SIDDIKUR ROMPS TO 12-STROKE VICTORY
Bangladeshi Siddikur posted a final round score of three-under-par 69 for a 19-under-par 269 total to win the Bangladesh Masters title at the US$75,000 Asian Development Tour event.
Md. Milon Ahmed of Bangladesh secured second position with a 72 for a 281 total, 12 strokes behind Siddikur while amateur golfer Md. Jakiruzzaman (68), also of Bangladesh and flamboyant Japanese prospect Yosuke Tsukada (74) shared third place on a 284 total at the Kurmitola Golf Club.
"I want to dedicate my victory to Bangladesh. This is the first time the Asian Development Tour is organized here and it was great exposure to the professional golfers in Bangladesh,” said Siddikur, who won US$13,125.
Siddikur got off to a strong start, sinking three consecutive birdies from the first hole before returning with three further birdies against as many bogeys.
Since his victory at the Brunei Open last season, Siddikur has continued to fly the Bangladeshi flag on the international stage and he is determined to continue his mission in the new Asian Tour season.
Milon, who started his golfing journey with Siddikur as a ball boy at the Kurmitola Golf Club, rued a cold putter as he closed with three birdies against three bogeys. He was ecstatic with his experience of playing in his first Asian Development Tour event and hopes to one day follow in the footsteps of his close friend Siddikur.
A tired Tsukada, who struggled with fatigue, admitted he was playing for second place but was disappointed to bogey the last hole and eventually finish in tied third.
The top three players on the Order of Merit at the end of the season will earn their Asian Tour cards for 2012.
Leading final round scores
269 – Siddikur (Ban) 66-65-69-69
281 - Md. Milon AHMED (Ban) 72-69-68-72
284 - Md. Jakiruzzaman (A) (Ban) 71-75-70-68, Yosuke TSUKADA (Jap) 70-71-69-74
285 - Md. Zamal Hossain MOLLAH (Ban) 72-68-74-71
286 - Md. Rezaul KARIM (Ban) 74-70-75-67, Hirotaro NAITO (Jap) 70-70-72-74
287 - Justin BRINK (Ire) 71-72-75-69, Ross CANAVAN (Eng) 71-72-69-75
288 - Javed INAYAT (Pak) 73-74-67-74, Md. Liton HOWLADER (Ban) 69-71-71-77
289 - Takafumi KAWANE (Jap) 73-71-75-70
290 - Md. Sayum MIAH (Ban) 70-72-72-76
291 - Llewellyn MATTHEWS (Wal) 75-74-73-69, Neil REILLY (Eng) 72-73-74-72
292 - Md. Shakhawat SOHEL (Ban) 75-71-75-71, Md. A. MOTIN (Ban) 68-71-76-77
07 February 2011
18 January 2011
Prosperity to Eat All You Can!
How's that to eat your way to prosperity?
Here's the deal....Chinese New Year 2011 is a family affair celebrating, a time of reunion and this year, Tropicana Golf & Country Club Chinese New Year dinner has a special promotion.
“Our Family Prosperity buffet dinner, will have a wider variety of dishes to choose from, including the famous yee sang to toss for a bountiful year ahead, said James Thor, Event & Promotions Manager of Tropicana Golf Club.
The price is: RM52++ for adult
RM35++ for Member’s child
RM62++ for Member’s guest/visitor
RM40++ for Visitor’s child.
Members and guests who are 60 years and above will be entitled to a 50% discount.
Meanwhile, the CNY Family Prosperity Buffet Dinner has a presale offer. If you purchase 10 Prosperity Buffet Voucher from January 1-25, you will get 2 vouchers FREE!If you buy the most Family vouchers, you have the chance to win a trip for 2 to ClubMed Cherating worth RM2,888!The CNY Prosperity Dinner will be available from Jan 28 till Feb 13 from 7pm to 10.30pm.
Reservations at The Palm Coffee House are recommended. Call 03-7804 1919.
“Our Family Prosperity buffet dinner, will have a wider variety of dishes to choose from, including the famous yee sang to toss for a bountiful year ahead, said James Thor, Event & Promotions Manager of Tropicana Golf Club.
The price is: RM52++ for adult
RM35++ for Member’s child
RM62++ for Member’s guest/visitor
RM40++ for Visitor’s child.
Members and guests who are 60 years and above will be entitled to a 50% discount.
Meanwhile, the CNY Family Prosperity Buffet Dinner has a presale offer. If you purchase 10 Prosperity Buffet Voucher from January 1-25, you will get 2 vouchers FREE!If you buy the most Family vouchers, you have the chance to win a trip for 2 to ClubMed Cherating worth RM2,888!The CNY Prosperity Dinner will be available from Jan 28 till Feb 13 from 7pm to 10.30pm.
Reservations at The Palm Coffee House are recommended. Call 03-7804 1919.
17 January 2011
Maybank Malaysian Open 2011
MALAYSIAN OPEN 2011
Maybank has confirmed its commitment for another five years as the title sponsor of the Malaysian Open, increasing the tournament's prize purse to US$2.5 million at the same time.
Young sensations Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel from South Africa and Rory McIlroy from Ireland, aare expected to lead the 2011 field of players in the 156 player this April 14th to 17th at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club (West Course).
On the star players, Tan Sri Dato' Megat Zaharuddin Megat Mohd Nor Chairman of Maybank said: “We are thrilled to welcome Oosthuizen, Schwartzel and McIlroy to the 50th edition of the Maybank Malaysian Open. This is the first time in the Malaysian Open history a newly crowned Open Championship winner will be participating in our tournament. I believe that the appearance displayed by these three rising stars will attract more fans to the sport, especially after witnessing their superb sportsmanship."
The Malaysian Golf Association ("MGA") welcomed the announcement of the sponsorship renewal, acknowledging that the Maybank Malaysian Open is the jewel in the crown of Malaysia professional golf.
"The Maybank Malaysian Open has been instrumental in cultivating and supporting local talent over the years, giving them to opportunity to hone their skills on an international platform against some of the biggest names in the golfing world. Looking back 50 years, golf has truly come a long way in Malaysia. With tournaments like the Maybank Malaysian Open spurring on our local professionals, giving them priority and ensuring that their needs are taken care of, we are optimistic that a Malaysian golfer will one day represent our country in the Olympics," said MGA President Datuk Robin Loh.
Points earned by the players will go towards the Asian Tour Order of Merit, and will also add to the player's 2011 Race to Dubai Ranking, granting them a chance to qualify for the season-ending Dubai World Championship.
Past Malaysian Open has seen the likes of Vijay Singh, Padraig Harrington, Retief Goosen, Michael Campbell, Lee Westwood and Nick Faldo making waves on its courses over the years. In 2010, this prestigious event was won by 19-year old Korean sensation Noh Seung-Yul who then went on to become Asian Tour's number one player.
In addition to the series of announcements, Maybank also revealed the appointment of local heroes Danny Chia and Mohd Shaaban Hussin as the Ambassadors of the Maybank Malaysian Open 2011. "Our support for Malaysian golfers stretches from developing youth through our Junior Development Programme, to Malaysian professionals. This year will see the number of Malaysians in the field increase from 17 to 22 golfers. I am also pleased that this year, we will sponsor two Malaysian golfers - Danny Chia and Shaaban Hussin. It is our intention to help some of those affected by our support to realize their potential and hopefully become international champions," said Tan Sri Dato' Megat Zaharuddin Megat Mohd Nor.
"Danny made history by becoming the first Malaysian to win an Asian Tour event when he won the Taiwan Open in 2002. He also qualified for the third time to play in the British Open, becoming the first Malaysian to play in all four rounds at the British Open at St Andrews, the oldest major in the world," added Tan Sri Dato' Megat Zaharuddin Megat Mohd Nor. "Shaaban, who turned pro in 2003, proved himself a talent to watch when he beat over 100 local professionals to qualify for the inaugural PGA Tour-sanctioned event in Malaysia last year. He has the makings of a great player."
Maybank has confirmed its commitment for another five years as the title sponsor of the Malaysian Open, increasing the tournament's prize purse to US$2.5 million at the same time.
Young sensations Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel from South Africa and Rory McIlroy from Ireland, aare expected to lead the 2011 field of players in the 156 player this April 14th to 17th at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club (West Course).
On the star players, Tan Sri Dato' Megat Zaharuddin Megat Mohd Nor Chairman of Maybank said: “We are thrilled to welcome Oosthuizen, Schwartzel and McIlroy to the 50th edition of the Maybank Malaysian Open. This is the first time in the Malaysian Open history a newly crowned Open Championship winner will be participating in our tournament. I believe that the appearance displayed by these three rising stars will attract more fans to the sport, especially after witnessing their superb sportsmanship."
The Malaysian Golf Association ("MGA") welcomed the announcement of the sponsorship renewal, acknowledging that the Maybank Malaysian Open is the jewel in the crown of Malaysia professional golf.
"The Maybank Malaysian Open has been instrumental in cultivating and supporting local talent over the years, giving them to opportunity to hone their skills on an international platform against some of the biggest names in the golfing world. Looking back 50 years, golf has truly come a long way in Malaysia. With tournaments like the Maybank Malaysian Open spurring on our local professionals, giving them priority and ensuring that their needs are taken care of, we are optimistic that a Malaysian golfer will one day represent our country in the Olympics," said MGA President Datuk Robin Loh.
Points earned by the players will go towards the Asian Tour Order of Merit, and will also add to the player's 2011 Race to Dubai Ranking, granting them a chance to qualify for the season-ending Dubai World Championship.
Past Malaysian Open has seen the likes of Vijay Singh, Padraig Harrington, Retief Goosen, Michael Campbell, Lee Westwood and Nick Faldo making waves on its courses over the years. In 2010, this prestigious event was won by 19-year old Korean sensation Noh Seung-Yul who then went on to become Asian Tour's number one player.
In addition to the series of announcements, Maybank also revealed the appointment of local heroes Danny Chia and Mohd Shaaban Hussin as the Ambassadors of the Maybank Malaysian Open 2011. "Our support for Malaysian golfers stretches from developing youth through our Junior Development Programme, to Malaysian professionals. This year will see the number of Malaysians in the field increase from 17 to 22 golfers. I am also pleased that this year, we will sponsor two Malaysian golfers - Danny Chia and Shaaban Hussin. It is our intention to help some of those affected by our support to realize their potential and hopefully become international champions," said Tan Sri Dato' Megat Zaharuddin Megat Mohd Nor.
"Danny made history by becoming the first Malaysian to win an Asian Tour event when he won the Taiwan Open in 2002. He also qualified for the third time to play in the British Open, becoming the first Malaysian to play in all four rounds at the British Open at St Andrews, the oldest major in the world," added Tan Sri Dato' Megat Zaharuddin Megat Mohd Nor. "Shaaban, who turned pro in 2003, proved himself a talent to watch when he beat over 100 local professionals to qualify for the inaugural PGA Tour-sanctioned event in Malaysia last year. He has the makings of a great player."
15 January 2011
Golf in Vietnam
Thu Duc Garden Homes Invitational attracted 122 players from around Vietnam.
And so, a course record fell as Vietnam’s top amateur tournament was held from January 7-9 at Danang Golf Club.
The format was conducted in 36 holes of stroke play and, as one might expect, three of the five Asian Tour representatives claimed top honors. Australian Unho Park’s 139 led the field, thanks to Sunday’s closing 69, a new course record from the championship Shark Tees at 8-month-old, Greg Norman-designed Danang GC. Lam Chih Bing of Singapore finished two strokes back while Vietnam’s own Tran Le Duy Nhat placed third at 146.
The individual competitions were broken out into five separate divisions:
• Amateur Gross (no handicap)
• Amateur Net (maximum handicap: 13)
• Vietnam National Team Open (no handicap)
• Professional (local and regional tours)
• VIP (with handicap)
Earning Amateur Gross honors was Vietnam Golf & Country Club’s Nguyen Ngoc Khoi, whose 74 on Saturday and 73 Sunday which gave him a 7 shot victory over this strong field. The Amateur Net champion was Le Ngoc Tu of Montgomerie Links, who plays off 12 and posted 135 over the two days.
Lau A Tay, playing out of Dong Nai GC, earned top spot among Vietnam National Team Open entrants, posting 82-78, while Vo Viet Thanh of Vietnam Golf & Country Club earned the VIP title with a net score of 140.
“The tournament was a qualified success in terms of the quality and depth of the field, the atmosphere and the venue. Even the weather cooperated!” said FOREGolf Asia Managing Director Jeff Puchalski. “It absolutely poured rain on Friday morning, the day we were supposed to have played practice rounds. That makes one nervous, of course, but Saturday and Sunday were both perfect for golf.
Puchalski reserved special praise for the Dunes Course at Danang Golf Club, General Manager Howie Roberts, and his staff. This Norman design was recently cited by GOLF Magazine as one of the top 15 new courses to open worldwide in 2010, and none of the competitors in January are about to disagree.
“Everyone loved the course and the Asian Tour players frankly raved,” Puchalski said. “The playing conditions could not have been better and the staff at Danang GC was superb. Their personalized service made the event really special.”
“Unho Park ultimately took the top prize, on Sunday, but the atmosphere late Sunday morning — when we held a sudden-death putt-off to gain the final —was electric. There were 122 people, the entire field, gathered around the putting green at Danang, living and dying with every stroke,” Puchalski said.
The two days of competition offered dozens of compelling storylines all their own, but special attention was paid to the hole-in-one competitions on account of what was at stake. A finer collection of prizes would be hard to find anywhere in Asia, unfortunately nobody won them:
• Host Danang Golf Club put up a two-year membership
• Course supplier Jebsen & Jessen offered Club Car golf cart, or $5000 USD in cash
• Local auto company Auto Do Thanh put up a straight cash prize of 100,000,000 VND
• Tournament host Le Quang Liem, General Director of Thu Duc Garden Homes, offered one of his company’s villas valued at $360,000 USD
And so, a course record fell as Vietnam’s top amateur tournament was held from January 7-9 at Danang Golf Club.
The format was conducted in 36 holes of stroke play and, as one might expect, three of the five Asian Tour representatives claimed top honors. Australian Unho Park’s 139 led the field, thanks to Sunday’s closing 69, a new course record from the championship Shark Tees at 8-month-old, Greg Norman-designed Danang GC. Lam Chih Bing of Singapore finished two strokes back while Vietnam’s own Tran Le Duy Nhat placed third at 146.
The individual competitions were broken out into five separate divisions:
• Amateur Gross (no handicap)
• Amateur Net (maximum handicap: 13)
• Vietnam National Team Open (no handicap)
• Professional (local and regional tours)
• VIP (with handicap)
Earning Amateur Gross honors was Vietnam Golf & Country Club’s Nguyen Ngoc Khoi, whose 74 on Saturday and 73 Sunday which gave him a 7 shot victory over this strong field. The Amateur Net champion was Le Ngoc Tu of Montgomerie Links, who plays off 12 and posted 135 over the two days.
Lau A Tay, playing out of Dong Nai GC, earned top spot among Vietnam National Team Open entrants, posting 82-78, while Vo Viet Thanh of Vietnam Golf & Country Club earned the VIP title with a net score of 140.
“The tournament was a qualified success in terms of the quality and depth of the field, the atmosphere and the venue. Even the weather cooperated!” said FOREGolf Asia Managing Director Jeff Puchalski. “It absolutely poured rain on Friday morning, the day we were supposed to have played practice rounds. That makes one nervous, of course, but Saturday and Sunday were both perfect for golf.
Puchalski reserved special praise for the Dunes Course at Danang Golf Club, General Manager Howie Roberts, and his staff. This Norman design was recently cited by GOLF Magazine as one of the top 15 new courses to open worldwide in 2010, and none of the competitors in January are about to disagree.
“Everyone loved the course and the Asian Tour players frankly raved,” Puchalski said. “The playing conditions could not have been better and the staff at Danang GC was superb. Their personalized service made the event really special.”
“Unho Park ultimately took the top prize, on Sunday, but the atmosphere late Sunday morning — when we held a sudden-death putt-off to gain the final —was electric. There were 122 people, the entire field, gathered around the putting green at Danang, living and dying with every stroke,” Puchalski said.
The two days of competition offered dozens of compelling storylines all their own, but special attention was paid to the hole-in-one competitions on account of what was at stake. A finer collection of prizes would be hard to find anywhere in Asia, unfortunately nobody won them:
• Host Danang Golf Club put up a two-year membership
• Course supplier Jebsen & Jessen offered Club Car golf cart, or $5000 USD in cash
• Local auto company Auto Do Thanh put up a straight cash prize of 100,000,000 VND
• Tournament host Le Quang Liem, General Director of Thu Duc Garden Homes, offered one of his company’s villas valued at $360,000 USD
03 December 2010
25 November 2010
Check it Out!
SNEAK PEEK 2011
Next Year’s Hottest Equipment Trends @ Golfest Kuala Lumpur will premiere at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club (KLGCC) driving-range on December 2nd to the 5th, from 10.00 am to 9.00 pm.
The four-day event is open to the public with no admission or parking fee.
K.P. Low, Managing Director of MST GOLF, said Golfest continues to be a big hit with golfers of all ages and abilities. As a matter of fact, MST GOLF has extended the event to Perak and Johor in 2009 and we would like to give this Golfest Kuala Lumpur a little twist by adding in a 2011 equipment preview to give golfers an insight on what’s to come next year.”
Golfest Kuala Lumpur will feature the latest products available from Callaway Golf, Taylor-Made, Titleist, King Cobra, Nike Golf, OnOff, Yamaha, Wilson Staff, Honma, Ping, Akira Golf, Bobby Jones, Williams Sports and lots more. Attendees will be able to test and own the latest line-up for 2011!
Throughout the four-day event, join the exciting activities such as junior golf performance, custom shoe-fitting session, longest drive challenge, putting and chipping competitions.
The four day Golfest will also give fantastic price discounts and ideas for festive gifts with irresistible value buys, attractive offers and mystery giveaways at the Golfest sales area. Golfers who are looking to sharpen their swing mechanics can check out the MST GOLF Academy where instructors are on stand-by to provide personalized swing checks.
MST GOLF Tech Shop is also ideally situated at the driving-range facility for golfers to get equipment custom-fitted like the pros for optimum performance and reliability. David Tang (Malaysia’s first Certified Class AMaster Club-maker from MALTBY Design and Club-making Academy) will be on hand to provide custom club-fitting, clinics and repair services to help attendees better understand the significance of game improvement product for golfers of all levels. Golfers will also enjoy a meal voucher valued at RM20 for the newly opened R&R Sports Café with any purchase above RM300 from the sales area. And finally, check out Golf Malaysia Magazine bumper issue at the Fest!
See you there!!!
Next Year’s Hottest Equipment Trends @ Golfest Kuala Lumpur will premiere at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club (KLGCC) driving-range on December 2nd to the 5th, from 10.00 am to 9.00 pm.
The four-day event is open to the public with no admission or parking fee.
K.P. Low, Managing Director of MST GOLF, said Golfest continues to be a big hit with golfers of all ages and abilities. As a matter of fact, MST GOLF has extended the event to Perak and Johor in 2009 and we would like to give this Golfest Kuala Lumpur a little twist by adding in a 2011 equipment preview to give golfers an insight on what’s to come next year.”
Golfest Kuala Lumpur will feature the latest products available from Callaway Golf, Taylor-Made, Titleist, King Cobra, Nike Golf, OnOff, Yamaha, Wilson Staff, Honma, Ping, Akira Golf, Bobby Jones, Williams Sports and lots more. Attendees will be able to test and own the latest line-up for 2011!
Throughout the four-day event, join the exciting activities such as junior golf performance, custom shoe-fitting session, longest drive challenge, putting and chipping competitions.
The four day Golfest will also give fantastic price discounts and ideas for festive gifts with irresistible value buys, attractive offers and mystery giveaways at the Golfest sales area. Golfers who are looking to sharpen their swing mechanics can check out the MST GOLF Academy where instructors are on stand-by to provide personalized swing checks.
MST GOLF Tech Shop is also ideally situated at the driving-range facility for golfers to get equipment custom-fitted like the pros for optimum performance and reliability. David Tang (Malaysia’s first Certified Class AMaster Club-maker from MALTBY Design and Club-making Academy) will be on hand to provide custom club-fitting, clinics and repair services to help attendees better understand the significance of game improvement product for golfers of all levels. Golfers will also enjoy a meal voucher valued at RM20 for the newly opened R&R Sports Café with any purchase above RM300 from the sales area. And finally, check out Golf Malaysia Magazine bumper issue at the Fest!
See you there!!!
06 November 2010
China is Making its Wave into Golf
China's "Future World Champions"*
By Tim Maitland
Adam Scott had been beaten by a girl before, just not by a 12-year-old. Playing the 17th hole of the WGC-HSBC Champions Pro-Am, Scott found the bunker and made bogey. Little Lucy Shi Yuting, a 13-time winner in three years on the HSBC National Junior Championship, made par.
The significance is twofold: the other girl to beat Scott was a few years ago and someone called Wie - Michelle Wie - and you can make a note that November 3rd 2010 was the day when the elite of men's golf truly came to realise that China is coming faster than they realized.
"These are the Olympic champions and world champions of the future. They're fantastic! Fantastic!" raved Europe's Ryder Cup-winning captain Colin Montgomerie after conducting a clinic with some of the younger children from China Junior Golf Program.
"They're proper golfers. They're not just kids that can hit a golf ball on the range. These are complete golfers at nine years old: driver, putting, and short game!" Monty continued.
"I think in the next 10 years you'll see a tremendous growth into competitive golf; I'm talking about into the world's top 100. That's inevitable. It's going to happen. We have to accept that. The competition is coming from this part of the world: Korea, China especially. Golf is booming!"
By Tim Maitland
Adam Scott had been beaten by a girl before, just not by a 12-year-old. Playing the 17th hole of the WGC-HSBC Champions Pro-Am, Scott found the bunker and made bogey. Little Lucy Shi Yuting, a 13-time winner in three years on the HSBC National Junior Championship, made par.
The significance is twofold: the other girl to beat Scott was a few years ago and someone called Wie - Michelle Wie - and you can make a note that November 3rd 2010 was the day when the elite of men's golf truly came to realise that China is coming faster than they realized.
"These are the Olympic champions and world champions of the future. They're fantastic! Fantastic!" raved Europe's Ryder Cup-winning captain Colin Montgomerie after conducting a clinic with some of the younger children from China Junior Golf Program.
"They're proper golfers. They're not just kids that can hit a golf ball on the range. These are complete golfers at nine years old: driver, putting, and short game!" Monty continued.
"I think in the next 10 years you'll see a tremendous growth into competitive golf; I'm talking about into the world's top 100. That's inevitable. It's going to happen. We have to accept that. The competition is coming from this part of the world: Korea, China especially. Golf is booming!"
As Monty was saying those words, Mickelson was coming off the course having also encountered Lucy Shi at the 17th, three days after she beat her rivals by 12 shots over three rounds at the HSBC National Junior Championship final.
"She hit a 6-iron to about 15 feet from the hole, lipped out the putt and made par. She was an incredible player!" said Lefty.
"You could tell right away that she's got a lot of potential to be a great golfer. She has a wonderful swing, a great short game, great putting stroke. And at only 12, it's amazing how talented she is at such a young age. I hope that she continues to develop and continues to play well and improve and become a force on the LPGA."
"She hit a 6-iron to about 15 feet from the hole, lipped out the putt and made par. She was an incredible player!" said Lefty.
"You could tell right away that she's got a lot of potential to be a great golfer. She has a wonderful swing, a great short game, great putting stroke. And at only 12, it's amazing how talented she is at such a young age. I hope that she continues to develop and continues to play well and improve and become a force on the LPGA."
Back on the range, Monty was echoing the words of PGA Tour player Jason Dufner who, a year earlier, having done the same clinic exclaimed the Chinese kids he saw were far superior to their equivalent age group in the States.
"Oh of course they are! Way ahead! And of course the work ethic here is different. These kids are prepared to put in the hours it takes nowadays to become very, very good. You can see how they love it. They're all involved. It's fantastic and the work ethic here is different to ours," Monty said, adding that the focus of the kids he saw put him to shame.
"I was a lazy player myself; two or three hours and I was getting a little bit bored. These kids? Six, seven hours a day and just golf! Then they're studying as well. This is where the future is. Now golf has become an Olympic sport, in this country it can only add to the opportunities given to them and the incentives given to them. They're well ahead of our youngsters.
If it's a numbers game China wins every time hands down. I've had a successful career I suppose and I started at six and I couldn't even get the ball airborne when I was ten, never mind hit the ball like this. These are *golfers!"
Montgomerie's comments came as the junior championship was celebrating the one thousandth child to compete in the elite tier of tournaments that have been running since 2007.
"A thousand children may not sound like a lot over the four years that we have been investing in the China Golf Association's programme, but that's the top of the pyramid," said Giles Morgan, HSBC Group Head of Sponsorship.
"Below the top of that pyramid, we have had 8,000 children who have come through our summer and winter camps, learning the great game of golf, and below that, at the foundation of the pyramid, we have had 200,000 children touching golf for the first time in their schools' PE lessons through the HSBC Education Programme," Morgan added.
"Oh of course they are! Way ahead! And of course the work ethic here is different. These kids are prepared to put in the hours it takes nowadays to become very, very good. You can see how they love it. They're all involved. It's fantastic and the work ethic here is different to ours," Monty said, adding that the focus of the kids he saw put him to shame.
"I was a lazy player myself; two or three hours and I was getting a little bit bored. These kids? Six, seven hours a day and just golf! Then they're studying as well. This is where the future is. Now golf has become an Olympic sport, in this country it can only add to the opportunities given to them and the incentives given to them. They're well ahead of our youngsters.
If it's a numbers game China wins every time hands down. I've had a successful career I suppose and I started at six and I couldn't even get the ball airborne when I was ten, never mind hit the ball like this. These are *golfers!"
Montgomerie's comments came as the junior championship was celebrating the one thousandth child to compete in the elite tier of tournaments that have been running since 2007.
"A thousand children may not sound like a lot over the four years that we have been investing in the China Golf Association's programme, but that's the top of the pyramid," said Giles Morgan, HSBC Group Head of Sponsorship.
"Below the top of that pyramid, we have had 8,000 children who have come through our summer and winter camps, learning the great game of golf, and below that, at the foundation of the pyramid, we have had 200,000 children touching golf for the first time in their schools' PE lessons through the HSBC Education Programme," Morgan added.
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