James Stewart, who will tee it up at the UBS Hong Kong Open after coming through the rigours of the qualifying tournament, is no stranger to Hong Kong's oldest professional sporting event. He played the event for 10 straight years (between 1999 and 2008) and stunned the Fanling galleries in 2001, the first year the tournament was sanctioned by the European Tour, by firing a brilliant 65 on the first day to find his name at the top of the leader board. Indeed, as a long-time member of the Hong Kong Golf Club, there can be few people who know the Composite Course better. This time, however, will be different for the 37-year-old.
A former Asian Tour regular, Stewart enters this month's tournament not solely as a professional golfer, but one with a flourishing business to mastermind.
Since curtailing his full-time professional playing career, Stewart, who holds a business management degree from San Diego State University, has launched his own company – J Stewart Golf, suppliers of bespoke golf products. And such has been its success over the past few years that the company is now considered one of the global market leaders in customised golf accessories, boasting a wide ranging client base.
"I'll be focused on trying to do my best at the Hong Kong Open," says Stewart, "but with business the way it is, especially at this time of the year, I'm going to have to keep an eye on what's going on in the office. It's a nice problem to have."
Stewart, who played college golf against the likes of Adam Scott, Ben Crane and Charley Hoffman, spent eight years travelling the world as a touring professional and while he enjoyed those times, he says he never reached his full potential.
"To be honest I was getting quite frustrated with the way I was playing and was looking for opportunities away from the golf course," says Stewart, who represented Hong Kong alongside Derek Fung at the 2003 World Cup.
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