At the age of just 17, Lok-tin accomplished what is thought to be a first in the modern era – win both the Close Amateur and the Open Amateur in the same season. It is a magnificent achievement.
Showing few signs of nerves, Lok-tin, a brilliant ball-striker who must be one of the longest drivers of a golf ball in the region, produced a fabulous display over the week at Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club to become the first local golfer to win the title since Tang Man-kee’s victory 21 years ago. I’m very pleased to say that Lok-tin’s success is also a success for the Hong Kong Golf Association’s junior development programme. Under the tutelage of national coach Brad Schadewitz, Lok-tin, along with many other young golfers, has shown a dramatic improvement in recent times and it is my hope that the Hong Kong team can carry over their good form to Guangzhou for the Asian Games in November. This will be the first time that Hong Kong has fielded a golf team at Asia’s premier sporting event, and I’m sure the four team members – Lok-tin, Steven Lam, Jason Hak and Mickey Chan – will be excellent representatives of golf in the SAR.
But the good news doesn't end there. Over the summer – as was reported in the August/September issue of HK Golfer – the junior squad participated in a number of tournaments in the United States and once again produced excellent results. Playing against golfers from other countries is an invaluable experience and something that will have filled our young hopefuls with plenty of confidence.
November, of course, means the Hong Kong Open. From November 18-21, some of the game’s finest players will descend on The Hong Kong Golf Club for the 52nd edition of Hong Kong’s oldest sporting event. Sponsored for the fifth year in a row by UBS, this year’s edition promises to be another spectacle of world-class golf. The championship, which has been played since 1959, nearly always produces a grandstand finish and I for one am eagerly anticipating its start.
I hope to see you at Fanling!