Donghae Open won the Spectator Engagement award for the third year in a row. Apart from a bustling and interactive spectator’s village, the 2018 edition had digital initiatives such as live broadcasts of interviews via Facebook and conveniently-located interactive kiosks, where fans can check live scores and location of players.
