Hong Kong Golf Club member Doug Williams will become only the second local golfer in history to play in a major championship when he tees off in this month’s US Senior Open at Oak Tree National in Oklahoma.
Williams, 56, successfully came through sectional qualifying in Hawaii, where he beat local professional legend David Ishii in a play-off to earn the sole qualifying spot. He had earlier fired a one-under-71 over the Waialae Country Club course in Honolulu (venue for the PGA Tour’s annual Sony Open) to tie with Ishii, and held his nerve to par the first sudden-death hole, which his rival could only bogey.
Fellow HKGC member Jock Mackie played in the 1959 Open Championship, which was held at Muirfield in East Lothian, Scotland.
"It’s a big thrill," said Williams, who has dominated the local senior golfing scene since turning 55 last year. “I had been planning a trip to play the German and French Senior events in the first two weeks of July, and had actually entered both, but decided to wait until after the US Open qualifier to buy my air ticket, which ended up being a smart move."
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