More than 80 children from local primary schools attended this month’s Hong Kong Ladies Open to enjoy their first introduction to golf and witness the historic triumph by Tiffany Chan, a graduate from the Hong Kong Golf Association’s junior development programme.
The pupils were at the Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling to enjoy a range of golfing activities, including ShortGolf, a fun and easy introduction to the game and an integral part of the HSBC Golf For Schools initiative.
The school children also had the opportunity to watch the lady competitors in action on Fanling’s Old Course, including four amateurs from the Hong Kong national squad who made the cut – Tiffany Chan being one of them – to add to the success story for Hong Kong golf.
Mark Chan, President of the HKGA commented: “The Hong Kong Ladies Open, presented by the Hong Kong Golf Club, was a special opportunity to promote our sport to the local community. Hopefully the experience enjoyed by the kids from our HSBC Golf For Schools programme, combined with Tiffany’s remarkable win, will inspire them to pursue the game and become our stars of tomorrow.”
Also supported by The R&A, the HSBC Golf For Schools initiative currently sees ShortGolf classes being conducted by the HKGA in more than 25 local primary schools across Hong Kong and culminates in on-course golf lessons and the opportunity to gain an official HKGA handicap.
From there, children can progress to the HSBC Junior Development Programme, a talent-identification scheme comprising HKGA-sanctioned junior tournaments and matches, including the HSBC Junior Tour and a cross-border match against the top juniors from HSBC’s China Junior Golf Programme. The top Hong Kong juniors are then invited to join the HKGA Junior Squad for weekly coaching and expert advice and ultimately the chance to represent Hong Kong on the international stage – and follow in the footsteps of the new Hong Kong Ladies Open champion, Tiffany Chan.
For more details on HSBC’s golf activities, visit www.hsbcgolf.com
Hong Kong Golf Association visit www.hkga.com