You've come so close to qualifying for the UBS Hong Kong Open on many occasions, so how were your emotions upon winning the Close Amateur and realising you were going to be teeing it up in a European and Asian Tour event?
It felt - and continues to feel - awesome. Like you say, I have been close before, both at the Close Amateur but also the qualifying tournament, so I was both excited and relieved to have finally done it. But to gain my entry by winning the Close Amateur made it even more special because my era of friends - people like Shinichi [Mizuno], [Liu] Lok-tin and Martin [Liu] - had also done it before.
What are your expectations for the event?
My goal is to make the cut. I know that's a difficult goal to achieve and that I'm going to be up against a lot of great players, but I know the course well so hopefully I can do well during the week.
What is your preparation going to be like heading into the tournament?
I will train as hard as I can to make sure that my game is in good shape. The Composite Course isn't very long, so I will be focusing largely on my mid-to-short iron play as well as my short game and putting. Minimising the chance of injury and staying flexible is also important, so I'm going to be spending a bit more time in the gym beforehand.
What are you most looking forward to during the week?
I'm really looking forward to seeing Dustin Johnson play and see how long he can hit it in real life! Hopefully I will get the chance to meet him. It would be great if the organisers paired us together during the practice round [laughs].
Is he your favourite for the title?
Yes. He hits the ball really far which will definitely be an advantage at Fanling. He's been playing well on the PGA Tour this season, so if he has his game together he definitely has the chance to life the trophy on Sunday.
What is your favourite moment from watching previous Hong Kong Opens?
My favourite moment is when Rory [McIlroy] holed his bunker shot at the 18th to win back in 2011. I will never forget it. I was right there on the course at the time when it happened. He's a wonderful player to watch.
Click here to see the published article.
