萬眾期待「香港高爾夫球公開賽」將於11月回歸亞巡賽賽程 睽違四年的經典賽事將於香港哥爾夫球會復辦 並列為亞巡賽國際系列賽之一
Prestigious Hong Kong Open to make eagerly-anticipated return to the Asian Tour in November 2023
Historic event returns to Hong Kong Golf Club after four-year hiatus as part of burgeoning International Series.
[香港，2023年3月28日] 「香港高爾夫球公開賽」是亞洲職業高爾夫球巡迴賽（亞巡賽）其中一個最具代表性且最歷史悠久的賽事，此年度盛事定於11月9日至12日在香港哥爾夫球會的粉嶺球場舉行。此經典賽事更被列為亞巡賽國際系列賽的最新一站，將香港在國際高球壇的地位再推上一層樓。
「香港高爾夫球公開賽」是香港最歷史悠久的職業體育盛事，今年底將再次於享譽國際的粉嶺球場內的複合球場上演，並提供高達200萬美元的總獎金。
在過去周日，粉嶺球場成為香港體壇焦點，許龍一奪得由香港哥爾夫球會呈獻的「國際都會高爾夫球錦標賽」冠軍，成為首位香港球手勇奪亞巡賽冠軍。該賽事標誌著國際高球盛事經38個月後再次回歸香港，而香港哥爾夫球會更在上周宣布許龍一出任該會大使，令賽事意義特別重大。
上屆「香港高爾夫球公開賽」已是疫情來襲前的2020年1月，應屆冠軍來自澳洲的奧爾斯比（Wade Ormsby）在本年2月舉行的「泰國國際系列賽」中取勝，目前高踞亞巡賽獎金榜第三位，他同時也是2017年度的賽事冠軍。
現年42歲的奧爾斯比表示，今年的目標在於參加一共10場的國際系列賽事，以冀可重返LIV高爾夫聯賽，他說：「香港是我的福地，我很期待能夠在此再次參賽！」
澳洲球手在「香港高爾夫球公開賽」上取得驕人的成績，冠軍數目比其他任何國家及地區更多，當中包括高爾夫球名宿諾曼（Greg Norman）、湯臣（Peter Thomson）、拿高（Kel Nagle）和亨特（Scott Hend）。亨特擁有10場亞巡賽冠軍之多，是亞巡賽擁有奪冠數量最多排名的並列第三位。
「香港高爾夫球公開賽」的歷屆冠軍也不乏歷屆大滿貫得主，包括北愛爾蘭的麥爾萊（Rory McIlroy）、英格蘭的羅斯（Justin Rose）、愛爾蘭的夏靈頓（Padraig Harrington）、西班牙的奧拉沙保（Jose Maria Olazabal）、德國的蘭格（Bernhard Langer）、威爾斯的胡士南（Ian Woosnam）以及美國的莫迪（Orville Moody）。
「香港高爾夫球公開賽」於1959年首次舉辦，每一屆都於香港哥爾夫球會的粉嶺球場舉行，多年來已成為亞巡賽中舉足輕重的賽事。
香港哥爾夫球會會長郭永亮表示：「『香港高爾夫球公開賽』多年來吸引了不少來自世界各地的優秀球員參加，令我們一直引以為傲，在這方面跟亞巡國際系列賽事理念相同。亞巡國際系列賽事憑藉擴大了的參賽準則，提升了對全球頂尖職業球員的吸引力，勢必令『香港高爾夫球公開賽』如虎添翼。」
國際系列賽事主管辛格（Rahul Singh）表示：「國際系列賽是一項令人興奮的新賽事項目，而國際系列賽能與『香港高爾夫球公開賽』和香港哥爾夫球會等歷史悠久的賽事及場地掛鉤，是此系列賽事取得成功的關鍵之一。」
他補充：「國際系列賽為球手帶來改寫職業生涯的契機，排名首32名的球手將獲得參加LIV高爾夫推進賽（LIV Promotions Event）的資格，而球手在作為賽季煞科戰的『香港高爾夫球公開賽』的表現 ，將對他們的排名有舉足輕重的影響。」
國際系列賽於去年由LIV 高爾夫注資亞巡賽創立，本賽季已分別在中東和泰國舉行了3場賽事，下一場比賽定於4月在越南舉行。
亞巡賽專員兼行政總裁唐籌民（Cho Minn Thant）表示：「『香港高爾夫球公開賽』回歸和成為國際系列賽事的其中一站是非常令人興奮的發展。國際系列賽事2023年度賽季已揭開了成功的序幕，『香港高爾夫球公開賽』將令競爭更力熾熱。我非常感謝香港高爾夫球總會和香港哥爾夫球會的支持，我相信在11月舉辦的『香港高爾夫球公開賽』將成為全球津津樂道的一項盛事。」
(Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China, 28 March 2023)
The Hong Kong Open, one of the Asian Tour’s most iconic golf tournaments steeped in rich history, will make its long-awaited return this year to its traditional home the Hong Kong Golf Club (HKGC), in Fanling, and in a landmark development will be part of the burgeoning International Series.
The tournament, which is the oldest professional sporting event in Hong Kong, will offer a lucrative purse of US$2 million and will be played on the HKGC’s acclaimed Composite Course from November 9-12.
The famous venue was the scene of one of Hong Kong's greatest sporting moments at the weekend when Taichi Kho triumphed in the World City Championship presented by the Hong Kong Golf Club to become the first player from Hong Kong to win on the Asian Tour. The event marked the return of international tournament golf to the Special Administrative Region of China for the first time in 38 months and was especially significant as the hugely impressive Kho was announced as an ambassador for the club during the week.
Wade Ormsby, who sits second in the International Series Order of Merit, courtesy of his victory at the International Series Thailand just three weeks ago, was the last player to win the Hong Kong Open, in January of 2020, shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic brought the season to a premature conclusion. The Australian also claimed the event in 2017.
The 42-year-old, who has stated his aim to tee-up in all 10 of the International Series events in 2023 in pursuit of a return to the LIV Golf League, said: “To have a crack around a course I’ve had success at is fantastic. I’m really looking forward to it.”
Australians have enjoyed a rich vein of success at the Hong Kong Open, producing more winners than any other nation, with fellow antipodean victors including golf legends Greg Norman, Peter Thomson, and Kel Nagle plus Scott Hend, who is tied third for the most Asian Tour wins of all time with 10 victories
Past champions from further afield include Major winners Rory McIlroy (NIR), Justin Rose (ENG), Padraig Harrington (IRE), Jose Maria Olazabal (ESP), Bernhard Langer (GER), Ian Woosnam (WAL), and Orville Moody (USA).
The Hong Kong Open has been a pre-eminent event on the Asian Tour for decades and was first held in 1959. The HKGC has staged every edition.
Andy Kwok, Captain of the Hong Kong Golf Club, said: “This event has a proud history of welcoming golf’s leading talents from around the world, and in that sense shares values with The International Series, the expanded entry criteria for which makes this a compelling proposition for tour players around the world.”
Rahul Singh, Head of the International Series, said: “The International Series is an exciting new initiative, but part of its success has been its ability to build relationships with historic tournaments and events like the Hong Kong Open and the Hong Kong Golf Club.
“The International Series offers life-changing pathways for players and with the Hong Kong Open scheduled at the ‘business end’ of the year it will play a vital role in deciding which players make the coveted top 32 and qualify for the LIV Promotions Event.”
The International Series, introduced last year through a landmark investment by LIV Golf, sits within the Asian Tour schedule and has already seen three events this season in the Middle East and Thailand with the next tournament scheduled in April in Vietnam.
Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner & CEO, Asian Tour, said: “The Hong Kong Open’s return and its positioning as an International Series event is outstanding and adds another exciting dimension to the 2023 season, which has enjoyed such a successful start.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank everybody at the Hong Kong Golf Association and the Hong Kong Golf Club for their support and we cannot wait to have yet another memorable Hong Kong Open in November.”
Information and Photo source : Elite Step Asia Limited / Hong Kong Open
